For this residency, the Royal Geographical Society, in partnership with Photoworks and the Italian Cultural Institute in London are seeking Italian photographers, with an interest in and focus on archives and archive research. In this opportunity, artists are invited to immerse themselves in the historic collections of the Royal Geographical Society and engage with materials in relation to the environment and the humanitarian. The outcome of the residency would be to develop presentations and works with resonance to the themes of hidden narratives, loss and human impact.
This residency would be roughly 1 year in length but run over 2026 & 2027.
Deadline to apply 9am, 13 April 2026.
Interviews will take place 27 April 2026.
About the collection
The Royal Geographical Society holds a collection of a million pieces of original photography which combined encapsulates the study of Geography in all its forms (Environment, Landscape and Human) and reaches back to the inception of the photographic medium focussed on the period between 1845 – 1945. This collection includes not only the acts of Western colonial exploration but sincere scientific and personal observations of our physical and human habitats. These works intermesh with manuscript and cartographic outputs to tell a wonderfully rich story of our world through a particularly formative period.
The opportunity consists of:
- 3 separate research and presentation visits to UK, first archive visit in May 2026
- Giving a talk and sharing work in progress at Summit Photo 2026 (17,18,19 July)
- Presenting and exhibiting work at Summit Photo 2027
- We offer an artist fee of £1,500, plus travel, accommodation and production
How to apply
Please fill out the form in the button above and create one PDF that includes the following:
- Expression of interest up to 300 words to include – area of research, interest in archives, how this opportunity would benefit your practice and develop work/s.
- Confirmation of availability of the dates mentioned.
- Biography and links to website/social media
- 5-10 examples of recent work
If you have any difficulties sharing your work this way, please contact us at info@photoworks.org.uk. If you would prefer to send an audio/video recording (3 minutes max) of your application, please share a link to it in the form instead of a PDF.
Eligibility
- Applications from visual artists, photographers, and practitioners with experience and interest in photographic archive research
- Applicants should be older than 18 years old.
- Italian nationality.
- Applicants must be proficient in spoken and written English.
- Available for the dates referenced.
Evaluation Criteria
- Portfolio showcasing originality and quality of the artistic research previously undertaken.
- Relevance of the application to the specific context of the residency in question.
Jury
Danit Ariel is an artist, writer and curator, whose practice looks into how art can createnew ways of meeting. She is the author of Nayah: Empathy as an Act of Resistancewhich explores the role of gender in practices of empathy; and All the Tables are Brown,looking more specifically at language as both a bridge and barrier between communities. As Photoworks’ curator, she manages the curatorial programme and develops the Photoworks Festival.
Louise Fedotov-Clements is Director of Photoworks. She is Co-Founder and former Director of FORMAT International Photography Festival, former Artistic Director of QUAD, and previously National Curator of Contemporary Art at Forestry England. As a creative director and curator, she has led international commissions, festivals, exhibitions, publications, and mass-participation programmes across photography, film, performance and contemporary art worldwide.
Maria Teresa De Palma is Cultural Attaché at the Italian Cultural Institute in London, part of the network of Institutes managed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. She holds a degree and a PhD in Comparative Literature, and over the years has worked as a project manager on numerous photography-related projects.
Jamie Owen is curator of the photographic collection at the Royal Geographical Society. He also manages for the Society the Earth Photo and Summit Photo initiatives. An expert in early expeditionary photography, Jamie has commissioned and edited numerous books on early photography with a focus on Antarctica and the Himalaya.
Rocco Venezia is an artist, curator, and educator with a BA and MA in Documentary Photography from the University of South Wales. His work has been exhibited internationally, with solo shows at VOID, JEST, and Fonderia 20.9, and group exhibitions at institutions including Fondazione Fabbri, Capa Center, ISSP Gallery, and Gallery Image.
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