Are you a Yorkshire-born or based photographer? Do you identify as female or non-binary? This three-month programme is an opportunity you don’t want to miss!

The Hepworth Wakefield invites expressions of interest from early career artists to work with the photographer Hannah Starkey (b. 1971, Belfast) on an exciting forthcoming commission in Wakefield, starting March 2022. The collaboration on new photographs for an exhibition at The Hepworth Wakefield opening October 2022 is offered alongside a programme of artist and peer mentoring, and professional development talks and workshops.

This fully funded programme for up to eight artists is offered as part of The Hepworth’s successful application to the Freelands Award in 2019 to stage a survey of Starkey’s career from the last 20 years and undertake a major new commission in Wakefield, which will be central to the exhibition. https://hepworthwakefield.org/whats-on/hannah-starkey/

The Wakefield Commission 

Throughout her career Starkey has worked predominantly with women as her subjects, collaborating with actresses as well as anonymous passers-by to develop carefully choreographed scenes that explore the physical and psychological connections between the female individual and the urban landscape. This evocative body of work subtly probes women’s experiences of cities and challenges how they are represented in contemporary culture.

For the new commission, Starkey would like to work with early career artists from the region who identify as female or non-binary to explore what she describes as ‘the puzzling dichotomy between a politically engaged generation of young people and the homogeneity of the image culture within which they operate’.

While collaborating closely with this group of artists to create new images for the exhibition and book, she will engage them in a critical discourse about how images of women circulate in the world. These discussions will ultimately inform the development of a guide for young women and girls to help them better control their social media presence and appreciate the political and economic imperatives of these platforms.

Artist Development Programme 

The call is open to Yorkshire-born or based photographers, including those currently in full- or part-time study, who identify as female or non-binary. The programme is free for participants and travel expenses will be paid.

The three-month programme will comprise:

• Close individual collaboration with Starkey on an image made in Wakefield, to be shown in the exhibition and published in the accompanying book
• Artist and peer mentoring
• 10 x 2-hour talks and workshops covering all aspects of development as an artist
• Access to darkroom facilities and technician support at The Art House, Wakefield
• An opportunity to exhibit your own work in a concurrent exhibition at The Art House, Wakefield

For more information and details of how to apply please go to the direct link.