Beyond Documentary

A year!

looking after our neighbours kids. we looked after them everyday for a year. we felt like we were trapped, at 15yrs old being parents wasnt what we expected! but we felt like it was right.

Image by Serena.

Kickin' it!

...just us, kickin' it! talking about our friends whilst waiting for lunch.
Image by Serena

The dairy

I really like the man who owns the dairy across the road because he gives me free stuff. i call him Boss. Serena took this photo of me buying carrots, i like this photo because of the colours and i look cool.
Image by Serena

Annie's Self Portrait

This is Annie's self portrait. This image will be exhibited as a street poster. Annie loves this image because is shows her as she sees herself.
Image by Annie.

This is Nikkis house, she lives with her Grandmother and Cousin. The girls both hang out in the garage talking and smoking ciggarettes. On this day they talk about their friend who is in trouble and they are concerned about him, and try to contact him by phone. He is in the youth prison.
Image Serena.

Fish and Chips

Annie and Nikki hang out everyday from early in the morning till late. “ The same thing would happen everyday, we would talk, eat, smoke, watch TV” Annie.

Image by Serena

Moving out

This is moving out day, this photo I made of my room. I took this because I didn't want to leave my space to go live in my sisters house. My Dad doesn't live with us anymore. Now I share a room with my Mum and we have 9 people living in our house.
Image by Annie.

Annie and Nikki 'our doodle'

Nikki and I hang out we like making ideas with our names. Serena scanned this page of A4 from my book. In my book I have a whole lota writing. This doodle is one Nikki and I did, I made our names in blue and red ink, then a few days later Nikki added to it.

Annie and a bag of carrots

Annie lives across the road from this set of shops. She has picked up a bag of carrots for her mum for dinner. This road is very busy and runs between the southern and western motorways.

Manukau Festival of Arts 2009

Official Manukau Festival of Arts catalogue. We are very excited to see the exhibition printed in the catalogue.

Nikki and Annie

The current social identity of ‘South Auckland’, (a term used to describe the district south of Auckland) is largely governed by media, often unfairly. In particular the youth of South Auckland are featured frequently in the local and national news. In the summer of 2008 Serena Stevenson met two teenagers in Manurewa who were not into gangs, stealing, or making trouble. They were into their friendships, hanging out in their garage, and the takeaway bar, or spending time with family. Beyond Documentary’s key protagonist’s Nikki (left) and Annie (right) are two normal teenagers from Manurewa, South Auckland. This work is a celebration of the normality of their lives, spanning over a 12-month period portrayed in this collaborative multimedia exhibition.