hereford photography festival was founded in 1989 and is now the longest running (and possibly the only) annual photography festival in the UK. Now a registered charity that is constituted as a private company limited by guarantee, the festival has a group of Members dedicated to the development of photography. The Members elect a Board of Trustees, who appoint the Festival Director and Management Committee.

With the very considerable support of our key funders, West Midlands Arts, Herefordshire Council and Elmley Foundation, as well as other sponsors and volunteers, we are now building the original local event into a platform with a much higher national profile.

the festival mission

• The hereford photography festival is an annual celebration of photography. The festival is based on the belief that photography is an enjoyable, intelligent, aware and visual way of approaching and understanding the world. By combining exhibitions and commissions from contemporary photographers, workshops, innovative community projects and opportunities for debate on current issues, the Festival aims to promote photography which comments on and raises questions about cultural and social issues.
• The festival realises the educational development opportunities in photography and seeks to show the work of international, national and regional photographers, including students and amateurs, in a way that is accessible to audiences from all walks of life.
• The festival works closely with local communities and provides opportunities that allow people to experience photography as a powerful form of communication and a means of highlighting regional issues. Support is also given to the development of locally produced work to be shown alongside images from photographers from a wide range of countries and cultural backgrounds, including the world's most acclaimed photographers.

who we are

• Our Patrons are John Bulmer, Bryn Campbell and Paul Keetch MP.
• The Trustees are Dominic Harbour, Chris Smart, John Soderstrom and Alex Thimm (Chair).
• The Management Committee for the 2000 Festival was Colin Barratt, Clare Clifford, Dominic Harbour, Jim Hodson, Richard Sadler, Chris Smart, John Soderstrom and Alex Thimm.
• The Festival Director is Robert Ashby and the Festival Administrator is Pippa Burns.
• The Selection Advisors for the 2000 Festival were Colin Jacobson and Bryn Campbell, to whom much thanks.

where we are

Thanks to Herefordshire Council and the Lottery, the festival now has a permanent office at The Courtyard, Hereford's wonderful new Centre for the Arts:

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