Each year, the Photography Department Photo Research Group organise a conference, on site ant the University of Central Lancashire. Alway free and always well attended (this year’s event is already fully booked) it is marquee event on the photography/visual culture research calendar, specifically in the North.
This year is no exception. A full programme of speakers and times are at the bottom of this post. Each year we have a number of keynote speakers. From a range of visual disciplines, mixing industry knowledge, practical insights and scholarly contributions that enrich the arena we work in. Last year was David Bate and Eugenie Shinkle. The year before, eminent scholar of sociology and visual culture, Jerry Krause from CUNY was our guest. This year the calibre is equally high.
Our first keynote for Fieldwork 2018 is:

Fiona Shields, Head of Photography at the Guardian
Fiona has over twenty years’ picture editing experience across a range of newspaper titles, was picture editor of the Guardian for nine years before taking up the role of Head of Photography for the Guardian News and Media Group. Throughout her career she has been involved in the coverage of some of the most historic news stories of our time including the events surrounding 9/11 and the subsequent terror attacks in London and across Europe, conflicts around the world from Bosnia to Iraq and Afghanistan, the revolution of the Arab spring and the continuing violence in the middle east, large scale natural disasters such as the earthquakes in Haiti, tsunamis in southern Asia, famine in Sub-Saharan Africa and the humanitarian crises resulting from the growing refugee numbers across the globe. Also a good few UK general elections and political change and upheaval worldwide.
In addition she has delivered talks at photo festivals, taken part in mentoring programmes for students of photojournalism and has enjoyed judging the Sony World Photography Awards, the UK Picture Editors Guild Awards, the Renaissance Photography Prize to name a few. Last year she was on the jury of the esteemed Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize and is a regular nominator for the world famous Prix Pictet Award.
Additional programme details:
Fieldwork 2018
9.00 – Coffee and Registration
9.45 – Introduction – John van Aitken (UCLan)
10.00 – Fiona Shields
10.45 – Q&A – Fiona Shields & John van Aitken
11.00 – Break
11.30 – Hagit Keysar
12.15 – Q&A – Hagit Keysar & Dr Gary Bratchford (UCLan)
12.30 – 1.30 – Lunch
1.30 – Chris Leslie
2.15 – Q&A – Chris Leslie & John van Aitken
2.30 – Launch of North magazine – Brian J. Morrison (UCLan)
2.45 – Break
3.00 – 3.20 – Mateusz Baj
3.20 – 3.40 – Alejandra Carles-Tolra
3.40 – Q&A – Mateusz Baj, Alejandra Carles-Tolra & Daniel Tierney (UCLan)
4.00 – Closing Comments – John van Aitken
For programme details please contact event organiser, John Van Aitken – Jaitken@uclan.ac.uk