Image from the 2019 Redeye event Fail Early, Fail Often, photographed by Mark Harvey

 

Redeye loves networks and get-togethers, and we have many friends round the UK who are actively welcoming and building local, regional or online communities. Here’s a list of the ones we are aware of that are currently active. Our criteria for inclusion are organisations that give you the opportunity to meet other creative photographers and artists, find out what’s going on, get advice on work and projects, and maybe share your own work. If you would like to submit details of another network for inclusion on this list or if anything on this list needs changing, please send us the details.

There are also many Camera Clubs, sometimes called Photographic Clubs or Societies, across the UK. These are often focussed on amateur and enthusiast photography and there is usually an annual fee, but many of them welcome non-members for a small fee on the door. For a map to find your nearest, see The PAGB.

 

South West England

The South West Collective - Torbay

• The South West Collective is a company dedicated to promoting photography, art, illustration, painting and all art forms in the South West of England and UK. They hold competitions and exhibitions and aim to one day open an educational and creative space for artists to learn, grow, work, and adapt as creative individuals.

Martin Parr Foundation - Bristol

• The Martin Parr Foundation supports emerging, established and overlooked photographers who have made and continue to make work focused on Britain and Ireland. They run events, exhibitions and an annual competition for members.

IC Visual Lab - Bristol

•  IC Visual Lab is a Community Interest Company based in Bristol (UK) with an artistic orientation towards the social. Their activities include education, mentorship, design, publishing, curation, and collectiveness.

Arnolfini – Bristol

• Arnolfini is a pioneer of interdisciplinary contemporary arts, presenting an ambitious, eclectic programme of visual art, performance, dance, film and music, carefully curated to appeal to a broad audience. They hold exhibitions, workshops, talks and events, and also have a café and bookshop.

 

South East England

Photoworks - Brighton

• Photoworks is a charity and international platform, providing opportunities for artists and audiences since 1995. They run a festival, competitions, exhibitions, events, awards, an online magazine, and a podcast.

Hundred Heroines - London

• Hundred Heroines is a UK charity dedicated to promoting women in photography. They create learning resources, opportunities, and amplify voices which are often marginalised.

Offspring Photo Meet - London

• Offspring Photo Meet gathers some top photography experts to impart their wisdom and advice to an audience of professional and aspiring image makers. This includes talks, workshops, screenings, and organised networking opportunities.

Photofusion - London

• Photofusion provides a diverse range of photographic services that continually respond to the revolution and evolution of lens-based imagery. They deliver vital training, support, and career progression to photographers of all abilities.

Fabrica – Brighton

• Fabrica is a visual arts organisation and gallery that encourages and supports artists through a range of exhibitions, professional development, talks, workshops, commissions, and networking opportunities.

The Photographers' Gallery - London

• The Photographers’ Gallery (TPG) is the UK’s foremost centre for the presentation and exploration of photography in all its forms, and home to an international community of photographers. TPG presents a diverse and critically acclaimed programme of exhibitions, events, talks, workshops, and courses, along with a bookshop and café.

Autograph - London

• Autograph's mission is to enable to public to explore identity, representation, human rights and social justice through work produced by artists who use photography and film. They commission new work, present existing work, research, display and publish works which address subjects in their mission aim, and they encourage the production of new knowledge and learning.

 

Midlands of England

Creative Black Country – Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton

• Creative Black Country (CBC) is an action learning project funded by Arts Council England through the Creative People and Places (CPP) programme to engage audiences in areas where evidence shows people are less likely to take part in publicly funded arts and culture.

FORMAT - Derby

• FORMAT is the UK's leading international contemporary festival of photography and related media. It organises a year round programme of international commissions, open calls, residencies, conferences, and collaborations in the UK and internationally. 

BOM - Birmingham

• BOM is a centre for art, technology, and science dedicated to creative innovation with purpose. Their gallery is free to enter and presents cutting edge digital artwork and exhibitions that spark debate about technology and scientific progress.

GRAIN – Birmingham/Midlands

• GRAIN delivers activities to support artists and develop opportunities for audiences and participants. They develop and curate exhibitions, commissions, publications, events and a range of artist opportunities and professional development support.

ReFramed - Midlands

• ReFramed is a Midlands-based network for Black, Asian and other people of colour interested in producing photographic visual art. They collaborate with individuals and community groups and build a network with visual artists from Black, Asian and other communities of colour.

 

North East of England and Yorkshire

North East Photography Network - Sunderland

• NEPN works with photographers, artists, curators, and a wide range of cultural partners to produce new opportunities for photographers through commissions, talks, discussion groups, and portfolio review events.

Lens Think Yorkshire - Yorkshire

• Lens Think is a social enterprise for equality in photography. They host a bi-monthly social to meet, share work, ideas, and develop arts in the north. They will be back with events soon.

Side Gallery - Newcastle

• Side is dedicated to showing the best in documentary photography: rich, powerful, and challenging work engaged with people's lives and landscapes, telling stories that often get marginalised, whether they are from the North East of England or anywhere else in the world. They have a shop, a library filled with their collection of film, photography books, and magazines, and a free study centre.

Impressions Gallery - Bradford

• Impressions Gallery support and encourage ground-breaking artists who challenge and change photography. They run exhibitions, events, workshops, and education programmes. All exhibitions and a vast majority of events are free.

 

North West England

Redeye - Manchester

• Redeye runs a wide range of events, courses, workshops and opportunities for photographers at every level, including our Graduate Mentorship Scheme, our collaborative course Lightbox, and It's Your Business. Our online networking events include Stay and chat, Open Space, and Critique Surgeries.

Photo North Festival - Manchester

• Photo North Festival will next be held in Manchester in spring 2022. This event is aimed at professional photographers, art enthusiasts, keen amateurs, and students, bringing together exhibitions, talks, walks, workshops, and portfolio reviews.

