The London Street Photography Festival is a new event in London’s cultural calendar. It champions the best contemporary street photographers and honor past masters providing a space for discussion, debate and appreciation of the current relevance of this time-honored genre.The festival takes place throughout July with a diverse programme of exhibitions, events, talks, walks and workshops. In this first year, exhibitions will be curated by the festival team and partners rather than through submissions. However, we invited street photographers from around the world to enter the first Street Photography Awards which included a Student Award (open to UK-based students) and an International Award (open to photographers from all over the world). Selected entries from the Awards will be exhibited during the festival. Street photography is an essential tool for documenting and questioning societies across the globe. We believe it is important to support and provide platforms for dialogue on the tradition.The majority of activities will take place in and around King’s Cross, which has a rich heritage as an industrial hub of London. New developments and regeneration are now transforming it into a creative and cultural focal point, with media and arts organisations such as The Guardian and Central St Martins School of Art relocating to the area. Street photography is an essential tool for documenting and questioning societies across the globe. We believe it is important to support and provide platforms for dialogue on the tradition.Exhibitions and events will take place at the German Gymnasium, British Library, National Portrait Gallery, V&A and St Pancras International. Satellite exhibitions and events will take place across London. The festival is run as a not-for-profit organisation and in addition to support from the British Library, National Portrait Gallery, King’s Cross Central, St Pancras International and the Independent, the festival also accepts contributions from individuals. Patronage of the festival helps ensure that there are the resources to provide engaging, accessible content and produce an exciting, sustainable programme of photographic activity in 2011 and beyond. By raising the profile of street photography and street photographers through prestigious exhibitions and activities (National Portrait Gallery, the British Library, St Pancras International, the V&A) It is hoped that the events will increase its public perception and artistic value.The festival is expected to grow in size and reputation from year to year and support to make this possible depends on a groundswell of involvement from the community of artists in London and further afield. 2011 Image © Grant Smith
The London Street Photography Festival runs until the end of July