Siobhán Leslie writes about grant funding available for practitioners of socially engaged photography projects with young people, or projects using analogue photography.
The Richard and Siobhan Coward Foundation was established to honour the life and work of photographer and artist Richard Coward. The Foundation offers grants of up to £1,000 to:
- promote the use of analogue photography
- support the provision of Community Photography to improve the health and well-being of children and young people under 25.
Since 2018, the Foundation has issued grants to individuals and small organisations supporting a wide range of photographic projects.
We encourage applications for analogue photography projects that will explore, expand and experiment. We are attracted to projects that push boundaries and increase awareness of analogue photography while also pursuing excellence in its application.
We also welcome applications for projects which support the provision of Community Photography to improve the health and well-being of children and young people under 25.
Applications for the next funding round of the grant for 2025 opens on the 18th of January 2025, and closes on the 2nd of April 2025.
“It was excellent that a Young Person brought his teacher and talked her through the photograms, film photography, cyanotype and drawing with light processes.”
This quote from Kit Martin on the outcome of her project supporting young people affected by substance abuse, illustrates the reason why, when setting up The Richard and Siobhán Coward Foundation, (www.cowardphotography.org), I was determined to ensure that part of the grant giving processes would be to give grants for projects that support the health and well-being of children and young adults.
A few more extracts from project reports the Foundation has received over the years:
Chris Smith of the Caravan Darkroom wrote:
“As part of the Enthusing Young Minds project, I was awarded a grant to be able to create a series of photographic workshops designed specifically for young people.
By taking a mobile darkroom to economically deprived areas, I was able to offer young people an opportunity to engage with photography and storytelling in an affordable and supported environment. The mobile darkroom served as a catalyst for personal development and artistic expression but also helped with the acquisition of invaluable skills, paving the way for a brighter future for young people in economically deprived areas.”
Kit Martin wrote:
“The idea came out of a discussion with Kirsty Wright, an Outreach Project Worker with Clued up, a charity that supports 12–25-year-olds in Fife, affected by substance abuse.
I brought materials to make chemigrams and some friends and parents tried these. It was excellent to see one of the group, who has real problems in school and often walks out and causes trouble, showing her mum how to do this.
The participants framed their work excellently and displayed it with pride.
They were asking for more! One lad says he wants to study Photography after school and another is showing an interest in going to Art School.”
Art Refuge UK wrote:
“The grant was sought for Art Refuge to deliver a series of five day-long therapeutic photography workshops, using an Afghan Box Camera, to young refugees in Calais, northern France and Bristol. The simple hand-made wooden camera, called in Dari the ‘kamra-e-faoree’ – instant camera, and in Pashtu ‘da lastunri kamra’ – sleeve camera, is both a camera and portable darkroom.. Use of the camera became prohibited with the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and so use of the camera was pushed ‘underground’ but is now quietly acknowledged as a political creative act.
A one-day Bristol workshop was delivered by Iranian artist/photographer Farhad Berahman, with Anna Kälin from Art Refuge, on a warm summer’s day using the photographic process and product of the Afghan Box Camera. The gently paced workshop was joined by a small group of young people from countries including Afghanistan, Somalia, Albania and Vietnam, some of whom planned their attendance with foster carers, and curiosity led others to participate on the day.”
Sean Patrick Campbell wrote:
“The grant was sought to develop an ambitious, complex project titled Chapel Perilous. The research and development of this project began while I was on residency at Hospitalfield House in Arbroath, however my time was limited there so the grant was to further develop and move towards a resolution.
With the grant I was able to spend nearly two weeks in the darkroom at Stills across a 4 month period (August to November 2022) as well as time in the studio and in the field making new images. I made several new images, which resulted overall in 40+ “final” prints, pushing the Chapel Perilous project further.”
To apply for funding from the Richard and Siobhan Coward Foundation, please visit www.cowardphotography.org
