17 Sep 2019
By Francis Floresca
Punchbowl Boys’ High School has once again teamed up with The Sydney Story Factory and the Australian Centre for Photography to successfully deliver the third installment of Photo Faction.
The two-day program enabled twenty-five Year 8 students to improve and showcase their writing skills by using photographs taken by their peers from Fairvale High School as prompt. Miles away in Fairfield West, Fairvale students did the same with photographs taken by Punchbowl Boys.
Maria Seeley, one of the organisers from The Australian Centre for Photography, applauded the students’ enthusiasm toward photography.
“We had a fantastic time working with Punchbowl Boys,” she said exuberantly. “What a bright and engaged bunch they are. We look forward to seeing their completed work.”
Acting Principal Robert Patruno’s feedback on the program seems to suggest that the boys’ eagerness has trickled down from the top.
“In a world saturated with images, it is extremely important for us to teach students how to read images,” Patruno said. “Photo Faction provides our student with an innovative way to do just that.”
English Head Teacher, Jane Drabble, praised the program’s capacity to develop student empathy and community engagement by giving them insight into other people’s lives.
“Photo Faction has continually enabled the boys to interact with the lives of others in an imaginative way,” asserted Drabble, who also saw the program as a valuable opportunity that has helped prepare students for HSC course study.
“The emphasis on the creative process, as much as the end product, helps lay a solid foundation for the Craft of Writing module in the HSC,” Drabble said excitedly.
Deputy Principal for Curriculum, James Cooper, echoed Drabble’s views while placing great emphasis on how the future-focused program has consistently helped students prepare for further study and the workforce over the past three years.
“It opens them up to opportunities that allow them to see different perspectives and equips them with collaboration skills they’ll need in the future whether it is in university or in the workplace,” Cooper remarked. “It helps them be successful twenty-first century learners and global citizens.”
Muhammad Baagil, who has developed a strong interest in photography this year, said that the program improved his grasp of the art form.
“The program helped me learn more about the power of lighting, shadows, and lines,” Baagil maintained. “Having the opportunity to bring these concepts to life made me fall in love with photography even more.”
Amin Aggag, one of the school’s rising stars in academics, offered deep reflections on the impact of Photo Faction in fostering visual literacy within the school.
“The program showed us that there are more than just one way of reading,” Aggag noted. “It showed us the importance of being able to read both words and images as we prepare for the future.”
Since its inception in 2017, Punchbowl Boys’ High School is the only school to have successfully run the program every year.
“To have someone interested in their writing means a lot to the boys and Photo Faction gives them that,” said Cooper. “It’s a collaboration we definitely want to continue with moving forward.”
The students’ work will be available at The University of Sydney’s astar.tv platform later this year.
For past students’ work, click the link below: http://photofaction.astar.tv
