Notes on the Project "Unraveling the Identities of Ghetto Classics" by Photographer Cezary Rucki

When I first got introduced to an opportunity to come to Kenya for this project, I was quite fascinated by the project, and felt honored to join its team, but also I was feelingvery cautious. It was going to be my first time in Kenya, and I made it my goal not to let the project subscribe to the stereotypical view of Africa and people’s lives there.

‍The photo shoot is centered around the idea of unraveling the identities of the kids of the Ghetto Classics initiative. These children come from extremely unfortunate areasof slums and ghettos of Nairobi, yet they are developing their talents and changingtheir lives through the power of music. To say the least, I haven’t seen anything likethis before. Everybody I worked with was truly dedicated to their activities and passions, holding to every opportunity to unleash their abilities and talents. This iswhere the idea of showcasing these outstanding young individuals came into the making. We saw the opportunity in telling these stories through a photograph-media, while the setting for each picture was planned and prepared by the participantsthemselves. The project was supposed to be for them from start to finish. They becamethe co-creators of the photos, choosing the locations, how they would be dressed, and how they would pose.

During the preparation stage, we conducted thorough research, considering potentialoptions for introducing the kids to the idea in the most natural way possible. We thencame to the conclusion that the only option for unraveling the true selves of these kidsand their life stories was to minimize our impact as much as possible. After all, whobetter to tell this story than themselves? We carefully guided them by sharing some of our expertise to ensure that the articulation of how they wanted to be perceived wouldeasily be traced in the final result.

I was prepared for the fact that it would not be an easy project for me as a photographer. I felt like both, the foundation`s team and the kids themselves placed a lot of trust in me to tell their stories to a larger audience.

I feel like none of my previous engagements could have prepared me for this project.Considering its context, I was extremely mindful of putting the agency into the handsof the kids. Minding all the discomfort of the unknown and gentleness of the matter, I felt that this was also an opportunity to take my personal and artistic development to a new level. So I let go. Looking back I understand that this was the only possibleoption.

The first day when I came to get to know the participants I got introduced to the Ghetto Classics project. Their main campus is located in one of the biggest ghettos of Nairobi - Korogocho, next to the Dandora dumpsite. What surprised me the most was the slums’ distance from the rest of the city. After all, they are located just a fewkilometers from the busy center of Nairobi or the district of luxurious, fenced-off resorts and luxury restaurants. Another aspect to point out was the intensity of the place. A wealth of colors, sounds, textures. Colorful buses, graffiti on the walls - it was all incredibly vivid and memorable. The creativity of the project participants, showcasing beauty in the most unexpected places and unfortunate areas of Nairobi, will forever constitute my source of inspiration.  

Parts of the experience were surreal. I was sitting in the classroom with a view of the mountains of rubbish, with vultures browsing around. This picture, however, was accompanied by the sounds of jazz compositions coming from another classroomwhere the ensemble of Ghetto Classics was rehearsing. This was the day when we started interviewing the kids.

One of the most crucial stages of the project was the interviews with the participantsthemselves. At the introductory meeting, we told them about our concept - for the project to be guided by them, and listened to their ideas. Some of them had well-thought-out ideas (e.g. "Peaky Blinders" inspiration, or a tomboy styling in the desert), while others initially had very ambitious, fairy-tale settings in mind. Of course, at first,we had to face some distrust, confusion, and discomfort coming from the kidsthemselves. But going further, we found a mutual connection in brainstorming ideasfor their potential outfits, themes, and references.

Once we identified the main vectors for creative preparation, we started identifying the locations, costumes, accessories, and other attributes for discoveries. ‍The process of checking potential locations where we were to shoot was also extremely interesting, providing us with insight into the life of the community. We were guided by the localresidents who provided us with an opportunity to see the «backstage» of Korogocho. We are truly grateful to the residents of the area who were our guides allowing us to see these settings from a slightly more true perspective. As we passed by, we heard the stories of the inhabitants and saw the ways they lived. It was thought-evoking and touching in every possible way.

‍Working with children and young adults posed its challenges, I am glad and gratefulthat we got to spend the whole week together, from mornings to evenings, and had a chance to get to know them a little better.

All of them are, above all, incredibly interesting people. Truly strong, full of dreamsand plans for the future. Aware of the reality and problems surrounding them. At the same time so full of life. Each of them had a different story - some of them touching, some terrifying. I was again struck by how common media outlets manage to lump them all together. ‍There were many amazing moments: Taking photos in a bustlingmarket square, among people living their own lives, surrounded by a group of curiouschildren, having our guide stop a bus painted with graffiti to take photos with one of the participants on its hood, and kilometers of trips with children playing theirinstruments and singing on our way.

This project, in terms of my photography practice, raised the question of who a photographer should be in general, and what role am I playing in the stories of thesechildren’s lives. It reminded me of a calling and responsibility as a creator or an artist— from the ego-centered need to create for the sake of creating to an attempt to articulate what is missing in common discourse. 

This project, surprisingly, made me realize how little agency I have, but at the same time how important it is to try to be useful, even to a very limited extent. It was one of the most shaping projects for my level as an artist, teaching me humility and the importance of the agency of the people I photograph. I'm grateful to have been a part of it.

Cezary Rucki