Open Eye Gallery - Liverpool

• Open Eye Gallery produces exhibitions, long-term collaborative projects, publications, festivals, and university courses. They are open source and free to use.

Islington Mill - Salford

• Islington Mill is an ever-evolving creative space, arts hub and community. They have public arts programmes, residencies, galleries, rehearsal spaces, events, and exhibitions.

SixBySix - Liverpool

• SixBySix (also known as 6 By 6) is a growing network of people interested in documentary photography. They meet to have informal discussions, display work, run talks and events.

British Culture Archive - Manchester

• British Culture Archive is a non-profit organisation set up to document, highlight and preserve the changes in British culture and society through documentary photography. They run print sales, exhibitions, features and are setting up a permanent gallery space in Manchester.

 

Scotland

Street Level Photoworks - Glasgow

• Street Level Photoworks is a photographic arts organisation that provides artists and the public with a range of opportunities to make and engage with photography. It is a gallery and an open access photographic production facility. They run exhibitions, events, education and outreach projects, and sell photographic prints, magazines, and books. 

Stills – Edinburgh

• Stills is a centre for photography, supporting the advancement, enjoyment, exploration, and understanding of photography in Scotland. They run courses, training sessions, exhibitions, events, and have digital labs, darkrooms, workspaces, and equipment for hire.

Photo Networks Scotland – Glasgow/Scotland

• Photography Networks in Scotland was established by Street Level Photoworks in order to help grow networks for photography and develop audiences further. They share news, upcoming exhibitions, events, publications, and resources from around Scotland.

 

Wales

Ffotogallery – Cardiff

• Ffotogallery encourages public understanding of and deeper engagement with photography through its exhibitions, commissioning of new work, talks, events, courses, workshops, internships, volunteering, and skills development opportunities. They also provide a creative studio and digital workspace for creative practitioners.

Oriel Colwyn - North Wales

• Oriel Colwyn is a gallery space dedicated to showcasing photography and photographic works. By working with local, national and international photographers as well as current and up and coming new talent they are North Wales’ hottest photography space. They run events and exhibitions, courses, workshops, and have darkroom facilities. 

 

Northern Ireland

Belfast Exposed – Belfast

• Belfast Exposed is an independent, non-profit organisation, who provides a range of services including running four public galleries and maintaining an archive of social, political, and cultural change in Northern Ireland. They also deliver an educational and socially engaged outreach programme, provide training courses, and run educational programmes.

 

Multiple UK Bases

Royal Photographic Society

• The RPS is an educational charity committed to bringing photography to everyone. Having been established 168 years ago, they are a world-leading photographic community. They hold many UK regional events, international events, exhibitions, competitions, and awards. They are based in Bristol but have 16 regional hubs across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Socially Engaged Photography Network

• Run by Open Eye Gallery, The Socially Engaged Photography Network works with organisations, photographers, community groups, academics and curators from across the country to build a new network to discuss and accelerate the practice of socially engaged photography. They have regional meet up groups established or currently developing across the North West, North East, the Midlands, Yorkshire, Scotland, London and South East, and the South West.

The Miniclick Photo Talks

• Miniclick curates free talks and discussions, hosts participatory events, workshops, and exhibitions. They also publish affordable photography books and zines with the remit of being open and accessible to all, experimenting with different ways of looking at images and focusing on stories and ideas instead of kit and cameras. They operate in Brighton, Bristol, Leeds, Yorkshire, and online.

PhotoVoice

• PhotoVoice is a UK based charity that uses ethical photography to promote positive social change.They work in the UK and internationally with individuals, local communities, and partner organisations to design and deliver tailor-made participatory photography, digital storytelling and self-advocacy projects for socially excluded groups.

Photo Scratch

• Photo Scratch is a unique social, networking, and feed-back event for documentary photographers, photojournalists, and people involved in the associated industries of photographic picture making. It is also free to attend and be part of. They have online workshops, resources and events.

What Next?

• What Next? is a free-to-access UK wide movement. With 31 chapters across the UK, they bring together freelancers and small and large arts organisations to inform, debate, and shape the future of the arts and culture.

Contemporary Visual Arts Network

• The Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN) represents and supports a diverse and vibrant visual arts ecology. They hold events, talks, provide resources, toolkits, opportunities, and news throughout nine English regions.

Photographic Collections Network 

• The Photographic Collections Network is a Subject Specialist Network aiming to share best practise, knowledge, and expertise, and to celebrate photo collections and photo archives across the UK. They run events such as collection visits, study days, and seminars.

 

Online

Work Show Grow

• Work Show Grow is an educational online community for creatives from all levels, stages and entry points, which supports your growth through school membership, mentorship, workshops and events.

The Photographic Angle

• The Photographic Angle are a charitable organisation who run competitions and exhibitions around the UK, as well as offering educational resources and bursaries.

Disabled Photographers Society

• The Disabled Photographers Society promotes photography for all people with disabilities. They act as a source of information on all aspects of photography for people with disabilities and offer a number of support services, like free technical support, advice, help with modifications, and free equipment loan. They also run quarterly competitions, portfolio reviews, and a magazine.

Shutterhub 

• Shutter Hub is a photography organisation providing opportunities and support for creative photographers worldwide. They run exhibitions, workshops, events, in-person and online meetups and have a membership which offers many benefits. 

FlakPhoto Network

• An online network for all people interested in photography. Flak is a space to talk about pictures, ask and answer questions about visual culture, and share ideas about the past, present, and future of photography.

The Photographers Network

• An online network managed by 1854 Media, which empowers photographers around the world to fully realise their creative potential. The Photographers Network is a space to post questions, discuss solutions, share resources, and exchange tips and updates on the current job climate.