New partnerships to support emerging Bristol photographers

UWE Bristol has announced new, three-year partnerships with Bristol Photography Festival and IC Visual Lab; two highly reputable Bristol-based photography organisations with national and international influence.

The partnerships will open up a wide range of work experience placements and live briefs for both undergraduate and postgraduate photography students at UWE Bristol. Students will also have access to industry talks and events as well as opportunities to display their work at prestigious exhibitions and venues. In addition, high-level industry mentorships will be available for MA Photography students.

Speaking of the partnerships, Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Creative and Cultural Industries Engagement, Lynn Barlow, said: ‘‘We are proud to be investing in Bristol’s photography industry and culture while creating greater opportunities for our students. Our photography courses are designed to help students develop their photography skills and creative talent as well as to help them launch successful careers after graduation. These partnerships will help us to do just that, providing students with real briefs and projects to work on, networking opportunities and much more. Bristol Photo Festival and IC Visual Lab are doing excellent work to nurture and promote new talent and we’re very excited to be working with them.’’

Bristol Photo Festival aims to bring new work to national and international audiences. The new festival celebrates the power and diversity of photography and will produce solo and group exhibitions in Bristol and beyond with their first exhibition programme scheduled for spring 2021.

Festival Director, Tracy Marshall-Grant, said: “This partnership will allow the festival to provide platforms for students which will offer them experience of working on large scale photography projects and exhibitions over a sustained time and within a formal organisational structure of support. We are really looking forward to opening up opportunities which will allow students to develop and enhance their skills in curation, installation, production and wider arts management. ”

IC Visual Lab is an independent organisation with an artistic orientation towards the social using photography, film and visual archives. Focussing on the development of a regular programme of collaborative projects, situations, workshops, actions and events to encourage a critical discussion about the role and use of images in today’s world.

Director of IC Visual Lab, Alejandro Acin, said: “We have been collaborating with UWE Bristol students and staff from the very beginning so it's good to see this relationship growing further with this new partnership. We are looking forward to engaging with the UWE Bristol community on a regular basis and producing an exciting live brief every year that invites students to experiment as well as collaborate with local institutions, organizations or communities."