In the summer of 2002, I coordinated The Jigsaw Project, a collective video piece created by students from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston (BCBG) in association with MIT’s Media Lab and the Computer Clubhouse Village Network. Teens and pre-teens (ages 9-17) attending the BGCB summer camp learned to shoot and edit video using Hi-8 cameras and Adobe Photoshop (donated by Adobe). The project united Boston youth from areas like Chelsea, South Boston, and Roxbury and integrated each individual clubhouse’s video into one large collaborative project.
The goals of The Jigsaw Project included production and community, as well as fostering an interest among the members for other students’ artwork. The six-month project allowed members to explore their creative side and learn the details behind current video techniques. They also had the chance to work with different teens from around the Boston area.
During the six-month project, students aged 10-18 learned to shoot and edit video through the hands-on project. Each clubhouse created a short video based tour of their clubhouse documenting the building’s facilities and how their fellow members interacting with the club. Each video employed a different style and technique but addressed the same topics. The project allowed members to explore their creative side and learn how to achieve popular video techniques.
Created in association with:
MIT Lifelong Kindergarten
Intel’s Computer Clubhouse Network
Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston