Photography in the third age – a Leverhulme Lecture by Alasdair Foster presented in collaboration with the University of Dundee

Dr Alasdair Foster, Leverhulme Visiting Professor from Melbourne and Ambassador to the Asia-Pacific PhotoForum, is one of the most original, provocative and inspiring thinkers in photography. The Redeye Photography Network is delighted to welcome him to Manchester during a brief visit to the UK for a keynote lecture that sets the scene for the next National Photography Symposium later in 2018 on The Future of Work in Photography.

Photography: where is the medium going? Aside from the obvious technical developments, though facilitated by them, there are significant shifts in who makes a photograph and why. These shifts in the production, dissemination and understanding of photography mean that we must re-evaluate and re-conceptualise our ideas about what constitutes our public visual culture. To do this fairly and effectively we must think with open minds, and be prepared to let go of comfortable habits and cherished beliefs; we must engage with the world as it is and as it is becoming. Together.

This lecture is for those interested in the future of creative practice; for photographers, artists, cultural leaders, producers, organisers, strategists, critics, politicians and anyone who believes in the importance of arts, photography and creativity.

Alasdair Foster is a consultant specialising in international cultural projects and a researcher in the theory of arts policy formation. He was the founding director of Fotofeis, the international biennale of photographic art in Scotland (1991–1997) and, more recently, director of the Australian Centre for Photography (1998–2011). He has 20 years’ experience heading national arts institutions in Europe and Australia and over 35 years of working in the not-for-profit sector (both as a board member and as an employee).

For full event and booking information, visit the Redeye website. Free but booking essential.