Understand the connection between land, people, and Indigenous ontology to co-create impactful photographic stories along alongside the Wiwa people.

If you are looking for an experience that will challenge your mind, body, soul and lens, this workshop is for you. Join us on a sacred hike into the Sierra Nevada to a clandestine Wiwa village. Roam through rolling hills that evolve into mountains as we walk through a portal to another world. This workshop will not only transform the way you see, but will change the way you operate as a storyteller. This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime adventure completely off the beaten track that not many will experience.

For Storytelling School Colombia we partner with members of the Muysca community in the mountains near Mykytá (Bogotá) and the Wiwa community in the Sierra Nevada. Storytelling School Colombia is the ultimate experience for those who wish to convey important messages with their photographs. Our skilled and experienced facilitators will guide you towards not only creating compelling images, but to craft a compelling narrative. Prepare to go on a profound journey into that will leave you seeing the world in a new light, creating impactful stories with purpose and clarity. Students will come away with a body of work to be proud of, improved skills, new approaches to their work, new friendships, new mentors, and so much more.

TRIP DATES: MAY 31-JUNE 11, 2024

COST: $3,999 USD (SHARED OCCUPANCY)

$4,499 USD (PRIVATE OCCUPANCY)

Physical Rating: Moderate-Challenging

Interactive and engaging lessons/discussions are interspersed with challenging assignments throughout the journey to combine practical and theoretical knowledge/skill-building. Each participant will not only contribute to the ongoing sustainability of the local projects, but will also create powerful images and stories, working hand in hand with Indigenous communities, understanding the current challenges they are facing and their efforts to preserve their traditions and territories. We recommend reading our packing list before leaving for this workshop!

Day 1 

May 31 - Fly into Mykytá (Bogotá) and meet anytime during the day. Our team will pick you up at the airport and bring you to a local 3 star hotel. You’ll meet up with the rest of the group in the evening to enjoy some local Colombian cuisine and get to know your fellow travellers. We will share the context of the communities we will be immersing ourselves in and answer any questions you might have. We will give an idea of what we each expect from the workshop and brainstorm about what ideas for our projects will come out of this experience.

Day 2 

MYKYTÁ (BOGOTÁ)

Opening Ceremony. Ground yourself in a beautiful opening ceremony with our Muisca guides and learn about the Muisca culture and its colonial history.

Participants will attend the ceremony, followed by a delicious lunch. After lunch, we will go on a tour of the “fence of the grandmothers” and the famous Candelaria district.

LESSON 1: Camera Refresh

For the beginners in the group, or for anyone who wants to refresh their skills, we’ll go over basic manual settings with some fun exercises so that you feel in control of your camera throughout the journey. 

LESSON 2: Ethics of Storytelling

Dive into an interactive discussion around decolonization, anti-oppression, privilege and allyship. We will reflect on what we experienced during the ceremony and if this has given us any ideas to develop for our final stories. We will have the chance to speak to the elders and deepen our understanding on their views of the world. We will discuss why it is a priority to maintain an ethics code while working with communities and the importance of working collaboratively, as well as reviewing examples of how colonization in storytelling can lead to more damage than good.

Day 3-4

VALLEDUPAR

We head to Valledupar by plane, our entrance point to the stunning Sierra Nevada where we will overnight before hiking into Rongoy.

LESSON 3: Storytelling

Learn the art of crafting a compelling story in one photograph, or with a series of photographs. We will further develop our ideas and discuss how to materialize them into a compelling and powerful project. We will discuss the creative process behind a photo series and how these projects can lead to a positive impact.

LESSON 4: Working with Natural Light for Maximum Impact

Photography is painting with light and light can help us make our stories all the more powerful, too. Learn a variety of light types found all around us to create works of art.

Day 4

Hike to Rongoy and settle into your new abodes! We will stay together in family-style huts camping style.

LESSON 5: Portraiture & People

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, so it’s no wonder why people bring life, emotion and interest to our images. Learn about different types of portraits and learn to make your images stand out and how portraits can contribute to telling the story you want to tell.

LESSON 6: Landscapes & Long Exposures

There's a reason for the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words". Create depth, eye movement and drama with some new tools for creating landscapes, long exposures and more.

Day 5-9

RONGOY
Here we will stay in an Indigenous village in homestays, becoming part of the landscape. We will learn about traditional medicines, learn about the local culture, and walk a mountain together and learn about how the community grows their food. Take a bath in the river, eat mangos straight from the trees and share with the community and their heritage and understanding of the world. According to the communities in the Sierra Nevada, this is the heart of the Earth, and there is a reason for this.

LESSON 7: Night Photography

This optional session teaches you how to add some pop to your images taken at night or in the dark; if we are lucky with the stars and weather we may even get to try some astrophotography if the weather aligns.

LESSON 8: Making Change

How to strive towards being an ally while working with communities on the frontlines. Learn to create effective campaigns and make change that avoids problematic narratives and stereotypes and reinforces powerful values while considering the needs and points of view of the communities or people you are working with.

We will hike back down to Valledupar for our last night before heading back to Bogota.

LESSON 9: Sharing Your Story

You now know how to craft powerful images and tell a story, what next? We will discuss powerful methods for sharing and amplifying your stories to maximize impact.

Day 9-11

VALLEDUPAR
Hike back to Valledupar and rest overnight.

Day 11

RETURN TO MYKYTÁ (BOGOTÁ)
Return to Bogotá to prepare final stories and learn about how to share your story powerfully.

Day 12

DEPARTURES
June 11 - Leave any time.

Ready to go to Colombia?

Mariana Rivera Uribe (She/Her) is a biologist, conservation photographer and filmmaker from Colombia. She has broad experience working with NGOs, governments and private institutions in the efforts to protect our natural and cultural treasures. She has worked with multiple indigenous communities in the Amazon, Chocó, Sierra Nevada and Chingaza, supporting grassroot, community-led initiatives standing for the defence of human rights and the territories. Mariana was one of the 5 winners of the Photographers Without Border’s Revolutionary Storyteller Grant in 2022, and her work has been exhibited at the Siena Drone Photo Awards, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Mangrove Photo Awards among others. She has directed and collaborated on several award-winning impact films and is co-founder and producer at Coral Studio, an underwater and conservation film company based in Colombia.

what’s not included

• International air fare to/from Mykytá (Bogotá), Colombia

• Applicable tourist visas

• Incidentals (e.g. snacks, souvenirs, etc.)

• Medical insurance (required)

• Airport taxes (if applicable)

• Tips or gratuities

• Beverages

• Optional tours or activities (e.g. yoga, massages, etc.)

• SIM cards (bring an unlocked phone to access the internet!)

what’s included

• Airport pickup and dropoff in Mykytá (Bogotá), Colombia

• Orientation and tours

• All transportation between program activity destinations and to/from all included activities

• Accommodations

• Most meals are included (please allow 100-300 USD for additional meals and drinks)

• Trekking and camera permits for Gunung Leuser National Park

• Staff & experts: PWB Staff, Local Staff

My bags are packed. Sign me up!

COST: $3,999 USD (SHARED OCCUPANCY)

$4,499 USD (PRIVATE OCCUPANCY)

Note: Private occupancy only relates to our stays in Bogota and Valledupar. In Rongoy the accommodations are camping-style shared huts.

REGISTER TO STORYTELLING SCHOOL COLOMBIA 2024.

You will be required to make a deposit to secure your space.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MAY 5, 2024 OR WHEN FULL (MAX 8 PARTICIPANTS)