Hear from the 2025/26 Cohort
Lizzie Urquhart
‘The Photo School has been such a valuable experience. It has given me confidence in my artistic practice and pushed me to explore new avenues within my work. I feel much more confident speaking about my practice and sharing my projects.
Each session has been dense, packed with theory and thought-provoking content, expanding both my knowledge of photography and my understanding of what it means to sustain an artistic practice in everyday life.
It has been incredibly useful to have a space to talk about my work after an extended period of independent working post-art school. Each tutorial has been insightful and specific to me and my projects. I have felt very supported on the course both by Gideon and the my fellow cohort.
Each guest has provided a different space for learning and sharing thoughts on photography. It has been inspiring to learn about the ways artists sustain their practices in tandem with their personal lives.
Before joining, I was apprehensive about an online course, but I was genuinely surprised by how warm and supportive the community became. Connecting with photographers from different backgrounds and supporting each other’s practices has been a really valuable part of the experience.’
Louise Grundy
‘After being out of university for a year, I felt I was losing momentum with my practice and didn’t know how to get the ball rolling again or sustain it. The programme has helped me develop ways of working that fit around my life and has encouraged me to be more open-minded about what my practice is and what it could look like.
The guest sessions have been a great way to hear artists speak about their work, while also offering insight into the different approaches they take to making. Engaging with these varied perspectives has helped me better understand what works, and doesn’t, within my own practice.
The 1:1 tutorials are always beneficial; they are open and honest conversations, and Gideon takes real care in understanding everyone’s practice in order to give useful feedback. I also find the group crits inspiring, whether discussing my own work or a peer’s, and they motivate me to act on feedback.
I find the structure great; one day a week is super manageable and allows for balance in life, while it is regular enough to keep momentum and motivation. I have also found the six-week independent practice period really useful in seeing how I can implement new approaches without the structure of the Tuesday sessions.’
Katya Houtheusen
‘Since the programme started, I have begun to understand that your practice is constantly evolving, just like we are as people. It is not a linear path. Figuring out how to keep going is the most important part of being an artist, and integrating small tasks and routines makes our practice more manageable.
After graduating from my BA, everything felt quite uncertain. I didn’t feel equipped to keep going with my practice once the tools and community I had been surrounded by came to an end. I wanted a space where I could have some of those resources back, while learning how to integrate my practice into my daily life.
The 1:1 tutorials were the most valuable part of the course. Having specific feedback and discussions related to my work maintained the momentum of my projects and held me accountable. I also really enjoyed the recommendations for references I was given.
Since starting the programme, my practice has become more personal. I really took away the idea of integrating our everyday lives into a practice, and as a result, my work became more reflective of personal experiences. I have found this very impactful on my understanding of myself as an artist.
I really enjoyed the wide range of practitioners we were introduced to. I engaged with artists whose work I may not have sought out before, and hearing about their different approaches reiterated that there is no linear pathway. I also found the duration and pacing of the course worked well, with the three terms exploring different focuses while building on each other.’
Ela Skorska
‘After finishing my studies and spending a year expanding my practice, I was looking for something that would continue my education and growth. The programme has definitely helped develop my practice, pushing me into areas outside my comfort zone through tasks and prompts that made me do things I wouldn’t otherwise have done. It has expanded the way I think and look, while giving me a rhythm that I want to continue beyond the course.
The 1:1 tutorials have been essential. The routine check-ins motivate me to make work so I have something to show and discuss, while the expertise and input have been invaluable in developing my practice and projects. For me, alongside the lectures, they’ve been the most important element of the course.
We were introduced to a wide range of photographic practitioners, each bringing different insights and experiences. From insight into the art world to making books and zines, collaborating and building a sustainable practice, the talks provided knowledge that is so important for emerging artists. Having access to that variety of perspectives is incredibly important when trying to find your way as an artist.
I also really enjoyed the day tasks and homework, which prompted us to create, shift perspectives and push our boundaries. They helped get the creative ball rolling and develop my imagination.’
Moray McKie
‘Throughout the programme, my practice has developed through a deeper understanding of what it means to work as a lens-based artist. It has helped me develop a deeper appreciation of different photographic genres, which has shifted my approach to a more exploratory and conceptual engagement with image-making. This has, in turn, reshaped how I think about image-making, and also how I understand and position my own work.
The 1:1 tutorials and ongoing mentorship have encouraged me to articulate my practice more openly and truthfully. Through conversations, I’ve become more aware of where I need to grow. At times that’s been challenging, but it’s also been grounding – giving me direction and a supportive structure to develop my work with greater confidence.
The quality of the guest practitioners has been consistently high. Their sessions have been engaging, and their advice has balanced inspiration with practical insights that I can directly apply to my own work. They’ve also introduced me to a wide range of artists I might not have come across otherwise, which has had a real impact on how I think about my work.
