Mar 21

Mar 21 The portrait project

When Linda Duffy started working at the 174Trust Disability Club there were only 8 children signed up. 15 years later, there are now 50 children and young adults in three different groups. All of them are disabled, have a sensory loss, have a life-limiting illness, or a combination of these. Linda and her team of six care for all of them 3 evenings a week to give parents some time to rest. This community service is not only very much needed but in high demand as the waiting list keeps growing, but with some of the children requiring 1-to-1 care there’s only so much the amazing Disability Club staff can do.

Once a fortnight Linda and her team organise a support group for these children’s families. This is a great opportunity for parents to come together, do relaxing activities or socialise with other families going through similar issues, and just have a chat free of judgement and full of understanding. Having a disabled child can be very isolating, so these fortnight meetings are a great way to support parents’ wellbeing.

Last month Linda approached The Duncairn for advice as she had funding to organise an art-related activity for the children. Debbie Young and Linda worked together to identify a suitable art activity, and most importantly a suitable tutor. Having organised these kinds of activities before, Linda knows how difficult it is to find the right person for the job, someone who both understands the children’s needs and potential and has empathy for them. Artist and photography tutor Mathieu Decodts was invited to teach portrait photography to the kids and the fit was just perfect.

“The project invited the children to look at each other and explore how they see each other… Because some of the children don’t realise they are disabled, that they look different. So the project was about taking the time to look at each other and themselves, and see if they realised they looked different. Some children did, and others didn’t see any difference between themselves and the rest of the group.
The kids really enjoyed taking photos of each other. Sitting in front of the camera some were very shy but others thought it was great and had a lot of fun. Mathieu was great at teaching at their level, making it easy and relevant to them. Showing how they can use their phone to take pictures like any other teenager.
One of the girls in the group is registered blind and we were a bit worried about how she would get along with the project, and she herself was worried this was something she couldn’t do. Mathieu really encouraged her and told her about the many blind photographers who have successful artistic careers and explained to her how to use the camera. In the end, she did great as everyone else involved.
In the end, all children got to take home a really nice portrait of themselves for the families to hang on the wall. This project has been great for the parents as well as they got to see their children's potential and their creative ability. Often parents keep these kids in cotton wool to protect them, but we try to push them beyond their comfort zone and push the boundaries of what they can do and the results are amazing. Most of all, the children really enjoy doing these activities.”
- Linda Duffy

All the participants looking amazing:

Mathieu Decodts is a great portrait artist and has years of experience teaching photography, including here at the Duncairn, to all kinds of people and at all kinds of levels. His background made him the perfect person to join the project and have the kids achieve such stunning results.

"I treat everyone the same, regardless of age, gender or ability. When it comes to teaching a group with disabilities, I just ask them to try. It is ok to fail, it's the best way to learn, regardless of ability. I've taught and photographed lots of people with disabilities over the years and it's always lovely because they tend not to have any expectations of what they can achieve. It was lovely to see them succeed with a little inspiration and help from me".
- Mathieu Decodts