In 2022, the ferry ISABELLA in Tallinn became a temporary home for Ukrainian refugees who had arrived in Estonia after fleeing the war. For three months, KiNO worked with children and teenagers living on board, using photography as a way to explore their new environment, everyday life and personal experiences.
The ferry was an unusual place to call home. Cabins, corridors, decks, windows and communal spaces became part of a temporary everyday reality shared by thousands of people waiting to move on. For the young participants, photography offered a way to look more closely at this environment and to make sense of a period marked by uncertainty and change.
The course focused on their own lives: friendships, loneliness, memories of home, routines, strange or funny moments, hopes for the future and the experience of suddenly finding themselves in an unfamiliar place.
Over the course of three months, participants learned how to work with professional cameras, composition and image editing while developing their own photographic stories. More than 30 participants aged 9 to 18 took part.
The programme also included a special workshop with Canon Ambassador Katya Mukhina.
The course concluded with an exhibition In Tallinn' port, presenting photographs and personal stories created by the participants.
Glimpses of Time by Vika
A project about memories of home and an uncertain future, observed through people looking out of the ferry windows, lost in their thoughts.
Figure a Sea by Toma
A series inspired by a powerful storm in Tallinn and the strange experience of feeling the ferry, which had become a temporary home, moving with the wind.
Miracle Ferry by Karina
A story of how an unfamiliar ferry gradually became a home through favourite places, new friendships, and the people Karina met while living there.
New Year by Vlad
A project about solitude, new friendships, and thoughts about independence and the future during Vlad’s first months living on the ferry.
A three-month photography workshop on the ferry ISABELLA in Tallinn concluded with an exhibition at the Port of Tallinn. This exhibition showcased photographs taken by approximately 30 Ukrainian children and teenagers who participated in the workshop. The program aimed to provide a creative outlet for these young individuals, who had sought refuge from the war in Ukraine. In 2022-2023, the ferry ISABELLA temporarily housed Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Estonia.
Guided by professional instructors, participants learned essential photography skills, including operating professional cameras, mastering composition techniques, and utilizing advanced photo editing software. The course included a special session with Canon Ambassador Katya Mukhina, enriching the experience for the budding photographers.
This educational initiative was supported by the Canon Young People Programme, Svitlo School, and OGOGO.
