Quad’s Format photo contest to look at ‘conflicted’ world
FORMAT International Photography Festival has announced that the theme for the 2025 festival and open call is “Conflicted”.
Format is organised by and is a partnership between Quad and the University of Derby.
The theme “Conflicted” takes inspiration from past and recent historical events.
Throughout history societies, civilisations and cultures have been subject to division and catastrophic change amidst periods of stability and peace. Recent times have borne witness to what would seem to be one monumental change and challenge after the other; a seemingly endless slew of emergencies including the Covid pandemic, a cost-ofliving crisis, catastrophic wars, coupled with a sense, across the globe, that political populism is becoming the norm.
Format says consensus, agreement, and simple kindness can at times seem to be at a premium. The world is a conflicted place. Yet, photography is a medium that can have an uncanny ability to speak truth to power, to succinctly and powerfully reflect the world about us, and to make us stop, think and reset.
Who better to help us through this time, to guide us and to help us understand, than the artist, the photographer; the filmmaker?
That is where the open call comes in. Format welcomes diverse and imaginative proposals from international photographers, curators, artists and collectives.
The eminent jury panel of international experts and the Format Curatorial Team will view the submissions and select up to five outstanding projects to be exhibited at Format25.
Each selected artist will also have the opportunity to receive one of the festival awards, and will receive a £1,000 fee, travel and accommodation costs, and a production budget to deliver their exhibition.
To submit to the open call, visit the website hosted by Format partners, Picter at site.picter.com/ format-25-open-call
Format has invited an advisory jury from around the world: JeanChristophe Godet (Guernsey/ France), Wang Peiquan (China), Wang Xueke Isabella (China), Clare Grafik (UK), Franek Ammer (Poland), Zoe Harrison (UK), Varun Nayar (US/India), Poulomi Basu (India/ UK), Louise FedotovClements (UK), Gemma Marmalade (UK) and Peter Bonnell (UK).
Format is organised by and is a partnership between Quad and the University of Derby, supported by Arts Council England, Derby City Council and UK and international partners.
The Format25 Open Call is supported by partners including Picter, Spectrum Photographic, Genesis Imaging, Lishui International Photography Festival and the British Journal of Photography.
Format director, Peter Bonnell said: “This open call – to seek applications for exhibition as part of the 2025 festival – is a crucial platform for Format to be able to support artists, collectives and curators – from the local, to the national and international practitioner – to realise outstanding new projects of work.
“With the support of and advice of our exemplary judging panel our aim is to select work that comments on, examines further or is inspired by the 2025 festival theme: “Conflicted”. The term ‘conflicted’ can be interpreted in multiple ways; but the fact – or facts – remain that our world is in even more of a heightened state of flux than ever before.
“Yet I am confident to know and excited to see the work and ideas that we will receive from artists across the globe as part of this open call.”