Lancashire Photography Festival: Renowned international photographers showcase their work in Preston

Preston is currently hosting the UK's largest outdoor photography festival, featuring major projects by renowned international photographers.

The festival's showcases striking images, including huge screaming faces, displayed across the city. The former Tokyo Joes nightclub on Sykes Street Car Park has become the site for the work of almost 50 local photographers, with dozens of large-scale images on exhibit.

The rest of the Lancashire Photography Festival includes the works of Martin Parr, Jenny Lewis, Maryam Wahid, Ian Beesley, Dougie Wallace, Serena Dzenis, Bobby Beasley, and Sarah Maple in parks and on walls throughout Preston. The festival also offers engagement projects, such as portrait sessions inspired by Clarks shoes and a 48-hour initiative documenting the city and its people.

Thousands of school children in Lancashire will experience the festival through private exhibitions sent to their schools. Other events include workshops, talks, projections, live-streamed photo walks, pop-up sessions, and a photographic parade.

The festival is funded by Arts Council England, with support from Friends of Winckley Square CIC and Preston City Council.

Organiser Garry Cook said: “The festival, unique in its scale and outdoor focus in the UK, offers Preston an opportunity to be truly unique in arts and culture. There’s still work to do but if I can get more people on board in the next few years I think Preston can finally stand up for itself as the vibrant, thriving, risk-taking cultural hub it wants to be.

“Photography is one of the UK’s most under-rated art forms – but it has a dedicated hardcore fan base willing to travel hundreds of miles to see photography exhibitions and great images. There is already a massive network of photographers and photography fans in the city.

“Huge thanks must go to Preston’s Town’s Fund Strategic Board chair John Chesworth who met with me 18 months ago when the project was just an idea on three pieces of A4 paper. He backed me right from the start and, in co-operation with the Friends of Winckley Square, has helped make the festival possible.”

Full details about Lancashire Photography Festival can be found on the enjoyshow.co.uk website.