Equipping the Photosynthesis Community Darkroom

Along with the direct donations, we been joined by many to make analog photography accessible in Ōtautahi Christchurch. People have shared their support, helped out, and given.

This has included:

• The donation of photo paper stock and an incredible SLR camera = lens
• Volunteers getting donated film cameras back into working order
• Our volunteers (we all work for free) giving huge amounts of their time
• People sharing the campaign and telling their friends about the darkroom

Beyond the campaign, we applied for a grant to get $4000 worth of new equipment, and won! Arriving soon, stay tuned.

At our Open Darkroom Sessions held over first two Sundays of the month have seen over 30 people have a hands on go, with 20 more scheduled for tomorrow. 

Due to overwhelming demand, we are holding more until the end of the campaign. From 1pm to 4pm on Sundays:

• 22 Sep 2024
• 29 Sep 2024

During these sessions, you can:

• Develop your own 35mm or medium/120mm B&W rolls of film, 
• Make B&W silver gelatin prints 35mm or medium/120mm; 
• learn from others, work together and develop new skills. 
• See the space and visualise the potential for analog photography in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

It might have seemed quiet, but it's been massively busy behind the scenes.

The day after the campaign closed, we found out the block of buildings at the Climate Action Campus that the darkroom was in had been sold! DISASTER!

In October, then, we negotiated for another space, Unit 13, in the building we currently run the studio in, Unit 10, and we got it. 

We were able to salvage a lot of the fit-out and equipment from the CAC darkroom, and we won around $8,500 in additional grant funding to get even more darkroom equipment.

Since mid-October we have been frantically converting an office space into a light-proof, fit-for-purpose darkroom - and we have done it.

So it's time to bring people into the space you have backed:

6pm Fri 13 Dec is our Community Party and Darkroom Launch. RSVP now.

Though its been a busy and unexpected period, the new space means we can do much more than we proposed during the campaign. 

When the darkroom opens for use in January 2025, you will be able to hire it in 1-hour increments, attend monthly Darkroom 101 development + scanning and printmaking workshops, and join our twice-monthly community event we are calling Analogue Club (formerly Dev and Scan club, but now we can print at the same time!).

Thank you for your support.