More than 50% of Haitians are illiterate and only 25% have regular access to electricity. But 97% of the population own a radio, and they all listen to it, all the time. Since the 1960s Haitians have used radio as a political tool, and a public service; when the cholera epidemic broke out in 2010, radios bombarded listeners with instructions on avoiding the deadly disease and getting help for their sick. Low setup costs have made broadcasting widely accessible, closely mirroring society in almost all its political, religious, and social variations. Paolo Woods documents the voices of Haitian radio, highlighting it’s importance as both a form of entertainment and a crucial method of communication.
This first UK showing of Radio Days, from award winning photographer Paolo Woods, is presented by Bristol Festival of Photography in conjunction with Vignette, INSTITUTE, Photographique and the RGB Awards.
