The new 70:15:40 photography exhibition seeks to address the underrepresentation of women, trans, and non-binary people in the UK photography industry. Created by MPB, the project initiated with a national open-call. Four photographers exploring unique themes and narratives have been selected and will feature in the exhibition, open to the public from 22nd November to 3rd December (Monday-Friday 11am-5pm, and Saturday-Sunday 10am-5pm).
About the 70:15:40 Project
Despite women making up 70% of UK photography graduates, only 15% go on to become professional photographers, often earning 40% less than their male counterparts. This project supports two emerging and two established photographers, providing access to resources such as equipment, studio space, training, and funding. The four finalists, chosen through an open-call national competition, are Hanna Ali, Roman Manfredi, Violeta Sofia, and Paloma Tendero.
Their works explore themes including:
- Black motherhood
- Equity and solidarity through a women’s/non-binary football team
- Sculptural scenes on health, illness, and well-being
- Cultural narratives celebrating the aesthetics of Cameroon’s photographic heritage
From MPB:
An exhibition of photography from the four finalists of the 70:15:40 Project UK – a project initiated by MPB in 2023 to address the underrepresentation of women, trans and non-binary people working in photography and videography in the UK – will open on 22nd November and run to 3rd December at: The Handbag Factory, Vauxhall, London.
To celebrate the inaugural exhibition, the 70:15:40 Project UK is also bringing together an expert panel of gatekeepers to unravel the current situation around gender, opportunity and the importance of the female gaze in the photography industry. Titled, ‘Addressing the Gender Imbalance in the Photographic Industry’, the discussion takes place on 30th November from 2pm-4pm at The Handbag Factory, and will feature the following panellists:
- Isabelle Doran, CEO of The Association of Photographers (Moderator)
- Ivy Lahon, Head of Creative Content & Stories, Save the Children
- Carrie Scott, Curator/Writer
- Melissa Terrelonge, Head of Photo and AV at Netflix
The 70:15:40 Project UK was initiated by MPB and is supported by the Royal Photographic Society, Peerspace, SheClicks and UKBFTOG, to highlight the gender imbalance within the photographic and videography industries.
Set up as a national competition through an open call, the four finalists Hanna Ali, Roman Manfredi, Violeta Sofia, and Paloma Tendero received camera equipment, studio space, mentoring and financial support, as well as the opportunity to show their new work in this inaugural celebratory exhibition which runs until 3 December.
Further reading:
- See the amazing International Landscape Photographer of the Year winners!
- Diverse, unique, resilient: Portrait of Britain Vol.7 shortlist revealed!
- Submerged carnation flowers win big in APOY macro competition
- Stunningly apocalyptic war images feature in RPS awards
- Close-up Photographer of the Year 6 announces shortlist
