CIC (Contemporary Image Collective), a non-profit art institution that has been giving photography workshops for many years, will be launching a photography school this October. According the coordinator of the project Sylvia Mollicchi, the school is the first initiative of this kind in Egypt, since there is currently nowhere that offers a comprehensive programme for photography enthusiasts who wish to take it up professionally. The curriculum is still under construction and the whole project is in its trial stages. However, the centre has its aspirations and hopes to have its own art studio and laboratory. “We have made sure that we choose the most qualified instructors and we will also invite guest-lecturers to talk about photography,” she said. Mollicchi categorised the usual participants of their previous workshops into two sections. The first are those who take courses because they have bought a new camera and want to know how to use to its full potential, “which is highly legitimate,” she added, and those who are interested in photography as a profession. For those who are interested in professional photography, in each level, there will be two mandatory classes and one extra to choose from. This being said, anyone can take a single class if they choose. Among the courses offered are: Portraiture, Imagining the Book-Creative Photography, Adobe Photoshop, Darkroom Techniques, and producing and editing a photo-story. The main professional training courses are aimed at photojournalism and commercial photography. Creative and artistic courses will also be offered, including a collage-making workshop. An open week starting 24 September will be offered to give those interested an overview of what the school has to offer. The week will continue through to 28 September, and will give each instructor the chance to introduce their course. Rana El-Nemr, one of the instructors, will be giving a three-hour session during the open week. El-Nemr's style is interesting and innovative as it allows participants to experiment. Her idea is to transform written word into an image. “The idea of the course is to read a book and then analyse it through pictures,” she said. El-Nemr also believes that the course should appeal to writers and poets as it offers them a different medium for exploring the written word. She added that through analysing a book, one could a re-create a scene or add a new dimension to the story. She gives the example of many experimental films, constructed through photography. CIC, 4th Floor, 22 Abdel Khalek Tharwat, Downtown Cairo. Tel: (02) 2396 4272
