‘Putting Ourselves in the Picture’ a UK-wide training and mentorship programme for refugee and migrant women has seen a group of 22 women and non-binary people participate in 30 photography workshops and 64 mentoring sessions throughout the past year.

The programme has been initiated and led by Fast Forward: Women in Photography and had support from leading photographers and curators and was designed to improve the women’s skillsets, supporting them in telling their stories to the world. It was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation through a fellowship received by Professor of Photography Anna Fox at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA).

MPB, the world’s largest platform for used photography and videography equipment has been partnered with the project since it began last June (2021). MPB’s involvement gifted eight cameras and 16 lenses to a group of participating women at Impressions Gallery in Bradford in order to support their development for the duration of the project and beyond.

Carolyn Mendelsohn, who is teaching eight of the women taking part in the project and reached out for MPB’s support in the first instance, commented: “It was wonderful for the women I worked with (at Impressions Gallery) to have access to good quality kit. Not only did this help to build up their photography skills, it helped them tell their unique and powerful stories in a compelling way. This is the start of an exciting journey for them. For me, it has been a privilege to be a part of this project, and I have loved seeing their visual narratives develop. I am over the moon that MPB have supported us by supplying the women with cameras; it feels like a perfect fit”.

Matt Barker, Founder and CEO at MPB said: “When I started MPB, I did so with the ambition of making photography more accessible and affordable, helping people to fulfil their ambitions in a sustainable way. This project is a wonderful opportunity for us to bring that to life and support these women in telling their unique stories. It brings great pleasure knowing that they will be able to continue to tell their stories beyond completion of the programme”

Anna Fox, Professor of Photography at University for the Creative Arts in Farnham and Director of Fast Forward, was awarded an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship, from the Arts & Humanities Research Council, to direct the project, said: “I have been working to promote and engage with women in photography across the globe for some time now. Putting Ourselves in the Picture is so important; it empowers women that have faced some of the greatest challenges in life to express themselves to the outside world.

She continued ’I was actually there, at Impressions Gallery, when the cameras arrived, and the excitement on the women’s faces when they received them was incredible. It reminded me of when I first got my first camera, it’s something really different to taking pictures on your phone. The key thing is the fact that they could keep these cameras at the end of the project… this has the potential to be life-changing. I’d like to thank all of our partners for making this project possible and working together to have a positive impact on these women’s lives as well as to educate us with their stories.”

The project has had the support of leading photographers and experienced curators from nationwide cultural organisations including Autograph and Women For Refugee Women in London, National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, Impressions Gallery in Bradford and Work Show Grow. The personal mentors to the refugee women, participating in Bradford, include Anne McNeill, Impressions Director and Curator, and Carolyn Mendelsohn.

As the 12-month-long programme comes to an end, the project will be shared in the outcome of a [250 page] book, designed by Sarah Boris and published by Trolley Books; a series of podcasts, created by Anna Fox and Maria Kapajeva and produced in collaboration with Lucia Scazzocchio from Social Broadcasts; a series of short films, produced by filmmakers Laura Sims, Sarah Jeans, Anne Parisio and Christine Lloyd-Fitt.

The book is being released on Monday, November 7th and is available to purchase now from:https://trolleybooks.com/collections/frontpage/products/pre-order-putting-ourselves-in-the-picture-by-fast-forward-women-in-photography

Putting Ourselves in the Picture has run for 12 months, underpinned by partnerships with MPB, Fast Forward, Autograph ABP, Work Show Grow, Women for Refugee Women, Impressions Gallery and The National Galleries of Scotland. For more information about the project and Fast Forward, please visit https://fastforward.photography/our-projects/

Impressions Gallery is a charity that helps people understand the world through photography, and acts as an agent for change. The Gallery collaborates with photographers and organisations nationally and internationally to commission, exhibit and publish photography. Our work with new emerging photographers and often-overlooked artists cements and builds their careers. Established in 1972 as one of the first specialist photographic galleries in Europe, Impressions has grown to become one of the UK’s leading independent venues for contemporary photography. We are located in the heart of Bradford, UK City of Culture 2025. We work with local communities and young people to make photography accessible to all through our formal and informal education. Impressions is funded by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation and supported by Bradford Metropolitan District Council. www.impressions-gallery.com

Fast Forward: Women in Photography, based at University for the Creative Arts in the UK, is designed to promote and engage with women in photography across the globe. We provokenew debate and ensure, as women photographers and professionals, that we are in the news and in the history books. There are millions of women in the world of photography and now is the time to arrest the process of forgetting that so frequently erases women from the burgeoning histories of photography and shed light on new ways of thinking, showing, discussing and distributing our work.