The castle neighbourhood through children’s eyes: A study in photography and critical practice

Abstract

This photographic essay presents a photography workshop held in Ankara, Kale Mahallesi (castle neighbourhood), with a group of Romani and Syrian children aged 6 to 13, as part of an ongoing effort by Birlikte Kent (a collective based in Ankara) to create space for dialogue, exchange, and knowledge production. Guided by critical social theory and Freirean notions of conscientisation, the workshop encouraged children to use photography as a method for reflecting on and narrating their urban environment marked by community, gentrification, and displacement. The workshop, which was organised through a collaboration between two collectives, Birlikte Kent (Ankara) and Fotohane Darkroom (Mardin), positions children as ‘knowers’, supporting them in documenting their personal and collective stories, claiming ownership of their narratives, and bringing attention to conditions of urban transformation and the right to the city. This photo-essay presents 15 photographs taken by three of the participating children.