CARACAS, VENEZUELA
100CAMERAS X ESPACIO ANNA FRANK 2024
100cameras X Espacio Anna Frank is a part of a 8 class course that is custom designed by 100cameras to equip passionate creatives with the tools to empower youth in a community they care about with the opportunity to learn how to process their stories and create change. Pictured here are 100cameras students and program leaders during the course.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
100cameras X Espacio Anna Frank 2024 took place in Caracas, Venezuela, in partnership with Espacio Anna Frank, in alliance with Fundación Plano Creativo. Through their educational efforts and programming, they teach young people about the harmful impacts of intolerance on societies.
Espacio Anna Frank’s current focus spans Culture, Education, Youth, and Museum sectors. The organization is dedicated to fostering mutual respect, particularly for individuals and groups whose beliefs, origins, religions, and customs differ from those of the majority. To achieve this, they create educational and cultural programs designed to combat prejudice, stereotypes, and the resulting hatred and discrimination against religious, cultural, ethnic, or sexual minorities.
The students live in a low-resource community in Caracas and experience the everyday struggles that come from a lack of resources and living below the poverty line.
“This program was particularly important since Cota 905 has been a major landmark of violence in Caracas. In 2021, these youngsters—like many others—experienced three consecutive days of confrontations with episodes of violence that led to severe trauma for all the Cota 905 population.”
The curriculum encouraged them to explore who they are and their aspirations for the future, while also learning key skills in photographic composition and techniques.
The program allowed students to process difficult emotions and connect their stories with powerful visuals. One student shared an image that reflected his personal grief and loss, symbolizing the effects of the violence he witnessed. “One of them stepped out to search for an image—at the exercise of relating the story to an image—and he captured an electrical outlet that was missing one entry. He quoted, ‘We were three, and now we are only two left,’ referring to his brother who was killed at that time,” reflects Schummer.
“I sincerely want to think that, for a 17-year-old boy, pouring all this horror out was a cathartic experience and a therapeutic opportunity to heal, or at least confront the situation in a safe environment.
He presented his story in front of the audience on graduation day, the work was done, and he told his terrible experience and overcame whatever shame he was feeling and felt proud of it. For a moment, his story mattered and people related to it. ”
The emotions experienced during the program were strong, and the curriculum provided a cathartic experience for students, giving them a safe space to confront their trauma.
One of the students reflected on how the program allowed her to express herself in ways she hadn’t imagined before. “One student who is currently enrolled at Universidad Central de Venezuela, expresses very well her experience in the documentary we produced with Fundación Plano Creativo and Pedro Mercado's direction. She also stated that when she first heard about the opportunity to participate in the program, she wasn’t interested in participating, but she realized that we weren’t there to tell her what to do; we were there to show her how much she was capable of and give her the tools she needed to express herself through photography,” shares Schummer.
“This is proudly our 4th experience with this curriculum and with your support, we have gained a ton of experience regarding the specific needs of Venezuelan vulnerable communities based on our unique reality. We are confident with the fact that we are indeed impacting positively the lives of these students, this experience has represented a before and after for the great majority of them.
We see how as the program develops and the contents start to build up, at the same time personal changes arise, small things begin to happen, smart comments, trust, comfort, and opinions start to flow, and the dynamics change with the accumulation of knowledge, and especially a sense of possibility.
These are all smart youngsters who just need an opportunity and caring, maybe their lives go back to the same place after we finish but definitively they change as individuals, and someday this will serve well in their lives.”
By the end of the 100cameras program, students gained valuable tools for reflecting on their past, understanding their present circumstances, and cultivating the confidence and determination needed to build a brighter future for themselves and their families.
MEET THE STUDENTS
The experience had a lasting impact on the students, giving them tools to not only reflect on their difficult pasts but also to imagine and build a brighter future. Through the power of photography, these young people found a voice to share their stories with the world.
“I see the students in particular have had a very easy way to connect images and emotions, a difficult skill in my experience. They have achieved very quickly the ability to connect emotions with images in their head. To imagine an image that reflects upon an emotion or experience is a hard thing to do and they have shown great sensibility.
We were all very proud of this group and have great expectations about their future, hoping that everything was worth it and that we planted a seed in each one of them.”
ABOUT THE PROGRAM LEADERS
Elizabeth Schummer. With a Master's in Oral Surgery from UCV/NYU and a career spanning over thirty years as an oral surgeon, Elizabeth transitioned to photography as a way to see the world around her in a new light. She now serves as the Cultural Director at Espacio Anna Frank. Elizabeth has studied at CIEFVE Caracas, Venezuela, and completed the Master PhotoEspaña program in 2021. A co-curator for various photography exhibitions, her work has been featured in multiple digital magazines, and she has participated in collective exhibits in Caracas and Madrid. In 2022, Elizabeth authored the photobook Mirada Inversa, Caracas.
Eduardo Burger. A writer, teacher, and screenwriter with over twenty years of experience, Eduardo has dedicated much of his career to managing and implementing citizenship programs through the arts. He is the co-director and founder of Plano Creativo, an organization focused on education in vulnerable communities through audiovisual arts. Eduardo also works as a creative advisor and community liaison for LABO Ciudadano, an initiative that strengthens social ties through activism and the arts. Additionally, he teaches scriptwriting and theater at Andrés Bello Catholic University and has contributed to various print and audiovisual media outlets.
Eva Mujica. A Mass Media Communicator from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, an audiovisual producer, and the general coordinator for Fundación Plano Creativo since 2018.
Johanna Pérez Daza. A researcher-teacher at the Information and Communication Research Institute (IDICI) of the UCAB, Coordinator of the Communication and Visual Culture area, 2018-Present, Master in Cultural Project Management (La Fábrica, Spain 2022), PhD in Social Sciences (UCV, 2018. Honorable mention), Master in International Relations (UCV, 2010), Degree in Social Communication (UBA, 2003. Honorable mention).
Ricardo Jiménez. A photographer and teacher at CIEFVE, Curator for RMTF School of Photography and several exhibitions. Former director of Galeria Tresy3.
Elvira Prieto. Photographer and Videographer, Degree in Social Communication Script with a focus on audiovisual communication.
Teachers, photographers and volunteers that made this possible: Ilana Beker, Lilian Salama, Anthony Camargo, Pedro Mercado, Armando Alvarado, Ana García Julio, Gabriela Marquez, Harold Contreras, Ricardo Marquez, Antonio China, Rui Cordovez, Alexander Longa.
STUDENT IMAGE GALLERY
Follow us on social media to see images from the field as captured by the 100cameras X Espacio Anna Frank team and the student photographers.