European Prospects: Visual Explorations in an Undiscovered Continent is a collaborative project, which uses photography and contemporary lens-based art to examine questions of identity and experience in an enlarged European Union.
Led by Ffotogallery in Cardiff (UK), European Prospect core partners are Fotosommer Stuttgart (Germany), the Lithuanian Photographers Association in Kaunas (Lithuania), and Le Château d’Eau in Toulouse (France). The collaboration developed from existing bi-lateral partnerships with Fotosommer and the Lithuanian Photographers Association, and conversations between the directors of Ffotogallery and Le Château d’Eau.
The aim of European Prospects is to offer a new space for European artists and cultural agents to share experience and practice, and to achieve wider exposure in Europe for their work.
Ffotogallery and partners were awarded funding from the European Cultural Foundation, The European Union Culture Programme, Wales Arts International, the State Capital Stuttgart, and Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden Württemberg. The EU culture funding (starting 1st May 2013) enabled us to deliver an intensive two-year long programme of exhibitions, events, and workshops, residencies, as well as publishing four books exploring the work presented as part of the exhibitions. Each partner organisation was involved with the delivery of the programme, thus moving the focus of the project around Europe and bringing together an ever-growing network of lens-based artists, curators, and photography organisations.
A core element of the project is the European Prospects web platform (www.europeanprospects.org), which features an extensive and continuously growing portfolio of work by European lens-based artists and reports on all the events and activities engendered by European Prospects. A key function of the web platform is to gather opportunities for lens-based artists offered by organisations across Europe. These are further promoted via our social media platforms with an audience reach of over 15,000.
One of our ambitions for the project is to provide a tangible legacy beyond the funding framework. Important legacy elements are not only the web platform, social media reach, and publications, but also exhibitions planned with artists from the project over the next years.
Ulrike Smalley, Creative Producer, Ffotogallery
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