The Rebuild Project came out of a desire to teach Refugees in Rome photography as a means towards self expression while I was living in Rome, Italy in 2017.
My passion has been to share my talents and skills with those who have fled from geopolitical conflicts, human rights violation, war and economic deprivation. I believe that photography is a powerful tool for story telling because it allows the viewer to be apart of a visual dialogue deepening ones understanding about the different cultures in which we live.
My journey began in 2005, when I had the opportunity to travel into Baja California South alongside a group of missionaries. I documented a portrait series called the "Faces of Baja" revealing the migration of indigenousness families. I was intrigued about the stories the families shared with me about their journey from mainland Mexico over to the peninsula searching for a better life. As my interests deepened, I was introduced into the Migrant Labor Camps, housing for the harvest workers. The impact of seeing how they lived, fueled my empathy to share my photography skills and create " Seed to Shutter" a disposable camera workshop for children in which they documented their daily lives within the camps. The images were powerful, strikingly profound because of the way in which they captured the candid truth of their struggles, their joys and the inherent isolation they shared as a disconnected community in the rural oasis of the Baja desert. A few years into the series, I decided to make a short film which I wrote and co directed with my son called "La Estancia". It depicts the lives of five families all sharing a commonality about their hopes and dreams for a better future. It was featured in the New York International film festival and won best short documentary in 2012 here . The predominant truth woven in all the stories can be found in all societies throughout the world. I was destined to work alongside those individuals for it has brought me to where I am today continuing with my advocacy raising awareness about migration as our current global refugee crisis is on the rise.
I am currently based in Los Angeles,CA and am launching The Rebuild Project collaborating with a small group of West African Refugee dressmakers based in Rome. By integrating their sewing skills we are using an alternative photography method and have created one of a kind, hand printed and hand sewn cyanotype aprons and market bags. Our goal is to brand the company and sell our wearables to boutique stores and shops all across the US creating economic sustainability for our Refugee team.
We are looking for investors as our company begins to make its way into the marketplace. If anyone has a desire to collaborate we welcome your generosity.
The future goals include:
The Rebuild Cooperative (a working studio space for local artisans living in Rome )
The Rebuild Kitchen (a collaborative Chef exchange program for culinary professionals between Rome and USA)
* The goal is to teach our international team of chefs how to execute and implement a pop up restaurant featuring a tasting menu from their culture.
For more information you can email me direct.
In kind donations are welcome
Warm Regards,
laura norcia vitale
My passion has been to share my talents and skills with those who have fled from geopolitical conflicts, human rights violation, war and economic deprivation. I believe that photography is a powerful tool for story telling because it allows the viewer to be apart of a visual dialogue deepening ones understanding about the different cultures in which we live.
My journey began in 2005, when I had the opportunity to travel into Baja California South alongside a group of missionaries. I documented a portrait series called the "Faces of Baja" revealing the migration of indigenousness families. I was intrigued about the stories the families shared with me about their journey from mainland Mexico over to the peninsula searching for a better life. As my interests deepened, I was introduced into the Migrant Labor Camps, housing for the harvest workers. The impact of seeing how they lived, fueled my empathy to share my photography skills and create " Seed to Shutter" a disposable camera workshop for children in which they documented their daily lives within the camps. The images were powerful, strikingly profound because of the way in which they captured the candid truth of their struggles, their joys and the inherent isolation they shared as a disconnected community in the rural oasis of the Baja desert. A few years into the series, I decided to make a short film which I wrote and co directed with my son called "La Estancia". It depicts the lives of five families all sharing a commonality about their hopes and dreams for a better future. It was featured in the New York International film festival and won best short documentary in 2012 here . The predominant truth woven in all the stories can be found in all societies throughout the world. I was destined to work alongside those individuals for it has brought me to where I am today continuing with my advocacy raising awareness about migration as our current global refugee crisis is on the rise.
I am currently based in Los Angeles,CA and am launching The Rebuild Project collaborating with a small group of West African Refugee dressmakers based in Rome. By integrating their sewing skills we are using an alternative photography method and have created one of a kind, hand printed and hand sewn cyanotype aprons and market bags. Our goal is to brand the company and sell our wearables to boutique stores and shops all across the US creating economic sustainability for our Refugee team.
We are looking for investors as our company begins to make its way into the marketplace. If anyone has a desire to collaborate we welcome your generosity.
The future goals include:
The Rebuild Cooperative (a working studio space for local artisans living in Rome )
The Rebuild Kitchen (a collaborative Chef exchange program for culinary professionals between Rome and USA)
* The goal is to teach our international team of chefs how to execute and implement a pop up restaurant featuring a tasting menu from their culture.
For more information you can email me direct.
In kind donations are welcome
Warm Regards,
laura norcia vitale
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