
Call for Submissions
We invite you to share the stories of the women in your lives mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and others who have long lived in the shadows of family histories, through photographs from your personal albums.
This is an effort to critically engage with questions of gender, sexuality, identity, and the complex, layered realities of life in the Darjeeling–Sikkim Himalayas. We are especially interested in personal narratives that explore these intersections in thoughtful and meaningful ways.
Let us remember, record, and reimagine our histories together.
SUBMISSION FORM
Before submitting, please take the time to review the Terms of Submission. By submitting your entry, you acknowledge that it is made with full consent and the necessary legal permissions for inclusion in this archive. All submissions will undergo thorough research, fact-checking, editing, and administration to ensure accuracy and consistency within the archive.
Terms of Submission - Geographical Relevance Your submission can include photographs from anywhere in the world, provided the story is connected to the people, community and places of Darjeeling- Sikkim Himalayas. The personal, lived experiences behind these photographs should speak to larger questions of gender and sexuality, contributing to curating and developing the Archive at the Confluence Collective. Ownership & Guardianship The "Uploader" or "Sender" must be the rightful owner or guardian of the photograph and any accompanying letters or documents. Ensure that you are familiar with the individuals in the photograph and have provided their full consent share the image and their story. If the individual is unable to do so, please make sure that the rightful guardian has provided with consent to use the image and the story. Narrative Requirement A brief context of the photograph along with the story behind it. Feel free to use any format to provide the story behind the image. Help us understand why you feel the story needs to be told and together we work to curate the story to understand how it enriches our understanding of gender and sexuality in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalayas. Scope of Content Photographs may feature your parents, relatives, friends, associates, extended family, grandparents, or ancestors. The idea is to curate these stories in a way that the personal stories allow us to engage with broader questions of gender, sexuality, and identity. Details to Include Along with your photograph, please include the following details: Names of the individuals featured in the photograph. Approximate or exact year the image was taken. Location depicted in the photograph. Professions of those in the image (if relevant) Ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation (if applicable and safe to do so), and any other relevant historical details you or the owner thinks is important to be told. Usage Rights By submitting your photographs and stories, you grant The Confluence Collective permission to use them in publications, press, exhibitions (both national and international), slide presentations, talks, and workshops for educational and promotional purposes across all current and future media formats. Credit & Copyright Joint credit will be given in both internal and external uses in the format: Name of Contributor / TCC Photo Archive. The Confluence Collective and the contributor will share copyright over the digitised materials. The Collective reserves the right to use the materials for archival, promotional, publication, exhibition, and other purposes. Irreversibility of Submission Once submitted, your story and image cannot be retracted, either temporarily or permanently. This ensures the integrity and continuity of the archive and project. Administration & Editing All images, letters, and documents will be administered by The Confluence Collective. The text will be fact-checked, proofread, and edited to ensure consistency with the project’s format, with a particular focus on accurately representing gender and sexuality narratives. Liability Disclaimer The Confluence Collective is not responsible for any family, social, or community disputes that may arise due to the uploading of images, letters, or narratives related to gender and sexuality to the platform. Follow-Up Process The Confluence Collective may follow up with you to request additional details or clarification needed at any point of time in the curation of these archival histories. Privacy and Inclusivity Policy- We believe in fostering a safe and inclusive space at the Confluence Collective. Hence we encourage you to feel free to let us know if any information and details even after being submitted should be omitted or provided anonymous. We will work to ensure that our contributors feel safe in working with us throughout the process.
