This spring the photography industry spotlight will again shine on the historically proud and culturally vibrant city of Leeds for the sixth edition of Photo North Festival with a sensational array of exhibitions and activities. The journey to Leeds hasn’t always been easy. Co-founder Peter Dench explains.
The three day Photo North Festival is back with exhibitions by legends of the profession on display alongside up and coming photographers against a backdrop of talks, networking, screenings, book signings, food, drink and more.
In 2018, along with co-founder Sharon Price (who has a career spanning 25 years in creative industries as a producer, gallery director and curator), we had a vision to bring a lively, welcoming and professional photography festival to northern audiences. A festival where visitors would feel nourished and inspired.
Festival six will deliver over 100 metres of exhibitions by, among others; Barry Lewis, Paul Berriff, Jillian Edelstein, Mike Abrahams, Marc Wilson and Raging! a photography project that sticks two fingers up to women+ being seen and not heard.
At the core of each exhibition are stories, the experience of the photographer and the people in the pictures. How Do You Dance in a War Zone? A collaboration between photographers Paul Hill and Maria Falconer and dancers in Kyiv and Lviv is a powerful exploration of movement amidst conflict. Graeme Chesters, winner of Amateur Photographer’s MPB sponsored Rising Star Bursary, captures the unique experience of Longyearbyen residents, the world’s northernmost settlement.
Each day has four talks, there’s a busy Live Lounge / Market area to browse books and zines and a licensed bar. The Channel 4 Senior Pictures Team will have a presence at the festival for portfolio drop-ins, industry chat, panel discussions and presentations. A selection of previously unseen images and ephemera will be on display from iconic TV programmes and films – Trainspotting, Shameless, Hollyoaks, Brookside and Rita, Sue & Bob too.
The origins of PNF go back over a decade. I’d worked with Sharon in creating White Cloth Gallery, a film & photography gallery and event space located in Leeds city centre. White Cloth launched in 2011 with The Family by Jocelyn Bain Hogg, an exhibition that brings the viewer up close into the lives of London’s seedier gangs and organised criminals.
Eclectic shows followed including David Bowie by Duffy, the Tour de France and Jimi Hendrix by Gered Mankowitz. Each exhibition had a bespoke events programme. After three years and issues with the tenancy, we looked for opportunities to replicate what had been achieved with White Cloth on a bigger scale.
Sharon suggested a photography festival in Harrogate where she lives and in November 2018, at the Harrogate Convention Centre, the doors opened to the first festival. We were excited but mostly terrified as Sharon remembers, ‘On the first morning about five-to-ten, I poked my head around the door and people were queuing outside and thought, OH S**T!! What have we done?’
It was brutal. A visitor strode up to me and explained. ‘Love your work, hate the show.’ We’d been open 20 minutes, the talks hadn’t even started. In hindsight we were under prepared and out of our depth but there was enough positive feedback. Sharon says, ‘Colin Wilkinson (former founder at Bluecoat Press now Image & Reality photobook publisher) was incredibly supportive and said you must do this again, similarly photojournalist Tom Stoddart. People might have rejected us but they didn’t. They embraced us and said, please keep going, we love what you do. It’s their passion and belief in what we do that kept us going’
The second festival, also at Harrogate, didn’t seem a vast improvement on the first, we felt a bit lost, then COVID arrived. It probably did us a favour, rather than chuck in the towel, it gave us time to refocus and rethink. Alumno, who specialise in the design and development of good quality and modern accommodation for students offered sponsorship, we ditched the trade stands and in 2022 headed to Manchester. It was better but not quite right. Sharon recalls, ‘We were still coming out of COVID, and Manchester was so vast, we got swallowed up a bit.’
It made sense to return to Leeds where we already had a following and connections. It worked and The Carriageworks Theatre was a good fit. The festival is under one roof across several floors and the team is rooting for us to succeed.
From the beginning, students have been a key part of the festival. The PNF Student Competition has played a significant role in the creative journeys of students, drawing thousands of participants from universities across the UK. The competition is a vibrant mix of emerging talents. Last year all the student finalists were exhibited opposite Martin Parr, not bad for their CV.
Other finalists have gone on to have their own solo exhibition. ‘One of my favourite parts is working with the students. I just love their energy, the bright young things, they just make me smile,’ says Sharon. Friday is designated Education Day, tailored to but not exclusively for students who this year can benefit from free portfolio reviews by Channel 4 and Nikon Ambassador and festival regular, Carolyn Mendelsohn. Saturday is everyone’s day and Sunday is tweaked for clubs and societies.
At the heart of PNF is community and collaboration not competing. Part of our ethos is to keep existing exhibitions on the road. What can we do for you and you for us? Complimentary space is offered to collectives, Gallery365 and Blackpool based creative hub HIVE Arts will be present for the second consecutive festival.
Sharon says, ‘I want us to help and support other artists in the industry, independent traders, book publishers, societies and sellers. It’s become a big community and I’m really proud of that. It’s no longer about Sharon and Peter anymore, it’s about everyone involved that helps make it happen. We want to create an egoless festival with a warm and welcoming atmosphere where visitors feel included, relaxed, can have a drink and chat with friends or make new ones. You don’t even have to be that into photography or art. It’s just a great day.’
Find out more at www.photonorthfestival.co.uk/festival
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