Celebrate Photoworks at 30 with a special all day event of talks, launches and workshops in Brighton this Autumn
To celebrate turning 30, Photoworks have partnered with the University of Brighton to present a day of talks, workshops, and photobook launches exploring the art and practice of photobooks - Photobook 101.
On 20 November, leading artists, publishers, designers and curators will join for lively debate on topics that span concept to production, including vision, sequencing, design, materiality and more, including many old and new friends of Photoworks. Guest contributors include Gordon MacDonald, Åsa Johannesson, Johny Pitts, Gem Fletcher, Diane Smyth, Maisie Cousins, Holly Birtles, Stephen Bull, Tiffany Jones, Martin Seeds, Fergus Heron, Alfonso Borrogan, Mohamed Hassan, Jane & Jeremy and more. The day will also see the launch of Photoworks Annual 32. Photoworks Annual 32 celebrates this work, including image-makers from the organisation’s past and present, an in-depth history, and insights into its critical initiatives with schools and communities. It also takes a trip through photography’s archives with the Desert Island Pics, and cutting-edge thinkers on where the next 30 years will take image-making. A second publication, P5, a new photography and poetry pamphlet series directed by Photoworks in partnership with David Solo, and designed by Jane & Jeremy will also launch. Photography and poetry have been in dialogue since the earliest days of the camera. The space between these forms invites layered meaning, unexpected emotion, and new ways of seeing. Yet despite nearly 200 years of such work and many stand out examples, photo-poetry has not been widely recognised as a distinct genre. The first poets to contribute to the Autumn edition are Andrew Zawacki and Vik Shirley.
Photobook 101 will also feature an exhibition by artists from the University of Brighton Photography Research Group, a curated presentation of photobooks, selected for their relationship to design, content, process and materiality, alongside a display and sale of books and magazines from Photoworks’ iconic 30 years of publishing.
Louise Fedetov-Clements, Photoworks Director, commented, “We are thrilled to celebrate our 30th anniversary in the home town of Photoworks. The event is open to all, artists, practitioners, students, photobook lovers, collectors and anyone curious about contemporary photobooks and spans concepts to production, encouraging active dialogue, shared knowledge, and new ways of thinking, which feels like the perfect combination of ideas sharing for our anniversary moment”
The day will conclude with a limited capacity Photoworks 30th birthday party at Brighton’s Patterns bar. Join Photoworks and friends for an evening of performance, music, book launches and prizes to help us celebrate three decades of photography.
Supported by Arts Council England and the University of Brighton
Hazel Edwards, South East Area Director, Arts Council England, said: “Photoworks has been a vital force in shaping contemporary photography in the UK. Their commitment to nurturing artists, engaging communities, and championing diverse voices has made a lasting impact on the cultural landscape. As we celebrate this incredible milestone of 30 years, we are proud to continue supporting their work and look forward to seeing how they inspire the next generation of image-makers.”