Funded by The Leverhulme Trust International Networks and supported by University for the Creative Arts
Project leader: Professor Anna Fox, University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, UK afox@ucreative.ac.uk
Network Facilitator: Maria Kapajeva, University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, UK fastforward@ucreative.ac.uk

Fast Forward 2: an International Network for Women in Photography

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT

Fast Forward 2, international network, will be investigating the subject of women photographers across the globe. The project involves seven partner organisations together with whom we will host six research workshops in different parts of the globe as well as a conference, in 2019, at a major London venue. The activities of Fast Forward 2 mark the start of a thought provoking exploration of women photographers and their work that is extremely pertinent to the current period where questions connected to women’s lives and how they are being lived, are being raised on a daily basis in a wide range of contexts.

In the introduction to her seminal publication A History of Women Photographers, Naomi Rosenblum asks why, when photography was one of the easier arts professions for women to get involved in, do we have to investigate women photographers as a separate subject? She goes onto ask why have their achievements not been as well recognised as those of men in the field and why have inquiries into their activities not been as rigorous as inquiries into the activities of men? Fast Forward 2 intends to re-iterate these questions, as their validity is still painfully clear, renewing investigation into women’s work – to challenge women to question their own positions and to ask significant questions relevant to photography professionals working today:

• Why are women still not properly recorded in histories of photography?

• Where are the hidden histories and what is their value?

• Are there key shared subjects that contemporary women photographers are dealing with across the globe? Gender and identity are important themes, that women in photography have energetically pursued, has this changed and if so why?

• What are the different experiences for women in different parts of the world? How can we share our stories usefully to the widest community?

• Why are there so few women commercial photographers?

• How is work by women produced, circulated and legitimized today?

• What working and networking skills do women in photography need to develop and how can they do this or be supported to do this?

Asking these questions and more within an international network is vital to the project: in recent years’ new women photographers have emerged everywhere yet there is little discussion of shared experience or what we could gain through developing connected debate and activity.

The workshops will involve representatives from all the project partners as well as a number of local and national participants. The workshop participants will come from photography as well as from other disciplines such as women’s or gender studies. At the end of the networking period (3 years) there will be a conference hosted by University for the Creative Arts in collaboration with a major London arts institution to which everyone will be welcome. Themes and papers for the conference may grow out of the workshops.

During the workshops there will be documentation in sound and still images for archive purposes (only made with the explicit permission of the presenters). All research and information presented will remain the property of the presenter. Each workshop will be two days long, they will include several key presentations and all attendees will contribute to the debate.

Fast Forward 2 aims to remember not to forget the stories, both historical and contemporary, of women in photography. The key aims of the network are to increase knowledge, to work across disciplinary boundaries and to germinate fresh ideas, to form strategic partnerships that promote understanding, to develop new strategies to support women in photography and to develop entrepreneurship and effective collaboration between women and organizations in different parts of the globe, to expand ideas through taking risks in the research process and to provide material for dissemination (predominantly through the conference at the end of the project) and future research that approaches the themes of the network in radical ways. We want to affect the future for women photographers and contribute to new debate within the fields of feminism and photography. We would like the project to inspire people to take part in the research workshop discussions

The partner organisations are listed below:

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil (UFMG) is a Brazilian federal public higher education institution, based in the city of Belo Horizonte, one of the largest nuclei of innovation in Brazil. QS World University Rankings 2017 ranked UFMG as the third best Brazilian university, occupying the eighth position among institutions in Latin America. Offering courses and programs for teaching, research and extension is a major institution with expertise in Fine Art, Photography, Social Communication, Management of Gender and Race Public Policies as well as in the broader areas of philosophy and social sciences. Workshop coordination:  Patricia Azevedo | UFMG also at the Exhibition Curator Team of the FIF - Festival Internacional de Fotografia in Belo Horizonte. Date:  JULY 2017

Dillon + Lee Gallery, New York, USA is a contemporary, cross-disciplinary art space located in Chelsea, New York. Through artist representation, exhibitions, and collaboration, Dillon Gallery is most noted for supporting artists working outside the Western canon and for its vibrant photography program, with innovators whose work crosses geographical borders, having influence in a wide sphere of culture, society, and image making. Workshop coordinated by Valerie Dillon and Diana Lee at Dillon + Lee Gallery. Date:  OCTOBER 2017

AKJ Mass Communications Research Centre, New Delhi, India is a premier media institution in India running a range of courses including photography and is part of Jamia Millia Islamia University. Their expertise is in Indian photography, photojournalism and representation of women. They have run conferences/workshops and hosted numerous international scholars and photographers. Workshop coordinated by Sabeena Gadihoke at AJK MCR. Date proposed:  FEBRUARY 2018

The Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland is the national specialist museum for photography, it puts on exhibitions of Finnish and foreign contemporary photography, and presents the diverse history of photography. Education work underpins the exhibitions, producing photography and media-education projects for various audiences. The Museum's collections include about 3.7 million pictures spanning the various user cultures in photography. Workshop coordinated by Elina Heikke at FMP. Date proposed:  MARCH 2018

Lagos Photo, Nigeria is the first international arts festival of photography in Nigeria, organising exhibitions, workshops, artist presentations, discussions and it aims to reclaim public spaces and engage the public with multifaceted stories of Africa. The festival has established a community for contemporary photography that will unite local and international artists through images that encapsulate individual experiences and identities from across Africa. Workshop coordinated by Azu Nwagbogu at Lagos Photo. Date proposed: SEPTEMBER 2018

The Slade, London, UK has a lively and dynamic studio-led research culture and is part of University College London, one of the leading research universities in the world. Expertise covers a broad spectrum of interests with individual, collaborative and interdisciplinary research taking many forms. Students and staff have developed collaborative projects and interdisciplinary research initiatives both within UCL and beyond. Workshop coordinated by Susan Collins at SLADE. Date proposed:  SPRING 2019