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The sixth workshop of Museum Dialogues seeks to explore how the accommodation of a continuously expanding photographic field—now encompassing computational, networked and AI‑generated imagery—demands not only new collecting strategies and enhanced epistemic literacy but also a fundamental rethinking of value systems and institutional frameworks. Central to these discussions are pressing questions of representational ethics, intellectual property, originality and ownership in relation to AI‑generated images. How do such images challenge existing definitions of photography? How are labour and agency reconfigured in the era of AI?   

Speakers:
Craig Ames, Visual Artist, Researcher and Senior Lecturer, University of Sunderland, UK
Dr Alex Connock, Media and AI Specialist, UK 
Dr Areti Galani, Professor of Digital Heritage Practices, Newcastle University, UK

Museum Dialogues aims to transcend the disciplinary boundaries of art history, visual culture, photography, new media, museum and curating studies and bridge theory and practice. Bringing together academic researchers and practitioners, the programme has supported the exchange of innovative solutions, inquiries, and practical challenges relating to the exhibition, collection and interpretation of photography.

This workshop is supported by the University of Sunderland.

Workshop 6: The Impact of AI in Photographic and Museum Practices 
Friday 10 July 2026, 1–4pm (British Summer Time) on Zoom.
See more and register here: https://northeastphoto.net/project/museum-dialogues/workshop-6/

This fifth Museum Dialogues workshop explores how contemporary and historical photographers’ archives are accommodated both within museums and beyond public institutions. Contributors will share collection building and accessioning practices, examining remit and objectives, public access and the practical concerns involved in the custodianship of photographic archives. The discussion will offer strategies to enhance capacity and bring resources and visibility to photographer archive projects, including through research and public engagement initiatives. We will consider approaches to addressing issues of representation and concerns around equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as barriers to artists from diverse backgrounds and identities when entering the archive.

The workshop will also reflect on what is archived and the challenges of presenting ‘authentic’ photographer histories based on partial or incomplete records, and on opportunities of offering audiences alternative narratives.

Speakers confirmed so far: Weronika Kobylińska, President, Archeology of Photography Foundation, Poland; Hyunjung Son, Curator, Photography Seoul Museum of Art (Photo SeMA), South Korea.

Acquiring and Making Accessible Photographer Archives
Online via Zom, 6 May 2026 at 1300-1600 (BST)
Attendance is free but booking is essential.
Please find Speaker Biographies and Registration HERE