Our Code of Ethics & Creative Responsibility
Working with Vulnerable Communities through Photography and Film
At The Utopian Dandelion Project, we believe that storytelling through photography and film is not just a creative act — it’s a deeply human one. We work in close collaboration with individuals and communities who have faced displacement, trauma, violence, and systemic neglect. These include survivors of war and conflict, young people in foster care, those affected by domestic abuse, substance misuse, gang violence, and social exclusion. The work we do is not about capturing images — it’s about creating space for voice, reflection, and healing. And with that comes responsibility.
We are committed to a creative practice rooted in dignity, consent, care, and solidarity. Our approach is not extractive or performative. We don’t “document.” We co-create. We listen before we act, and we act only when invited.
Our code of conduct is guided by these principles:
1. Informed Consent & Co-Ownership
We always seek clear, informed, and voluntary consent before any image is taken or story is shared. Participants are never subjects — they are co-authors. They have full agency to decide how, when, and whether their voice is shared. Consent is not a one-time checkbox, but an ongoing conversation, revisited as needed.
2. Do No Harm
We prioritize the safety, emotional well-being, and privacy of every person we work with. We avoid retraumatization by creating trauma-informed spaces and never pushing anyone to share more than they are ready to. If participating in a project puts someone at risk — we don’t do it.
3. Ethical Storytelling & Narrative Sovereignty
We challenge the traditional dynamics of storytelling that reduce people to their suffering. We amplify complexity, joy, resilience, humor, and agency. No story is told without the storyteller’s full understanding of where and how it will be seen — and the option to say no at any point.
4. Local Collaboration & Capacity Building
Whenever possible, we work alongside local facilitators, artists, and organizations. We don’t parachute in — we build relationships slowly, respectfully, and over time. We also aim to leave skills and tools behind, not just stories — ensuring that creative agency continues after we leave.
5. Sustainable and Regenerative Practice
We are intentional about how we travel, the materials we use, and how we engage with local environments. We take only what is offered, and we give back through reciprocal relationships, not just visibility. We believe in a slow, human pace of work — where impact is measured in trust, not speed.
6. Transparency and Accountability
We are transparent with communities, partners, and patrons about how funds are used, how stories are shared, and what outcomes we aim for. We are accountable not only to those who fund our work — but to those who are our work. Their needs and boundaries come first.
7. Imagination and Integrity
Finally, we believe that ethical work must also be imaginative — that care and creativity are not in conflict, but inextricably linked. We bring play, beauty, and deep attention to everything we do. We reject urgency, saviorism, and spectacle in favor of presence, process, and poetry.
This is our commitment: to approach every image with humility, every story with reverence, and every relationship with respect.
Because the way we work matters just as much as the work we make.
