Building on the success of the Fast Forward conference at Tate Modern in 2015, co-organised by Tate, University for the Creative Arts (UCA) along with Photography and The Archive Research Centre (PARC) at University of the Arts London, Lithuanian Photographers Association and Vitas Luckus Photography Centre announced the 2^nd edition of the Fast Forward conference, which took place at the National Gallery of Arts in Vilnius in November, 2017.

One of the foci of this Fast Forward edition was to present, to an international audience new knowledge about the role of women photographers in the cultural, social and political life of the of the Baltic States and former Eastern Bloc countries, which have a rich academic discourse and vibrant artistic culture combining specific national features with particular local experiences and Western ideas. Participating researchers and artists also discussed work by women photographers from India, Myanmar, Norway and United Kingdom. The topics ranged from the emancipatory role of photography in the past to political activism, artistic uses of visual archives and new representations of gender. The conference in Vilnius was an opportunity to share knowledge and consider our potential relationships and networks and to engage in pertinent debate that would influence new academic discourse and provide further context for the study and practice of photography.

The conference is organised by:

University for the Creative Arts (UCA), UK

Photography and The Archive Research Centre (PARC) at University of the Arts London, UK

Lithuanian Photographers Association, Lithuania

Vitas Luckus Photography Centre, Lithuania;

in partnership with National Gallery of Arts, Lithuania

and support by Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania and Lithuanian Council for Culture