Social media, self-expression and self-identity present growing problems for young people, and there is growing evidence that this pressure is contributing more and more to mental health issues. Trying to establish a true identity, whilst finding themselves within a ‘selfie’ culture of carefully curated Facebook and Instagram lives, has never been harder.
The PEEL project and training programme works with groups of young people, and uses photography and poetry to help them explore their identity and who they are rather than just focussing on what they look like.
Working in small groups, participants interview each other. They put their phones down, and start listening. They gain personal insights about each other and they write them down. This leads to a piece of poetry – an ode to a young person. The poem is used as inspiration to create a photographic portrait. The poem and the portrait are combined into a single artwork. The artwork can be shared online via The PEEL Zone™.
PEEL PROGRAMMES
The PEEL programme has been utilised by many different individuals, groups and organisations. To get a flavour of what PEEL can do, view the case studies below.
The PEEL ZONE is an online gallery of some the poetry and images created so far. You’ll also find more information on how to run a course and the benefits PEEL can provide.
THE PEEL BOOK
The limited edition PEEL book provides a deeper understanding of the background to the programme. There is a guide to running your own programme and fold out pages featuring PEEL portraits.
