Photography conference promises to put spotlight on experiences and expressions of women photographers to be held in Newtown

By CityLife Arts writer

What is billed as a groundbreaking conference spotlighting the experiences of Black women in photography has been organized by The Market Photo Workshop and Muholi Art Institute, and will take place at Market Square, Newtown, Johannesburg from 21 – 23 August 2025.

“Black women in photography continue to shape the visual landscape with power and artistry, often with limited institutional safeguards to guarantee the emotional, physical, and material safety of their bodies and equipment. This makes the field both a space of expression and a site of risk for them. It’s for this reason and more that The Market Photo Workshop and Muholi Art Institute are proud to host the inaugural Black Women in Photography (BWP) Conference.

To be held from 21 – 23 August 2025 at The Market Square, Newtown, this one-of-a-kind gathering will spotlight issues faced by women photographers, such as security, authorship, and mentorship,” statement released by the organisers reads.

Head of The Market Photo Workshop, Bandile Gumbi, describes the BWP Conference as a necessary space to rethink current practices and reimagine the future of the industry.

“The current landscape of photography, particularly in South Africa, demands an urgent reimagining of how we create, collaborate, and care. This conference is based on a grounding in care, collaboration, a knowledge of self. We are speaking about a practice of photography where mentorship is ethical, collaboration is mutual, and our bodies, work, and archives are protected with intention. The photograph may carry one name, but the journey is always plural. Collaboration, then, is not a strategy, it’s a remembering. A return to how we’ve always made sense of the world, together,” states Gumbi.

Gumbi highlights the Conference’s strong focus on the need for mentorship in the space, calling for a mutually respectful approach that shifts mentorship to a place of care and integrity. “Our work is not just a practice; it is a form of cultural resistance and legacy-building. We must be able to protect, preserve, and control the narratives we produce. This is not merely about images, it’s about integrity, care, and building sustainable creative futures. Through ethical collaboration, safe practice, and intentional mentorship, we aim to shape a photography culture where Black women are seen, safe, and have ownership of self in both presence and memory.”

The Black Women in Photography Conference will discuss the following topics:

• Collaboration in Practice: Rooted in the spirit of izandla ziyagezana, we believe in building through reciprocity, where one’s success uplifts another’s potential.
• Mentorship Without Exploitation: A commitment to creating honest, clear, and accessible relationships between creatives without gatekeeping or silencing.
• Safety & Security: Advocacy for the protection of female photographers – physically, emotionally, and professionally – including equipment safety, field security and mental wellness support.
• Creative Practice in Trauma: Recognition of the emotional toll of creating while enduring personal or social trauma, and the need for care structures that honour this reality.
• Archiving & Ownership: A deliberate focus on protecting, storing, and conserving our own visual histories — naming our work, tracing our lineages, and owning our narratives.

Participation at BWP Conference is free, with limited seating. To RSVP, contact Rivoningo Rikhotso on rivoningor@marketphotoworkshop.co.za.