Durban July races, South Africa, 2005, from Only Human by Martin Parr

Martin Parr launches bursaries for Black, Asian and minority-ethnic photographers

The Martin Parr Foundation will give three photographers £1,000 to complete an existing project or begin a new one

For most photography fans, what lies in front of the lens is more important than who is standing behind the viewfinder. However, over the past few months, many prominent figures in a wide variety of professions have begun to question unseen biases in their chosen fields. Martin Parr founded his own foundation in 2014, not only to take care of his archive and his own collection of photographs, but also to further the development of his chosen medium, and, as the Martin Parr Foundation explained in a recent statement, “to champion British documentary photography and to support overlooked and emerging photographers.” 

 

Martin Parr's Online dating profile picture, Hey Saturday, London, England, 2016. As reproduced in Only Human by Martin Parr
Martin Parr's Online dating profile picture, Hey Saturday, London, England, 2016. As reproduced in Only Human by Martin Parr

With this in mind, the Foundation has just launched its own set of photographic bursaries to support Black, Asian and minority ethnic photographers in the UK. “Each bursary will provide £1,000 to enable a documentary photographer to complete an existing project, or begin a new project,” the statement goes on to explain. “The Foundation will offer mentoring if desired. There are three bursaries available.”

Applicants will also be asked to donate two prints to the Foundation’s collection, the cost of which will also be met. Anyone interested in taking the offer, should apply by sending 12-15 images in JPEG format and a 250 word project statement to submissions@martinparrfoundation.org by Friday 7 August. You can find out more here, and to get a better feel for Parr’s own work, take a look at our books by the photographer here.

Martin Parr: Kentucky Derby, Louisville, USA, 2015, a limited photo print, which forms part of our Only Human Collector's Edition
Martin Parr: Kentucky Derby, Louisville, USA, 2015, a limited photo print, which forms part of our Only Human Collector's Edition