Hidden Narratives Residency 2026

Hidden Narratives is a year-long residency from Photoworks (the UK photography agency), built around the Royal Geographical Society's historic photographic collection — over one million images spanning 1845 to 1945. The brief asks the resident to engage with materials relating to environment and humanitarian themes, developing work that examines hidden narratives, loss, and human impact in the archive.

The residency includes three research and presentation visits to the UK, a talk at Summit Photo 2026 (July 17–19), and an exhibition at Summit Photo 2027. The structure spans research, presentation, and exhibition development across the year.

The program is run in partnership between Photoworks, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Italian Cultural Institute in London. Eligibility is shaped by that partnership: open to Italian visual artists, photographers, or practitioners with archive research experience, aged 18+, proficient in English.

Stipend is £1,500. The 2026 jury is Danit Ariel (artist, writer, and Photoworks curator), Louise Fedotov-Clements (Photoworks Director), Maria Teresa De Palma (Cultural Attaché, Italian Cultural Institute London), Jamie Owen (Curator, Royal Geographical Society), and Rocco Venezia (artist, curator, and educator).

Application is free, submitted through Microsoft Forms with one PDF containing 5–10 images. The 2026 deadline was April 13; results announced April 27, 2026.