THE SLOW CAMERA EXCHANGE AND CORK CITY LIBRARIES

Patricia Looney Senior Executive Librarian, tells us about the Libraries’ partnership with The Slow Camera Exchange.

Libraries aren’t just about books. Over the years, Cork City Libraries have developed a music library, games library and even a seed library. It is exciting now to be cataloguing cameras for The Slow Camera Exchange.

Inclusivity is at the core of Cork City Libraries’ ethos making this collaboration with the Hermann Marbe Camera Collection a very special one for us. Herman made a significant mark on arts and inclusion in Cork City, and the programme of events recently developed around The Slow Camera Exchange continues in this vein.

Workshops hosted in Hollyhill Library and Westgate residential care centre have resulted in wonderful exhibitions and creative processes by older adults. Installations for Culture Night, Cork City’s Lifelong Learning Festival and upcoming for the Bealtaine festival showcase and encourage the amazing work of the older people involved.

With the use of a selection of analogue, user friendly cameras and kits from the collection the engagements promote positive ageing and inclusion through a new form of creative engagement and supports national initiatives such as Age Friendly Cities and Healthy Cities in a unique and creative way. We look forward to continuing our work in creativity and ageing through this programme and to becoming the first library in Ireland to make analogue cameras available to borrow by communities and artists to continue to develop this unique and inspired programme.

Soon, The Slow Camera Exchange will be in operation from the City Library to facilitate the borrowing of the cameras. To support access for people who may not have engaged with analogue photography before, a number of cameras have been formed into camera workshop kits. These camera kits will be available to artists to borrow for community engagement workshops; for example with youth groups, in residential settings, schools etc. The library will also programme activities within its own schedule, bringing in artists to facilitate community engagement with the cameras. These kits include 35 mm SLR cameras, medium-format cameras, pinhole cameras and boxes and point and shoot 35mms, as well as equipment for cyanotype photography.

There will also be a unique selection of 20 individual cameras available for loan to artists with some experience in analogue photography. The Slow Camera Exchange website will be updated with information when these are available for loan.

The Cork Film Centre in collaboration with the Library service will run a number of induction sessions for artists who wish to access these cameras.

Thanks to Creative Ireland for supporting our efforts.

-Patricia Looney Senior Executive Librarian

Keep an eye on The Slow Camera Exchange Website for updates. www.theslowcameraexchange.com