Curating A Photography Exhibition

 Online 8 - session Course

Aim

This intensive 8 weeks course aims at providing you with advice and guidance in order to curate a photographic exhibition in all its stages; from the initial idea – through to printing,  exhibiting, and promoting your show. It will provide you with an informative and supportive environment to help you clarify your ideas by applying a set of tools in the process towards the development, completion, and exhibition of your photography project.

With the learning tool of a ‘virtual art gallery,’ you will be guided step by step towards editing your photographs based on the theme and concept of your exhibition, deciding on their presentation, curating them in an online 3D gallery, writing a press release, and promoting your show. Having learnt a method and a structure in how to curate an exhibition in an online virtual space you will then feel more confident and be equipped with the right tools, which will help you in how to successfully curate a show in an actual, physical space.

The course is aimed at:

- amateur and professional photographers

- artists who use photography and want to gain an understanding of photographic thinking and way of working

- art students with an interest in photography

- a group of photographers and/or artists who collaborate on exhibiting a project or who work on different projects but with the aim of a group exhibition

- individuals with a flair for curatorial processes and an interest to bring together and exhibit works by other photographers and artists.

This course is ideal for:

- future Brighton Photo Fringe exhibitors as an excellent preparation and guidance tool

- any photo festival exhibitors

This course is for you:

- if you are at the completion stages of a photographic project which you wish to exhibit

- if you are starting a photographic project which you want to develop into a coherent body of work with the aim of exhibiting it

- if you just simply want to equip and inform yourselves with a method and a structure to apply at a later stage when you are ready to take up and exhibit a photographic project.

Objectives

At the end of the 8 weeks course you will be able to:

- discuss and analyse your ideas about developing a photographic project

- critically reflect on your creative process and decision making

- demonstrate an understanding of problem-solving

- demonstrate an understanding of simple research and documentation methods

- demonstrate a practical engagement with editing techniques

- demonstrate an understanding of presentation methods in relation to the context of your work

- demonstrate an understanding of how to use an online virtual art gallery

- produce a virtual photographic exhibition

- write a statement/press release about your exhibition

- demonstrate ways in how to promote your exhibition online

- gain a deeper awareness of yourselves in relationship to photography

General Outline of a Lesson Plan for each Weekly Session

The titles of the weekly themes, as presented below, are only an umbrella of the variety of themes that will be covered each week. Although there is a linearity to them, each week we will be revisiting themes and issues discussed in the previous weeks as well as bringing up issues that will be discussed more extensively in the following weeks.

Each session will consist of mainly five parts:

Part I

Group discussion, brainstorming, and sharing of personal project experience on the weekly theme

Part II

Presentation of guidance tips and advice in support of the weekly theme. This, depending on the theme, might include PowerPoint presentations, looking at specific curatorial projects with a Q&A input by the group, and much more.

Part III

Occasional group engagement in practical and creative activities as further brainstorming and familiarisation with and application of the new techniques and information presented.

Part IV

Looking at each other’s photographs, commenting on them, suggesting new ideas, reflecting on your creative process and progress of your project, discussing any problems encountered, and articulating your thoughts into words. This discussion will be the core of each session, as it will provide you with the opportunity to discuss your project, get feedback and potentially make decisions for its future development up to the stage of the exhibition. At the same time, I will be answering your questions, helping you to clarify your ideas, and giving you suggestions and guidance. This part is the most important one, as unwritten practical information and knowledge is shared and exchanged based on the dynamic and presence of the different individuals in the group

Part V

Summing up the main ideas of the session and briefly discussing individual tactics that you might follow until the next session.

During all parts of each session, I will be acting more as a facilitator and less as a tutor to help you take charge of expressing your thoughts and ideas and sharing them with the rest of the group.

Handouts 

At the end of each session I will be sending you e-handouts by email, which can include all or some of the following:

- PDF handout on the weekly theme

- Links to visual and other references tailored to your individual projects

- Bibliographical references (when they are necessary for theoretical support)

- and other resources when needed

Camera guidelines

There will be no shooting practice during the sessions, so no need for a camera unless you want to ask any specific technical questions.

Refund & Cancellation Policy

No refunds:

- if you cancel within 15 days before the start of the course.

- if the course is cancelled but a new date is scheduled

- if you stop attending it or any sessions of it

Minimum Age

16 years old is the minimum age for participants to attend the workshop on their own.