NT NETWORK
The art of photography shapes the creative vision of an individual into reality. But, ever wondered creating visual images using non visual senses? Ever thought of clicking snaps blindfolded? From May 28 to 30, the people of Goa will get to witness a marvel when visually impaired people will go clicking wonders!

‘Blind with Camera’, a project of the Beyond Sight Foundation, in collaboration with Heritage Jazz as its media partner has lined up several enlightening programs for the visually impaired in Goa for the year 2010-11.
The ‘Blind with Camera’ team will be in Goa for a photographic workshop at Goa – Centre for Alternative Photography. During their stay in Goa they will explore possibilities for local visually impaired to participate in a photography workshop and exhibitions in the near future.
This amazing project was started by Mr Partho Bhowmick, an IT professional, in Mumbai. Inspired by Evgen Bavcar, an acknowledged blind photographer from Paris coupled with his passion for photography, Mr Bhowmick was led to do research on blindness and visual art and later conducted workshops on the same After two years of independent research on blindness and visual art, he decided to hold workshops on photography for the blind, but it was not easy to get around endless queries, questions and doubts.
Finally, after months of trying to get participants, in January 2006, he started the workshop with just one student. Several visually impaired jointed later, and today there are over twenty five students. The workshop is fee of cost. Initially it was funded from his savings and later well-wishers and business corporate came forward to support it.
The workshop evolved with time and culminated into the Beyond Sight exhibition. Since February 2007, ‘Beyond Sight’ has been exhibited at esteemed art galleries like NCPA, Mumbai, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, Academy of Fine Arts Kolkata and Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai. The making of the project has also been presented at IIT Mumbai, IIM Ahmadabad and Azim Premji Foundation Bangalore.
 For his creative altruistic work he was awarded the Karmaveer Puraskaar in 2009. Incidentally, Mr Armando Gonsalves, the CEO of Heritage Jazz has also been honoured with the Karmaveer puraskaar for peace and harmony. The philanthropic and humanitarian outlook of both of them has brought them together. With a common dream of empowering the blind and stimulating their emotional, intellectual and creative expressions with conviction, they have joined hands and now intend to disperse rays of hope in the ‘world of darkness’
Mr Partho Bhowmick accompanied by two of his students who are blind, will conduct a small learning session at the ‘National Association for the Blind’ in Santa Cruz, demonstrating the techniques on Blind Photography. He will enlighten the crowd as to how images can be inspired by touch and sound; how certain audio clues, visual memories and cognitive skills can help the visually impaired to delve into the visual world and gain a deeper insight.
Heritage Jazz has been organising numerous successful photography contests, but this event is one of its kinds. This will surely challenge the artistic as well as physical inhibitions and give a purpose to the audiences to see the world through creative minds.