Taking place across eight sessions, this course gives an overview of key themes and debates concerning the photography sector today. We will engage with the foundational and contemporary practices that have shaped how photography is exhibited, interpreted and promoted. Each week will give a behind-the-scenes look at The Photographers’ Gallery, covering essential aspects of gallery management, from exhibition strategies and the impact of digital to education and marketing.
Through presentations, group discussion, guest speakers and case studies, we will look at how to develop a dynamic programme that engages with broad audiences and contributes to public dialogue. Topics will include curatorial approaches, the role of communications in expanding reach, working with young people, and the development of fundraising initiatives necessary to sustaining a public art institution, while balancing these efforts with commercial interests.
Format
Taking place weekly at the Gallery, sessions include a blend of lectures, visits to the Gallery, group discussions and presentations. Each week will feature guest contributions from TPG staff, photographers and artists.
Who is this for?
Open to all who are interested in photography and for those who want to gain a first-hand understanding of how museums and galleries influence the production, circulation and interpretation of photography today.
Produced in partnership with MA Museums, Galleries & Contemporary Culture at the University of WestminsterÂ
Schedule
Session 1 | Looking Back on Thu 30 Jan
The course begins with an overview of the cultural and social conditions of the late 1960s to 1970s that led to the creation of The Photographers’ Gallery, the UK’s first public gallery dedicated to photography. How does this history continue to inform how we work with photography today? We will consider how the sector has evolved since then and also look at key exhibitions from that period.
Session 2 | Photographic Institutions Now on Thu 6 Feb
How are photographic institutions structured? In this session we will look at the organisational culture of The Photographers’ Gallery – how do teams work together to meet institutional aims and priorities. How is TPG different from other organisations? What opportunities and obstacles do we face as a sector?
Session 3 | Selling Photography on Thu 13 Feb
This week we focus on the roles of commercial galleries and art fairs. How do they support photographers and the development of artistic practice? What impact do they have in building public interest and engagement with art and photography?
Session 4 | New Technologies on Thu 20 Feb
How has digital transformed photography and visual culture more broadly? This week we will look at how digital has uprooted the photographic image, the impact that it has had on organisations focused on the medium, and where our understanding is now that images are based on a set of techniques, codes and digital computation.
Session 5 | Public Engagement on Thu 6 Mar
Learn how galleries develop educational initiatives to foster engagement by creating collaborative, thought-provoking activities and experiences. In this week’s session, members of the Gallery’s education team will discuss approaches and strategies for enhancing audience engagement with and appreciation of photography and visual culture, with particular focus on youth programmes and archives.
Session 6 | Finding Support on Thu 13 Mar
With arts organisations everywhere struggling as they face budget cuts and rising costs of living, discussions about funding and fundraising remain particularly pertinent. This week we will look at how museums and galleries have had to adapt to changing cultural policies in a climate of continued economic uncertainty. There will be particular focus on long-term relationships with a range of stakeholders, including grant applications, corporate sponsorships and donor cultivation.
Session 7 | Attracting Audiences on Thu 20 Mar
What is the audience journey before they arrive at the Gallery? How do galleries create an environment that ensures visitor enjoyment, security and well-being? In this session we look at the crucial moments of interaction between the public and the Gallery, from pre-visit marketing and communication to the on-site experience. We will explore how the considerations that go into each touchpoint enhance engagement, foster loyalty, and help build meaningful connections between the Gallery and our audiences.
Session 8 | Preparing for Tomorrow on Thu 28 Mar
In our final session we reflect on the preceding weeks’ discussions and debates as we look to the future. What challenges and opportunities lie ahead as we continue our mission to explore how photography connects, captivates and radically changes the world we live in.
Biography
Author and academic John Beck is based at the University of Westminster where he is a professor in the School of Humanities and teaches on the MA in Art and Visual Culture and the MA in Museums, Galleries, and Contemporary Culture. John has written on numerous aspects of modern and contemporary art, photography, literature and visual culture, and has particular interests in landscape, technology and cultural politics. His collaborative work with artist Matthew Cornford has been the subject of gallery shows at, among others, Bluecoat Liverpool, the New Art Gallery Walsall, and Bonington Gallery Nottingham.
Bursaries
A number of partial bursaries covering 50 per cent of course fees will be awarded on a first come basis. Applicants who wish to be considered for a partial bursary should submit a statement (max. 500 words) to projects@tpg.org.uk, outlining how Inside Out: The Workings of a Photography Gallery would contribute to their professional development. Successful applicants will be notified within a week of submission.Â
We actively encourage applications from groups who are currently underrepresented in the cultural sector in the UK. This includes people who identify as D/deaf, disabled* and neurodivergent; those with caring responsibilities; candidates from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds; and arts and culture professionals whose career development has been negatively impacted by Covid-19, prioritising independent artists, freelancers and those made redundant/at risk of redundancy since 2020.
*The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment, and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Sharing that you are disabled will not be used in any way in judging the quality of your application.
Details on how to access this event will be confirmed upon registration. Please check your junk folders if you haven't received an email from TPG staff confirming your place.
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