Presenting the West Africa Visual Journalism Fellowship stories
The World Press Photo Foundation is pleased to present the work of the three recipients of the West Africa Visual Journalism Fellowship.
The three projects tell stories of West African communities told by West African emerging photographers, ranging from mythology and witchcraft, the importance of social cohesion, and the restoration and preservation of coastal ecosystems. The projects have been published on World Press Photo’s website and social media, and will be displayed in an exhibition in each of the fellows’ countries of origin later in 2021.
About the fellowship
The West Africa Visual Journalism Fellowship is a World Press Photo Foundation education program in partnership with the Chocolonely Foundation, to support emerging talent and connect them to the international community.
The fellowship supported three emerging photographers to produce a visual storytelling project of their choice in West Africa. The stories were produced during 2019 and 2020, after a short pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The three fellows received:
- A production grant of €5000 to undertake a journalism project of their choosing in their communities in West Africa
- A grant of €5000 to help cover their living expenses while they were reporting and producing their story
- A workshop on location in Ghana and online workshops with selected local and international professionals to help plan the fellow’s projects and introduce the solutions focus to visual journalism
- Mentors who will individually guide the development, production, and post-production of the fellows' project as well as general career advice and coaching
Three mentors supported and advised the fellows along the way: Emilie Regnier, photographer; Nii Obodai, photographer and educator; and Marc Prust, visual story editor.
Objectives
- Spot the talent: identify three individuals who are emerging visual journalists - individuals already with promising skills who would benefit from taking their storytelling to the next level - from Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire
- Unleash their potential: support the fellows in the completion of a long-term investigative project through individual mentoring and financial support where they will investigate a story of their choosing relevant to their communities in West Africa
- Develop new storytelling perspectives: foster new approaches to visual journalism that go beyond the repetition of problems to a focus on the solutions that local communities are already embracing
- Show their stories: assist both with connections to local media to enable regional publication, as well as promoting their final projects internationally, online and through exhibitions
- Expand their network: offer the fellows personal networking opportunities
- Create impact: enable new visual storytellers who return to their communities, inspire others, and continue to tell the stories that matter to them
