Visual Storytelling with Magnum Photos and Create Jobs

At the end of November, twenty-four young photographers gathered at Wex Photo Video in Whitechapel. Over the past month they'd attended workshops, critiques and seminars to help them develop their visual language and learn how to succeed in a fast-changing photography industry.

Now they were going to design a newspaper.

It was all part of Creativity Works: Visual Storytelling, a free, 7-week course run by photo agency Magnum and Create Jobs, a London-based organisation that supports individuals who are underrepresented in the creative and digital industries.

One city, one brief, twenty-four photographers

At the start of the course, the photographers had been given the brief "What is your London?" Now it was week 5 and they arrived at Wex with the images they'd created in response, each showing a unique perspective on the city they call home.

The task for the day was to assemble these photos into a layout for a tabloid newspaper, printed by Newspaper Club, which would be distributed at an exhibition of their work in December.

To kick off the workshop, members of the creative team at It's Nice That showed the group how they use a flat plan— a visual overview of all the pages in a publication—to produce Printed Pages magazine. They also shared some inspirational editorial design, including the latest issue of the Lecture in Progress newspaper.

Then it was time for the participants to brainstorm ideas and sketch layouts for their own publication. Each photographer was responsible for putting together a double-page spread showcasing their work. As a group they'd decide on a cover design and a title for the newspaper and exhibition by the end of the day. They set to work with coffee, crisps and Maltesers on hand.

"Please Mind the Flash"

Two weeks later, on the evening of 10 December, the exhibition opened to a packed house at Hoxton Arches. The 24-hour show, titled "Please Mind the Flash", was co-curated by Emma Bowkett, Director of Photography at the Financial Times Weekend Magazine, and Max Ferguson, the Director of Photography at Port Magazine.

The photography in the show explored issues from gender identity to the housing crisis to friendship. Visitors could pick up a free copy of the 56-page exhibition newspaper, which featured a mix of images included in "Please Mind the Flash" as well as work created during the course that wasn't on display.

On the cover of the newspaper was a collection of Polaroid portraits of the course participants, all covering their faces from the burst of a flash.

"Please Mind the Flash" featured work from Faith Aylward,Capella Buncher, Kevin Chemuka, Kornelija Nelly Dedelaite, Gwen Datyner, Nathan Ford, Yvonne Gyamfi, Melissa Gardner, Sabab Khan, Eric King, Bili-mae Latimer, Randy Mankoto, Shani McFarlane-Martin, Tishon Nicholson, Jazz Noble, Daniel Norman Soph, Victoria Onubogu, Ellie Radford, Lourice J Ramos, George Robson, Filip Skiba, Jai Toor and Cleo Webster.

What is your London?

Below, 11 of the Visual Storytelling participants describe an image they created in response to the prompt "What is your London?"

Jai Toor, 21

"Yet Another Day examines the relationship between [my] grandparents as they seek comfort and well-being in their everyday lives. This image provides the viewer with a day-in-the-life scenario. Spaces like the workplace have been an integral part of their life and story. On the other hand, it highlights the family I've been surrounded by while residing in London."

---

Cleo Webster, 20

"To me, London is increasingly becoming a city glorified for its diversity, all-inclusivity and creative spaces, allowing room for endless expression whether that is through your art, appearance and other creative ventures. Yearning to explore the connection my friends have with their bedrooms, and how they have reflected themselves through their own unique space hidden inside the congested city walls, this project aims to celebrate of the importance of personal and communal spaces within a rapidly changing London."

---

Jazz Noble, 23

"This picture was taken in a pub near my house in the suburbs of London which is soon to turn into some flats. I visited it on a Sunday afternoon when it was pretty empty and found this slightly bleak, yet cinematic, scene. No one was playing darts at that time but the evidence of past games on the whiteboard seemed to add an eerie atmosphere to the place."

---

George Robson, 19

"Flying the Nest documents my close friends' suburban lifestyles since leaving central London. It's part of a series of natural portraits of my peers taken outside or close to their new homes. Having grown up with them in a very urban area of London, I wanted to show the dynamic of trying to find comfort and a feeling of home in new and alien environments."

---

Kornelija Dedelaite, 23

"My project doesn't reflect London itself, but the people in London and the struggles we all have within and about ourselves and the fear of being vulnerable. The picture I chose is of my friend, who was really casual about posing nude, and I feel like this image captures that. It is inviting and almost feels like people are part of the conversation she and I were having at the moment."

---

Lourice J. Ramos, 18

"Growing up in Walthamstow Market I got to experience a different childhood that others couldn't have. I would see how market traders stay in the cold and still have an animated character welcoming customers and others in. I feel that this image shows the feeling of a raw market, and how the people are bringing life to it reflecting how a community has grown since 1885."

---

Victoria Onubogu, 24

"The concept for my project was 'we move', which is an expression that means 'to carry on regardless of a situation'. This image shows someone grudgingly completing some work, and depicts a situation where I've applied this phrase/said this phrase to myself."

---

Tishon Nicholson, 19

"The Inner Me is a personal project focusing on four generations of women in my family (including myself)- through their stories we learn how they navigate being Black Caribbean women in the UK."

---

Daniel Norman, 23

"Soph is the first chapter of an ongoing project looking at the issues of mental health and loneliness experienced by individuals in the LGBTQ+ community. Those who identify as LGBTQ+ tend to be at a higher risk of issues with their mental health, but despite this it remains a topic that is rarely discussed beyond facts and figures."

---

Filip Skiba, 19

"Through interviews with various participants, the project explores the meaning of fluidity and sharing multiple perspectives on the queer community, whether within a literal/non-literal sense or through creating a metaphor from it. This is depicted through visual media to transport the viewer into a state of understanding and awareness. This image is one part of a broader, long-term project examining understandings of fluidity within London’s LGBTQ+ community."

---

Randy Mankoto, 21

"This is one of many self-portraits that I took in my photo series 'The Pursuit'. As a believer I’m always seeking wisdom, knowledge and peace. The reason behind this photo was to showcase my most intimate and solemn moment in my room—as I look to God."

---

Keep up with Create Jobs on Instagram and learn more about how they are working to transform London's creative workforce.