Empowerment for the Future: An Examination of Creative Identity of Young Indigenous Australians

This project aims to work with Indigenous youth to develop their ideas of their future using therapeutic photography techniques. Therapeutic photography techniques are photographic practices done by people themselves (in situations where the skills of a trained therapist or counselor are not needed) to increase their own self-knowledge and awareness, activate positive social change, strengthen communities, improve intercultural relations, reduce conflict, bring attention to issues of social injustice, deepen visual literacy, enhance education, expand qualitative research methodologies and produce other kinds of photo-based healing or learning. Aligned with contemporary practices (developed methodologies) of therapeutic photography with focus on the production of self-portraits, the concept of empowerment rises from the growth process of inner power of each individual that uses the photographic dialogue in order to realize the multiplicity of meanings embodied in the work of art. One's resulting perception of the 'self' in relation to the 'other', to the world and oneself fosters introspection, self-questioning and individuation. Through using this technique the facilitator aims to develop in the youths, the abilities and capacity to engage with the photographic media, as well as create a set of images that they can proudly point to as their vision for their future.