CAMH clients get creative behind the lens

By Miguel Amante

Each year, patients from COMPASS (Concurrent Outpatient Medical and Psychological Addiction Support Services) are given the opportunity to participate in PhotoVoice – a multi-week photography program to encourage participants to explore their own feelings towards mental health and recovery. 

Participants are given point-and-shoot cameras during the program, and they meet weekly to discuss photography and mental health. The program culminates in a public exhibition, where their work is printed and displayed. This year’s exhibit is entitled Little White Camera – for obvious reasons. 

The annual project, led by Occupational Therapist Nicole Bartlett and Employment Works! Coordinator Sean Patenaude, is both an important stepping stone for patients in recovery, and a passion project for its co-facilitators.

“This is our fifth time running PhotoVoice together and with each cycle I feel like my appreciation of the impact of non-judgmental, creative expression gets deeper,” says Nicole. “On an individual level, we often hear this project gives participants a reason to get out of the house, especially on days they aren’t feeling up to it. They are also noticing their environment more, becoming more present, and getting out of 'autopilot' mode.”

“PhotoVoice is important because it encourages participants to discover (or rediscover) their creative voices in a safe, welcoming setting. We use simple cameras so we can concentrate on making strong pictures that tell a compelling story rather than getting tied up with camera settings and theory,” says Sean, who himself is a seasoned photographer. 

“PhotoVoice provides a platform for people in recovery to share their experiences in their own images and words, instead of having it told for them by third parties. The participants enjoy the experience of building an exhibition together, coming up with the title, creating promotional materials, installing the work in the gallery, and presenting the pictures for friends, family, and the public at large.”

This year, the exhibit is taking place at the Toronto Media Arts Centre on 32 Lisgar Street, just a block away from CAMH’s Queen Street site. The showcase will run from January 17 – 19, with a meet-and-greet event on Friday, January 18 from 5 to 6 p.m. 

We visited the group a week before the exhibit to see some of the photography on display and to chat with the patients responsible for making them: 

Ian Payton’s photo highlights his journey from darkness to light, an effect he accomplished by using off-camera lighting to illuminate his face in an otherwise dark environment. “I actually shot this in a dark parking garage using a Lume cube-type of light, and it turned out exactly how I wanted it to.”

“This was an experiment… it was a fluke, honest!” says David Purvis of his beautifully surreal photograph. “It’s like a photographic Monet. The colour, and the fact that it’s splotchy and blurry – I think it signifies recovery. When the grey becomes filled with colour, it’s still not sharp or clear, but you can make out colour. That is part of recovery.”

Tord chose a photo to commemorate the many friends lost to substance use over the years. “I had a lot of friends who have passed away from drug overdose. This whole recurrence of drug overdose is what brought me to CAMH. I saw too much death and I didn’t want to become part of it – and CAMH has really helped me in that regard. I’ve been a year sober from alcohol, and three years sober from other drugs, so I stay involved at CAMH, it helps keep me grounded. We need more places like CAMH.”

“I was shooting close by to where I live – it’s sort of in the projects, really ugly, but I was looking for stuff where, with a little bit of work, with a little helping hand and a different perspective, I could turn it into something really nice.” Paolo used the mirror effect to create his beautiful photograph, and he purposefully chose something that would create a triangle shape, which reminded him of a metronome – a reminder of one of the passions in his life, music.

“The chickadees come very readily,” says Donna-Lynne of her favourite photo. “I actually had a plan in my head of what I was going to do, but that didn’t happen, so this photo was a lesson in letting go. Learning to be still, learning to let go and finding my path – those are what my photos are really about.”

If you like what you see, make sure to drop by for a visit and be inspired by these talented photographers.

This program would not be where it is without its sponsors, which include Downtown Camera, CAMH Gifts of Light, the Toronto Media Arts Centre and Workman Arts. Special mention goes to Downtown Camera, who have been partners since the initial cycle of the program. Aside from donating print services and picture frames, they also made an additional $4,500 donation to Gifts of Light from fundraising done over the past year. Thank you!