Producing Photos and Self-Narration of Kampung Peneleh Surabaya: A Collaborative Community Development Project of UNAIR, UMS, and UTM

Abstract

The connection between individuals residing in historical locations and their environment is complex and has many aspects. It encompasses both the physical integration and a profound connection to the intangible cultural history of the location. The meaningful link between citizens and historical places is fostered by community participation, a sense of pride in location, and the integration of heritage sites into daily life. Helping the local people to engage in the heritage sites may boost the sense of pride and strengthen the social cohesion among community members. This paper is a report of a collaborative community development program done by Universitas Airlangga, University of Malaysia Sabah, and Universiti of Technology Malaysia. The aim of the project was to help the local people produce their own narrative. The method was through photo competition and workshop. The photos became the tools for the local people to generate stories in relation to the heritage in their neighborhood. The result shows that two main groups of photos were produced: objects and activities. It is concluded that the local people connect themselves with their historical surroundings through the collective memories kept in the objects and the interaction in their daily life.