Dialogues

Overview

After much time spent documenting tuberculosis it became clear that there was a missing link between the patients and those helping them to get better.  It was very common to find scenarios where patients were afraid to test or be seen at clinics receiving treatment. Tuberculosis was also viewed in a very distorted light within communities of high prevalence. Dialogues is an opportunity for people living with TB to voice themselves and express their understandings of TB, what is happening to them,  how they and TB are perceived in society, and what they feel should be done to improve the state of TB.

Each participant contributed a hand written testimonial in their mother tongue to compliment a portrait of themselves. Dialogues became a regular addition to the Shack due it to related subject matter. It was also exhibited in communities where photography took place as social mobilisation campaigns and succeeded in de-stigmatising and education about TB/HIV. It was also shown in contemporary art galleries. It peak achievement was having Bill and Melinda Gates request a home visit with Ncosibaca Thinga Thinga after viewing his portrait and reading his story.

The original 14 participants are currently documented once a year to assess what happens post TB treatment in a series entitled Retrospect. This will be released in 2011.