The Heart Prints Project
“As adults, we sometimes forget how to see the world with the innocence of a child’s eye.”
The Heart Prints photography project was started in 2006 when I visited Vengadampatty (Tamil Nadu) to complete a two month voluntary placement with my wife Cassie. I taught photography to the 30 children there who are cared for by TRUST. The children were given disposable cameras and asked to photograph the things that were most important to them. I wanted to give the children an opportunity to express themselves using a new and exciting medium. I wanted them to have fun, but also to take the project seriously. I wanted to encourage their sense of discovery by asking them to think about the things that mattered to them. And I hoped that the project in some small way would be a therapeutic exercise to help them through their massive personal traumas. They produced remarkable images of their home, their friends and their possessions.
“What may appear as nothing of importance to you or I might be considered incredible to a child.”
These children, many of whom are orphans from the Boxing Day December 2004 Tsunami, do not have a great deal to call their own, yet this project has allowed them to recognise more clearly what really matters in life: the people they love, their friends and the security of their home. I believe that we can also learn a lot about our own values from the children and their photographs.
The first Heart Prints exhibition was held in the TRUST Children Home on 23 July 2006. Since then more children have been taken in by TRUST and in 2010 my good friend Nic Pennington visited Vengadampatty to carry on the work of Heart Prints, holding a second project with another successful exhibition in the Children's Home. Once more the children produced stunning pictures which reflect what they value in their world.
In July 2011, Nic and myself, with the help of our friends held an exhibition and auction of the children's photographs at First Option studio in London to coincide with Thirumaran's first visit to the UK. The show was a huge success and we raised around £5500 for TRUST. It was also a great opportunity for supporters of TRUST to come together in one place, meet Thirumaran and show their support.
You can support the great work TRUST does by donating.
Nic and I have also written and produced books about the project which we aim to bring together as one for publication. If you feel you can help us with regards to publishing our book, or in any other way please do not hesitate to contact me.