Humanize the Numbers is a special advanced photography lab-based course. The course is built around a collaborative project between the members of the course and inmates at a local prison. Students will visit the prison to facilitate workshops with prisoners, making photographs as one of the products of the workshops. Students will develop skills in photographic tools, including cameras, Photoshop, and digital printing. The course will also provide opportunity to integrate artistic production into a community-based setting.

This course will serve as an introduction to socially engaged arts practice, with collaborative photography at its center. We will be establishing the basics of collaborative projects, through weekly workshops at Thumb Correctional Facility (Lapeer, MI). We will cover the building blocks of photography in the classroom. Then we will transition to teaching these basic principles in the prison workshop setting. In addition to the technical elements of photography, students will be introduced to basic theory and approaches of socially engaged community-based creative practice. Readings, accompanied by class discussions, will be used to integrate a more informed approach to the collaborative creative work.

Students will be evaluated on their participation and leadership for weekly workshops at Thumb CF, photographic work throughout the semester, and class participation. Students are required to participate in the PCAP training at the start of the term, and should also account for travel time to Lapeer when considering their schedule. It is recommended (but not required) that students take RCARTS 285 prior to enrolling in this course.in photography and the need to correlate those skills with a student’s other academic interests.

Course Requirements:

Readings, accompanied by class discussions, will be used to integrate a more informed approach to the collaborative creative work. Students will be evaluated on their participation and leadership for weekly workshops at Thumb CF, photographic work throughout the semester, and class participation. Students are required to participate in the PCAP training at the start of the term, and should also account for travel time to Lapeer when considering their schedule.

Intended Audience:

It is strongly recommended that students take RCARTS 285 prior to enrolling in this course, but students with darkroom experience would also be welcome to enroll.