Solidary
Workshops
In addition to its activity in Paris, Clichés Urbains periodically offers solidarity photographic workshops to groups of youths from difficult urban neighborhoods, in Southern regions of the World.
In addition to the mere pedagogical aspect of the workshops, each trip is used as an occasion to create bounds between the French and foreign participants of the action, so different and yet so similar.
Modern technology and photography are used to help them communicate in images. The project fosters the curiosity of the participants, and improves their ability to fight stereotypes.
Brazil
Closely related to Brazil since its creation, Clichés Urbains conducts activities in Rio since 2013, and more recently, Minas Gerais, in partnership with local associations (Arte no Porto, and Lavras de Ouro).
Socially diverse by definition, Brazil is often cited as an exemple of a social injustice, where a majority of the population is deprived of most opportunities, which are the privilege of a very few.
Since 2013, Clichés Urbains has provided workshops to the youth of suburban areas and native communities.
Luanda, Angola - March 2019
Clichés Urbains participated in a research project on experimental artistic activity in suburban areas led by the French National Council for Scientific Research by organising multiple photo workshops in schools in Luanda and in the Horizonte Azul orphanage. We also organised a technical photo and video workshop for the members of the HANDEKA association, which led to the creation of a visual project.
Cape Town, South Africa - December 2012
During the local school break in South Africa, Clichés Urbains provided a one-week workshop to the kids of the Manenberg comminity, attending the Druiwe Vlei Community Center and the Children's Radio Foundation workshops. Used to producing radio shows, a handful of teenagers got to get initiated to the art of still image. Another useful tool for any reporter.
Bamako, Mali - November 2011
Taking advantage of the African Photography Biennale, Clichés Urbains went to Bamako to provide a one-week photographic workshop to the kids living at the Falatow orphenage, in partnership with the Jekabaara association. The week ended by a photo studio on Tabaski day (Aïd, the sheep festival).
Participative artistic actions
Clichés Urbains conducts projects abroad just as it does in Paris, and develops participative artistic actions in the communities, in addition to teaching the youth. The mobile portrait studio "Studio Clichés" helps create social bounds by photographing inhabitants and exposing the portraits in the course of participative performances.
Seeking to abolish stereotypes the performances and original sets of images created further put the light on the shared humanity of the communities, no matter which, or where.
Since 2016, ongoing- Brazil
The background is a street-art creation by the Afro-French artist Myriam Maxo. The wall was realized with the participation of the inhabitants and the association "Couleurs du Pont de Flandre" in Paris 19th. It was photographed, printed and installed in afro-descendent manifestations in Rio and Minas Gerais
2014/2016
100 portraits are exposed at the Botafogo Galery of l'Alliance Française, in Rio de Janeiro. The photos were taken in Paris (in front of a Rio background), and in Rio (in front of a Paris background), between 2104 and 2015, in the context of street participative actions.
2013/2014
In addition to the workshops, Clichés Urbains installed its mobile studio in the Morro da Providência. The backgrounds are creations of a French street artist - Da Cruz- which were photographed in Paris, printed on poster paper, to be stuck on outdoor walls within the favela. Becoming part of the local street art, temporarily.
A year later large print 100 portraits were printed and exhibited outdoor in the streets of Santo Cristo, at the bottom of the Morro da Providência, in partnership with the Rio French consulate.