Documentary Folio Proposal

Joel Benn CIT083561 (1B)

The Australian Men’s Sheds Association (AMSA) is a not-for-profit association that provides safe and friendly environments where men can get together to hang out or work on projects in the company of other men. The association began in 2006 and its major objective is to advance the well being and health of the male members and to encourage social inclusion. The association is funded by the Federal Government and has been strongly supported collaboratively by Uniting Care North Sydney, Beyondblue and Mensline.

As a male myself who hasn’t always had male mentor figures in his life I find it hard to bond with other males in the majority of situations. I believe that this has led me to have a bottled up approach to discussing issues with other males and is something I have never really addressed.

I first saw the Men’s Sheds on a lifestyle program on the television and after reading further about the sheds on their website I felt that the association is something very close to home, a cause that I could relate too and something that I could really get involved with and support.

I found that the association has set up an online forum which I have begun reading. I have noticed that there are a wide range of men who are discussing issues from as small as how to patch a hole in the wall, to more major issues such as family problems that they are dealing with. It was interesting to find that the majority of posts contained lengthy discussions with a lot of advice. From the topics that I have read on the forums and the information that I have gained about the sheds I believe the opportunity to become more involved with this association could be really beneficial personally and bring men’s health issues to the forefront.

There are multiple sheds set up in Canberra and as a part of this assignment I would like to visit a few of them to gain a better understanding of the support services offered to men. Visiting a few sheds around Canberra will ensure that I won’t just tell the story from a single environment or one group of men. I will be able to gain a variety of insights on the day-to- day issues that men like myself deal with. Initially, I hope that I will be able to go along to a few of the days without a camera just to get a feel for the workings of the sheds and to meet some of the members and possibly build relationships.

I aim to capture photographs that highlight the fact that men are not invincible and need support services just like women and children. I hope to document the mental and physical benefits the sheds are providing to the members and also the feel of the supportive men’s environment. The only worry that I have is that the photos I take may just end up looking like a bunch of blokes standing around in a shed, but I won’t know until I go along and investigate. Overall, I am positive that the association will be open to having some free exposure from my folio assignment and that I can personally gain something from the experience.