A Piece of Mine

What is one of the most personal things we own? It is who we are; it is our identity. Identity is singular and plural, continuously present and developing. Some identities become embedded over time; others are discovered or left behind. There are identities that we inherit and some are our personal choice. One thing is certain: no matter where we are, we are always someone, we are always us, you are always you!

But in this world we live in there is no equal opportunity for every human being to develop personally in freedom, in peace and in quiet. There is probably not a single person in this world who grew up in an environment that was a hundred percent safe and without trouble. Some however face more hardship than others and the influence this has on their identity formation is often long-lasting.

What if you live in a country subjected to apparent socio-economic, political and/or religious conflicts?

What if the opportunity to develop yourself freely, equally and respectfully becomes subjugated and inhibited by the conflicts always present in your direct social environment?

What if social and cultural diversity has caused separation and estrangement within a society and you are the future generation of this country?

What if you are a child growing up in such a country?



Mission Statement

• A Piece of Mine is an educational photography project for children aged 13-16 that emphasises "identity education".
• A Piece of Mine brings children from different socio-economic, cultural and religious groups within regions and countries of conflict closer together.
• A Piece of Mine wants to intervene in regions of conflict and alter the perception that different social groups have of each others that either leads to conflicts or is a result thereof.
• A Piece of Mine does so by looking at identity formation and expression using photography and the representation of identity in different art forms.
• A Piece of Mine aims to educate, to enable and to enhance the children’s awareness and development of their personal identity in relation to their social environment on a local and national level
• A Piece of Mine aims to identify the positive ways of expressing who you are and in what way you belong in your society.
• A Piece of Mine addresses the younger generation in order to give them a voice about their own future and to educate them on the value and role identities play in their own society.