Festival Sets FORMAT For World Class Photography
2 March 2011
Young Muslims take to the streets in Peterborough to protect their mosque from the English Defence League (11/12/2010) by Gary Austin
From Mark Prethero's series of photos entitled: 'Beneath the pavement, the beech'.
Images dealing with the surveillance society, questions of privacy and even streetfighting will be part of the University of Derby's contribution to the 2011 FORMAT International Photography Festival.
The FORMAT event, held every other year, was established in Derby in 2004 and has become one of the UK's leading events for international photography and related media.
This year's festival - taking place at venues throughout Derby from this Friday 4 March, until Sunday 3 April and for some exhibitions beyond - is entitled Right Here, Right Now: Exposures from the public realm and is based around the theme of street photography.
The festival's curator is Louise Clements with Derby's QUAD centre; in partnership with the University, Derby City Council and Derby Museums.
As well as hosting more than a dozen exhibitions by acclaimed photographic artists during the festival at its Arts, Design and Technology site at Markeaton Street in Derby, the University's own graduates will exhibit their work.
Their exhibition - entitled Public Dissent - at the University's Banks' Mill Studio in Bridge Street, Derby, between 9am and 5pm weekdays. uses images to look at the issues of privacy and identity in relation to public opinions on photography, surveillance and censorship.
The graduate photographers exhibiting are Gary Austin, Hannah Mitchell, Laura Mclean, Mark Prethero and Rebecca White.
Exhibitor Gary said: "We are all excited to be part of such an important photography festival and exhibiting alongside top international photographers, with all of it happening right here in Derby.
"We are working hard to make sure our group exhibition at Banks Mill is just how we want it. The University of Derby has supported us by helping with funds and our course Lecturer, Vered Lahav, has been a huge help in advising us and editing our group's catalogue."
As part of the events to open the 2011 FORMAT International Photography Festival on Friday 4 March, the University will host a free launch party at its Markeaton Street site, in Derby, from 6.30pm. There will be an exhibitions' preview and photo slideshow by internationally known Greek photographer Thanasis Lomef Zacharopoulos, plus live music.
On the same day Professor Huw Davies - Dean of the University's Faculty of Arts, Design and Technology - will take part in the FORMAT festival conference at the QUAD arts centre in Derby city centre.
London-based freelance photographer Stephen McLaren, co-author of book Street Photography Now, will give a free talk on his project to find strange and unusual images in the capital city. This will be held at 2pm on Wednesday 30 March, also at the University's Markeaton Street site.
During the festival, and beyond, a series of stunning exhibitions by photographic artists will be on display at the Markeaton Street site, including:
- Stephen McLaren's The London Games - unusual images of the capital city
- Andrew Glickman's Among Strangers Underground - quirky and curious moments taken from the everyday commute on the Washington DC underground system
- John Angerson's Terminal Transit - candid photos of some of the 1.5billion passengers who move through 1,195 international airports each year
- Renhui Zhao's The Blind - about methods of camouflage that can be used in order to observe unseen
- Harri Pälviranta's Battered - exploring the subject of street violence in Finland.
Professor Davies - Dean of the University's Faculty of Arts, Design and Technology - said: "The University has been involved in Format since its beginning and has seen the festival grow into a major international event. It is a world class celebration of the very best in contemporary photography.
"The Public Dissent exhibition is a fantastic opportunity for our graduates' work to be shown alongside some of the most influential and established photographers from across the globe."
You can find out more information about 2011 FORMAT International Photography Festival events and book tickets.Alternatively contact QUAD on 01332 290606 or email: info@formatfestival.com
For further information please contact Press and PR Officer Sean Kirby on 01332 591891 or 07876 476103, or email s.kirby@derby.ac.uk.
