Photographer Mandi Lynn is inviting Waipa women to take part in her body confidence workshop on Easter Saturday.
Photographer Mandi Lynn is inviting Waipa women to take part in her body confidence workshop on Easter Saturday.
Award-winning photographer Mandi Lynn was prompted to design a body confidence workshop after hearing her five-year-old niece ask her aunty if she was fat.
Mandi was horrified that her niece was concerned about body image.
"I started realising that mainstream media only really shows, at most, five per cent of women's shapes and sizes," she says.
"Ninety five per cent of women are not seen."
"So I came up with the idea of having the project represent the other 95 per cent of women and doing it in a way that treasured them."
Mandi is bringing her free workshop to Pirongia as part of its New Zealand tour.
Mandi's goal is for 600 women around the country to do the photoshoot.
She selected "cute and out-of-the way" locations around New Zealand to hold the workshops. She has already been to Whanganui, Eltham and Upper Hutt, where she lives.
Finding Venus — Waipa Style includes a full day of art, writing and meditative movement to help women develop compassion and appreciation for their bodies.
The workshop encourages women to show that they are treasured, valuable and worth honouring.
"Participants will be led on exercises that help them identify body shame issues and replace them with a body-treasuring mind-set."
Those who are feeling brave can take part in an optional photoshoot for $20.
In the photoshoot women will cover their bare torsos with golden clay and feature in Mandi's award-winning travelling exhibition called Every Body is a Treasure.
A shot of only the torso will be taken and participants will remain anonymous.
"Even the school principal could participate if she wanted to," Mandi says.
Her goal is for 600 women around the country to do the photoshoot — and she invites Waipa women to take part.
All who are over 18 and identify as female are welcome to participate in the photoshoot, which is open to 30 women.
Pirongia's workshop may be filmed for the making of a short film, directed by Mandi and funded by the New Zealand Film Commission. You do not need to be part of the movie to participate in the photoshoot.
Finding Venus — Waipa Style is at the Pirongia Memorial Hall, Franklin St, on Saturday, March 31 from 8.30am to 8pm. The workshop is open to 100 women. Register at tinyurl.com/y8xol2p7
