As the availability of commercial lab services contracts, artist-run labs play a critical role in the maintenance of traditional analog film practices. Currently, only a handful of labs in the country offer commercial laboratory services to analog photographers, and only three serve analog filmmakers, to varying degrees. More and more, it is artist-run centres stepping into the fold to provide facilities and services to these artists. The Hamilton Community Darkroom, originating from a cache of darkroom equipment donated by renowned Canadian photographer Peter MacCallum, will provide facilities, equipment and workshops to visual artists in Hamilton and the surrounding communities who are working with analog photography. By removing educational barriers to analog processes, the lab aims to open up this medium to a new generation of visual artists, as well as underrepresented communities in the analog filmmaking and photography world. In the past, artists from Hamilton and the surrounding areas have been forced to travel to Toronto for such services and facilities. A community darkroom in Hamilton will mitigate the need for local artists to commute to Toronto, while also serving as a hub for collaborative projects and experiments rooted in the city itself.

If you would like to know more about the project please email us at info [at] dandelionfilm [dot] ca or follow us on Instagram.

-Dandelion Film Collective

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