A youth photography and archiving programme by New Age Artistry
Lens Time Travelers is a youth photography and archiving programme implemented by New Age Artistry in Bethal, Mpumalanga. The programme was created to give young photographers the opportunity to explore their community through photography while developing a deeper understanding of history, archives, visual storytelling and the responsibility of documenting the present.
At the heart of the programme was a simple idea: the stories of a community deserve to be remembered.
Bethal has a rich and complex history, yet many of its stories remain outside formal archives or are inaccessible to the communities connected to them. At the same time, the realities of contemporary Bethal continue to unfold every day, with stories of identity, struggle, resilience, celebration and human rights rarely being professionally documented and preserved.
Lens Time Travelers sought to bridge these two worlds.
From the Archives to the Present
The programme introduced participants to photography not only as a creative practice, but as a tool for recording history.
Through a series of workshops, young photographers explored the foundations of photography, visual storytelling, intellectual property, creative entrepreneurship, archival practices, immersive technology, portfolio development and curatorial practice.
Participants were introduced to the history of photography and explored how photographers have historically documented communities, political moments and social conditions. They were encouraged to consider how photographs influence what societies remember and how historical narratives are constructed.
A major part of the programme involved engaging with existing archives and asking what has been documented, what may have been overlooked, and how contemporary photographers can respond to the images and stories that came before them.
This became the foundation for the participants’ own photographic practice.
Reimagining History
Rather than simply reproducing historical narratives, participants were encouraged to reinterpret them through contemporary photography.
They explored historical experiences connected to Bethal’s agricultural and labour history, including the lives of prisoners and farm workers during the potato farm tenure period, the treatment of farm employees and conditions within hostels.
These stories were approached through the perspective of a new generation of photographers, creating a visual conversation between historical records and contemporary interpretation.
The process allowed participants to ask what these histories mean today and how photography can help communities engage with difficult or forgotten aspects of their past.
Documenting Human Rights Today
The programme also moved beyond historical documentation to examine the present.
Under the exhibition theme “Human Rights: Then & Now,” participants documented contemporary issues affecting their communities and South Africa more broadly.
Their work explored themes including gender based violence, access to water and the right to education.
These photographs were not treated simply as abstract social issues. Participants were encouraged to approach them as lived realities within their communities, using photography to make visible experiences that can easily become normalised or overlooked.
The resulting works created a dialogue between historical human rights struggles and the realities that continue to exist today.
Learning Through Experience
The programme combined classroom learning with practical experiences.
Participants developed their photographic skills through practical shooting assignments and were given opportunities to experiment with different approaches to visual storytelling.
A field trip to the National Archives exposed participants to institutional approaches to preserving South Africa’s history and helped them understand how archival material is collected, protected and made accessible.
The cohort also explored augmented reality and immersive storytelling, introducing new possibilities for connecting audiences with photographic archives and contemporary work.
Through this combination of photography, history, archiving and technology, participants were encouraged to think about what the future of community storytelling could look like.
The Exhibition
The programme culminated in a Human Rights Day exhibition at the Nomoya Masilela Museum in Bethal.
The museum provided an important setting for the exhibition because it allowed audiences to encounter Bethal’s established historical archives before engaging with the new photographic works created by the participants.
The exhibition therefore became a journey through time. At the centre was Nomoya Masilela Museum curator Goodman Vilakazi, representing the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture. Through guided engagement, he shared layered histories of Bethal, including the origins of its name and lesser-known narratives, grounding the exhibition within place and memory.
Visitors first encountered historical material preserved by the museum before moving into the students’ reimagined historical works and contemporary documentation.
The experience was further expanded through guided tours, discussions and performances.
The exhibition also brought together local creative practitioners, including visual artists, fashion designers and crafters, creating a broader cultural experience that celebrated creative expression within the community.
More than 50 people attended the exhibition, including community members, stakeholders, learners and invited guests.
A Living Archive
Lens Time Travelers became more than a photography training programme and more than a single exhibition.
It became an attempt to create a living archive of Bethal.
The project placed young people at the centre of the process of recording their own communities, giving them the tools to decide what should be remembered and how those stories should be represented.
Participants received completion certificates and printed copies of their photographic works, while a dedicated online platform was developed to provide them with a space to showcase their portfolios and continue sharing their work beyond the programme.
The project also received wider public attention through coverage on Emzini FM and The Citizen, extending the stories created through the programme beyond the exhibition space.
Continuing the Journey
Lens Time Travelers demonstrates the potential of photography to connect generations.
Historical photographs can become starting points for new stories. Museums can become spaces for contemporary engagement. Young photographers can become archivists of their own communities.
Most importantly, communities can begin to see themselves not only as subjects of history, but as active authors and custodians of it.
Through Lens Time Travelers, New Age Artistry continues its commitment to using creative practice and technology to empower young people, preserve community stories and create new ways for audiences to experience history.
To View all the students photographed works, please visit the link below:
https://www.ltt.newageartistry.co.za/
Project Credits
Project: Lens Time Travelers
Implemented by: New Age Artistry
Location: Bethal, Mpumalanga
Exhibition Theme: Human Rights: Then & Now
Exhibition Venue: Nomoya Masilela Museum
Programme Focus: Photography, Visual Storytelling, Archiving, History and Immersive Technology
