Magnum Foundation Fellow Sean Sirota Reflects on his Fellowship Experience
Sean Sirota
Throughout the Fall, Magnum Foundation Fellow Sean Sirota split his time between supporting Magnum Foundation’s programming and pursuing his project focusing on a politically divided Southern Brooklyn, where he was born and raised. As his fellowship term wraps up, he reflects below on his project development and fellowship experience:
My time with Magnum Foundation left me feeling inspired and excited to continue my growth as photographer, educator, and individual. With their guidance, I was able to delve deeper into my long-term project centered on Southern Brooklyn, where I was raised. This resulted in a small series of handmade books depicting landscapes and portraits of youth in my community.
Spread from Sean’s zine The Southern Shore
Spread from Sean’s zine The Southern Shore
In addition to my making pictures, I taught a photography class to high school students in my neighborhood with support from Back to the Lab. It was a fulfilling experience to connect with my community both as a photographer and educator.
During this time, I was also able to collaborate with Arab Documentary Photography Program grantee Lina Khalid during her residency at the Bronx Documentary Center, where I work and teach. She and I had the opportunity to collaborate and experiment with large format film, and she was able to visit my Brooklyn class to share her personal work. The visit was a source of motivation for my students, as they share a similar background to Lina.
Teaching photography in Brooklyn
Sean (right) sequencing work with with ADPP fellow Lina Khalid (middle) and 2021 MF Fellow Tif Ng (left)
These three months were an inspiring and invigorating experience, reminding me of the transformative power of photography to bring people together and build community.
Sean Sirota
The Magnum Foundation Fellowship offers mentorship and stipends to early-career practitioners who are at a critical moment in their development as photographers. This fellowship is designed for New York City-based photographers to work in the Magnum Foundation office while also developing their own photographic project that addresses social issues and engages with NYC-based communities.
Applications to the Spring 2023 Fellowship are due February 22 – learn more here.