We can all freely acknowledge that photography has become the most popular art form in recent years, unprecedentedly so. We’ve also come to realize that what we call “professional photography“ has transformed into its own entity, discussed predominantly within the exclusive circles of those who consider themselves photography aficionados. Perhaps this is the main reason why so many incredibly interesting, clever, intricate elements in the world of photographic art lose their cognitive momentum to those of us who don’t have a professional educational background in photography or visual arts.

Bird in Flight believes that we can change things for the better and announce the launch of the Bird in Flight Prize ‘20. As of today, you have the unique opportunity to enter the contest — starting right now. We will be accepting applications beginning 15 July 2020 and until 30 August 2020. The winners will be announced in October. The lectures featuring prominent members of the jury will begin airing early November. 

The main prize is €2 000. Best projects will be chosen by the international jury board: curators, photographers, artists, and photo editors from the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and Sweden.

Photographers all over the world are welcomed to participate. The choice of theme and creative methods is unrestricted. To apply, an author should submit a photo series (from 5 to 12 images) and, if needed, add other media attachments. The application fee is €15; the deadline is 30 August 2020. 

Jury board:

• Curator, director of photography at Financial Times FT Weekend Magazine Emma Bowkett (the UK)
• Artist, redefining realness in the context of social identity and fashion, professor of photography at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (KABK) Ari Versluis (the Netherlands)
• Curator, interested in contemporary documentary and original storytelling, artistic director of the international photo festival Cortona On The Move Arianna Rinaldo (Spain)
• Photographer, founder of the Ukrainian Photography Alternative (UPHA) Misha Pedan (from Ukraine, based in Sweden)
• Curator, head of the Dissemination Department of the Museum of Photography in Krakow Agnieszka Olszewska (Poland)
• Photographer, Bird in Flight Prize ‘19 winner Shadman Shahid (from Bangladesh, currently based in the Netherlands)
• Writer, teacher, photographer, focusing on domestic environment Colin Pantall (the UK)

To learn more about the contest and to apply, please visit the Bird in Flight Prize website.