The V&A Parasol Foundation Prize for Women in Photography is an annual initiative dedicated to identifying, supporting, and championing innovative women artists working in the field of contemporary photography.

Launched in 2022, the Prize is conceived as part of the V&A’s Parasol Foundation Women in Photography curatorial program, which seeks to foreground, sustain and support women’s practice in contemporary photography and highlight the role women have played throughout the history of the medium.

The V&A Parasol Foundation Prize for Women in Photography is free to enter, open to all women internationally, both professionals and amateurs. The Prize is subject to a specific annual theme and winners are selected by an independent selection panel consisting of global industry professionals and inspiring international artists.

The Prize is produced in partnership with Peckham 24, south London’s innovative three-day photography festival. The prize has been made possible by the support of Ms. Ruth Monicka Parasol and The Parasol Foundation Trust.

The theme for the V&A Parasol Foundation Prize for Women in Photography 2024 is Histories. Visual communication has been a vital part of society since the invention of cave drawings in the prehistoric period. Though formally invented in the 19th century, the philosophy of photography – drawing with light – can be traced to neolithic periods and primitive camera obscura techniques. Photography has since developed into an essential contemporary medium, used to document our history, culture, events and societal change, and more recently, as a form of human and artistic expression. This theme invites broad submissions which evidence the relationship between history and photography; from the use of historical processes and their position within contemporary photographic practice, to the documentation of historical events or revisitations of the past. It creates space for artists interested in the notion of the archive, including photographers working with family albums, vernacular photography and historic or institutional collections. Histories invites artists to consider how photography can be used to interrogate and challenge existing history, fact and circumstance, allowing for reimagined or speculative futures.

Prizes

• Four winning artists will have their work included in a group exhibition at Peckham 24, alongside accompanying events and public programming
• International travel and two night’s accommodation expenses for exhibiting artists to attend the festival in London
• Networking event with Prize selection committee and industry experts
• Bursaries of £2,000 for each exhibiting artist
• Winning artists will be featured on the V&A and Peckham 24 social media channels and communications

How to enter

• Applications open 2 November 2023 and close 4 January 2024.
• Entry is online only via the competition platform.
• Please read the Terms and conditions before applying.
• If you have access needs, please email parasolwomenphoto@vam.ac.uk

Apply here.

vam.ac.uk