We are excited to announce a new commission opportunity providing three photographers with £3000 towards the completion of a project on the theme of ‘Working Lives’, with an exhibition at Four Corners in April 2025.
OVERVIEW
These commissions form an exciting part of our 2024/2025 programme Working Lives, which is exploring the role of photography in documenting working lives in Britain from the 1930s to the present.
We invite photographers to draw inspiration from the work of the Half Moon Photography Workshop/Camerawork, held within Four Corners’ Archive. Founded in 1975 in East London, this radical collective pioneered political and socially engaged approaches to documentary photography. They supported photographers to document people's experiences of work in 1970s Britain, and championed engagement with photography outside of traditional gallery spaces.
Some examples can be viewed below.
Selection panel to be announced soon.
There are three £3000 grants available, which can be used towards any combination of travel and expenses, equipment or production costs whilst completing the project. The project must be completed within three months, between December 2024 – March 2025.
The grant can be used to produce a new body of work within the three-month timeframe, or to enable the completion of an existing project.
The commissioned photographers will also receive 1-2-1 support throughout the project, access to Four Corners’ darkroom, photography studio, meeting room and analogue filmmaking equipment, the opportunity to take part in a work in progress event and receive feedback from established photographers, and a final group exhibition.
SUBMISSION CRITERIA
We welcome applications from photographers at any level, working across all forms of photography including moving image.
The commission is not open to those currently in full-time education.
We hope to deliver the majority of 1-2-1 sessions and workshops in person at Four Corners in Bethnal Green, East London. Unfortunately, we are unable to cover additional travel and accommodation costs beyond the £3000 grant. Please take this into consideration when applying.
We know that people from certain backgrounds and identities are too often excluded from the arts sector, and we are committed to helping to change this. We particularly welcome applications from marginalised groups, such as those who identify as LGBTQIA+, disabled people and those from ethnically diverse and/or working-class backgrounds.
KEY DATES
Application deadline: 10AM on 04 November 2024
Commission winners informed: 11 November 2024
Introductory session at Four Corners: w/c 18 November 2024
Work in Progress Event at Four Corners: Late January 2025
Project completion: Late March 2025
Exhibition installation: 08 – 09 April 2025
Exhibition launch: 10 April 2025
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit your application using this online form:
CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION FORM
Alternatively, you are welcome to submit your application as an audio recording:
CLICK HERE FOR GUIDELINES
FUNDING PARTNERS
This commission opportunity is made possible through the support of The Foyle Foundation, The Ampersand Foundation and the Garfield Weston Foundation.
HALF MOON PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP: ARCHIVE SELECTIONS
The Politics of the Half Moon Photography Workshop
Shuttles, Steam and Soot by Daniel Meadows
Factory Photographs by Nick Hedges
Women Work in Hackney by the Hackney Flashers
Work Stations by Anna Fox
Docklands Community Poster Project by Peter Dunn and Loraine Leeson
Camerawork Issue 13: Photography in the Community
Camerawork Issue 10: DIY Photography Exhibitions
Camerawork Issue 17: Labour Histories
FAQs
A list of answers to frequently asked questions about the commissions process can be viewed here.