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Wedgwood 250 will mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Tom Wedgwood on 14 May 1771. It is arranged jointly by the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) and the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry (SHAC), The youngest son of the prominent potter Josiah Wedgwood, Tom was very well known in the intellectual and scientific circles of his day and today is chiefly remembered for developing what was later identified as a very early form of chemical photography, including the use of the camera obscura. Speakers at this meeting will discuss his life, work, friendships and legacy. 

A programme will be issued early in 2021. It is intended that this will be a one day meeting held at RPS House, Bristol on 15 May 2021. Should it appear by mid-April that Covid restrictions will not have eased sufficiently to permit a face-to-face meeting, then it will be held virtually over two half days on 14 and 15 May. In any case provision will be made for live streaming over the internet. 

Further details will be available from Dr Michael Pritchard (michael@rps.org) or Professor Frank James (frank.james@ucl.ac.uk).  

A paid studentship funded by the UK’s Arts & Humanities Research Council, supported by the South West & Wales Doctoral Partnership and co-supervised by the universities of Cardiff and Bristol is available. Titled Traces of Empire in the Built Environment: Exploring the Collective Memory of Colonialism through the Photographic Collections of the Historic England Archive, applications close on 25 January 2021. 

The project will use historic photographs to tease out the multiple ways in which the English built environment has been formed and reformed through its links to empire. This will include an examination of a wide range of areas, including the construction of monuments and statuary, the creation of buildings and spaces, and the work of the tens of thousands of people who travelled from the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia and found work as architects and builders in England’s cities. The photography collections of the Historic England Archive provide a unique and currently underexplored resource for exploring these themes. The Archive’s collection of 9 million images is one of the largest photography collections in the country, and provides a crucial window into the shaping of the built environment

Further details about the studentship can be found here: https://www.sww-ahdtp.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/CDA-1-Photographic-Traces.Further-Details.pdf

Details of the application process are provided here: https://www.sww-ahdtp.ac.uk/prospective-students/apply/collaborative-doctoral-award-projects-2021/

The deadline for applications is Monday 25th January 2021.

The Wolfson Foundation's New Collecting Awards give curators 100 per cent funding to research and buy works that grow their museums’ collections in new directions or deepen existing ones – such as commissioning new photographic portraits of people underrepresented in Scotland’s national collection and the acquisition of works by indigenous artists. Each winning curator receives a budget for acquisitions alongside funding for research, travel, and training, plus the support of a mentor and Art Fund staff and trustees. The programme invests in curatorial talent and allows museums to bring works of art and objects into public view.

Two of the 2020 winners will support new photography projects:

Louise Pearson, Curator (Photography), National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh
Louise Pearson will use Scotland’s census data to identify groups which are underrepresented in the national photography collection and address these gaps by acquiring and commissioning photographs that reflect the true breadth of Scotland’s population. These groups are likely to include single parent families, people of a mixed ethnic background, individuals from the Pakistani and Polish communities and residents of the Scottish islands.

Catherine Troiano, Curator, National Photography Collections, National Trust, Lacock
Catherine Troiano will develop a collection of photography since the 1970s, that represents diverse experiences of British heritage and speaks to local, regional and national histories. The project seeks to expand the Trust’s existing national collections of photography, which are richest in material from the 1840s to the mid-twentieth century. Collecting will focus on emerging and established photographers working in Britain, whose work engages with varied perspectives of identity, land and history.

Paul Ramsbottom, Wolfson Foundation chief executive said, “We are delighted to continue our long partnership with Art Fund. The finances of museums and galleries are under pressure, and so it is more important than ever to invest in curators. The items to be collected will be important acquisitions for the already remarkable collections at these five wonderful institutions.”

Jenny Waldman, Art Fund director said: “Supporting curators and their development is core to Art Fund’s charitable programme. Many museums’ collections are currently behind closed doors, but curators are still caring for, researching, and expanding them for the benefit of audiences. During a year in which we all are reflecting more deeply on critical issues including equality and diversity, we are delighted to support projects broadening representation when building collections.”

The New Collecting Awards programme is run by Art Fund and supported by a consortium of funders, including the Wolfson Foundation. For more information, please visit: https://www.artfund.org/supporting-museums/programmes/new-collecting-awards.

The charity is also fundraising to support museums through the urgent crowdfunding appeal Together for Museums aiming to raise £1m to help museums adapt to Covid-19 and evolve in the future.