The course has challenged me at times, as it should, but always in way that feels purposeful and inspiring. It’s changed how I see myself as a photographer, and helped me better understand where I want to take my practice.’
Holly Staniforth
‘The programme gave me the opportunity to find ways to implement my creative practice into my daily life, while filling in some of the gaps I felt were missing from my formal university education due to Covid and strikes.
Before starting the programme, my practice felt in limbo. I had become overwhelmed by the time and labour involved in my work. The programme helped me recognise that things I had thought of as meaningless fragments and scraps were actually small elements of my creative practice. It gave me permission to let my work exist in different ways, without feeling that I had abandoned my original approach.
The 1:1 tutorials were the most important part of the programme. Having a place and a person to show my work to was a big step for me, as I had rarely shared my work during my BA or MA. The feedback and conversations helped me become more confident in presenting my work and reaching out to people whose opinions I value and trust.
The guest practitioners also expanded my ideas of what a creative practice can look like. Seeing how different artists think, make and approach their work gave me new perspectives that I could adapt to my own.
I would recommend the programme to anyone looking to bring their practice into their everyday life, rather than seeing it as something that only exists within education or as a hobby. Having a space to discuss your work with others in similar positions and recognise the value in the different elements of your practice is really important.’
Georgia Coleman
‘The Photo School has definitely given me more confidence. I have more focus on what I’m interested in, what I want to do, and how I want to achieve it. The exercises were enormously helpful, reintroducing me to short creative boosts that can lead to something bigger, rather than feeling like I needed to come up with some huge, overarching project.
Having a group to show and discuss work with has helped me think more critically and feel less alone in creating art. My practice feels more resilient, and I can see a clearer path to further professional development. I started the course feeling blocked, and now I feel clear-minded and excited about making work.
The 1:1 tutorials have been a particularly important part of the programme for me. Discussing my work, relating it to other artists, and exploring different ideas has helped me develop my practice. It’s hard to find that kind of support outside education, and the accountability of having work to discuss has been really helpful.
The guest practitioners have helped me realise that everyone has a different way of working; there’s no one right way. The sessions have refreshed lessons from my own time at art school, and I’ve really benefited from their expertise and different perspectives.
The course has created a community of people in similar positions, where I could test out my work and thoughts in a supportive environment. It’s been especially valuable to focus on sustaining a practice, which is really hard in the beginning.’
Luke Cooper
‘The programme has really expanded my approach to photography. I’ve started thinking more about projects rather than just taking photographs, and I’ve become more interested in asking questions and letting the photos do the talking, rather than dictating the narrative.
The 1:1 tutorials have been really productive. Gideon has helped me describe my work more clearly, introduced me to photographers I should look into, and helped me become more decisive about which photographs work well together. I’ve learned that quality is more important than quantity, and that I don’t need to overload the viewer.
The guest practitioners have also had a big impact on my thinking. Seeing how they approach their practices has helped me realise that photography can be just one part of a wider creative process. I’ve taken away the idea that even research can be a form of making work, as well as being inspired by different approaches to presenting work in a more DIY way.
The weekly feedback from the group has been really beneficial. It’s helped me see what works and what doesn’t, while also reminding me not to compare my progress to other people’s. We’re all at different points, and you have to go at your own pace.
Having a designated day each week, alongside work and other commitments, helped me develop a routine and keep showing up for my practice. I’d recommend the programme to anyone struggling to sustain their practice, particularly for the opportunity to learn from different practitioners and develop alongside other emerging photographers.’
Tetiana Titkova
‘When you work on your own for a long time, it can feel a bit like being in a vacuum. I wanted to develop in photography, meet new people, and have constructive feedback and support, so I had no doubts about applying for the Sustaining Practice Programme.
At times, somewhere in the middle of the programme, I felt stuck and found it hard to move forward. Looking back now, I understand that this was also part of my development — my own path, with doubts, but also with a huge amount of support and motivation from Gideon and the group.
The most important thing I got from the programme was motivation. After each session, I wanted to take my camera and go out to photograph, or pick up books and research my project.
The 1:1 tutorials were especially valuable for me. You have a chance to talk through the details of your project and ask a hundred questions. It was very important to get honest feedback and advice, which often gave me the push to keep moving forward.
The guest practitioners expanded not only my knowledge but also my circle of contacts, which is very important in a programme like this. In a relaxed setting, they shared useful advice, little tips, and insights into what helps them stay active in their artistic practice.
I would definitely recommend it to other early-career artists. There is support, useful feedback, new connections, and motivation to keep working.
And I just want to say a huge thank you for all the support and knowledge I received here. Gideon is a wonderful tutor, organiser, and generator of ideas. Thank you!’