Suggested Age: 4+
The ‘Photovoice’ tool is a participatory action research tool that involves giving participants a camera to record their lived experiences and perspectives in relation to the research question(s). It enables people to use photo images and/or video to capture aspects of their lives and share them visually and verbally with others, including their peers, researchers, city leaders and policy makers. Environments and experiences are visualised through the lenses of different participants. Children can use this creative tool to easily assess, document and communicate their individual and common conditions and needs.
For example, Photovoice was used in the ‘Adolescent Lives’ research project (UCL- CatalyticAction) to learn from young people’s interactions with other people and environments about the factors that affect their mental health.
See The Community Tool Box’s section on ‘Implementing Photovoice in your community’ to learn more about this tool.
Photovoice can help address the following questions:
- What are the participants’ locations of interest?
- What do they like and dislike about the area or site of intervention?
- Where do they feel safest or happiest, and why?
- What stories are there about the area or site of intervention?
- What are the lived experiences of participants?
- What environments do participants live in and use?