Upcoming Studio Labs

Brighton:

A City of Edges

A Documentary Photography

Studio Lab

A four-month hybrid studio lab exploring place, belonging & the personal narrative.

This is an intensive studio lab with limited places.
Fees are shared upon enquiry, with payment plans available.

At a Glance

A brief overview of the structure, timing & format of the Studio Lab.

Duration
4 months

Dates
March-June 2026

In-person
4 weekend intensives at POST Creatives, Brighton

Format
Hybrid (online + in-person)

Cohort size
10–15 participants

Application Deadline
Applications close February 15, 2026

Start the Conversation

Brighton has a way of holding its edges. The constant pull between land and sea, calm and storm, the familiar and the unruly. It’s a place that shape-shifts with the light, a city that invites you to stand inside your own questions. This restless, generous energy is at the heart of the next edition of It’s Personal.

Brighton as a Point of Departure

This Lab uses Brighton not only as a place to photograph, but as a creative metaphor: an entry point for understanding your own community, your relationship to place and the stories that live beneath the surface. Participants may work in Brighton or from their own environment. Think of Brighton as a point of departure: a place to start rather than a boundary.

Who the Lab Is For

  • For photographers and image-makers interested in documentary work rooted in authenticity, personal narrative and lived experience.

  • For those curious about how environments, relationships and communities shape identity, and how place can be both subject and metaphor.

  • For practitioners who want to experiment visually and conceptually while remaining anchored in real stories and ethical engagement.

  • For artists looking to develop a body of work over time, rather than producing isolated images, with space to reflect, revise and deepen the work.

  • For participants who value constructive, empathetic critique within a supportive and engaged creative community.

What the Lab Offers

  • A thoughtfully paced four-month programme combining live online sessions with four immersive in-person weekends in Brighton.

  • A structured yet flexible framework exploring place, belonging and emotional storytelling through documentary photography.

  • Regular group discussions alongside focused individual feedback, supporting both collective learning and personal development.

  • Talks and workshops with invited Brighton-based artists and creatives.

  • Hands-on sessions at POST, using the studio and darkroom as spaces for experimentation, reflection and making.

  • Each participant produces a resolved photographic story (10–20 images accompanied by text). The work will be presented in a final group exhibition at POST Creatives, shared with an invited audience, and brought together in a digital publication documenting the projects developed during the Lab.

If you have questions, you’ll find many of them answered here. And if not, you’re always welcome to get in touch.

Start the Conversation

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. You’re welcome to reach out with questions or to begin an application.

  • No. The Lab is fully hybrid. Participants may work in Brighton or from their own environment. Remote participants are fully integrated throughout the programme.

  • The in-person weekends are immersive and form the heartbeat of the Lab. Days are spent working together in the studio and darkroom, taking part in group critiques, one-to-one mentoring, and interactive 90 minute sessions led by guest artists from Brighton’s photography and creative community, who share their practice, process and ways of working.

    Evenings are more informal and social, with optional group activities designed to help participants connect with one another and experience the city itself. These moments might include shared meals, cultural outings or time spent together in Brighton’s distinctive spaces, offering a chance to unwind, continue conversations and absorb the city’s unique character and energy beyond the studio.

    Together, the weekends balance focused creative work with time for connection, reflection and shared experience: an essential part of how the Lab unfolds.

  • The Lab is open to photographers and image-makers at all stages. What matters most is curiosity, commitment and a willingness to engage deeply with your work.

  • No. You may apply with a project in progress or with a strong interest you’d like to develop. The Lab supports both new and evolving work.

  • The cohort is intentionally small (10–15 participants) to ensure thoughtful discussion, meaningful feedback and a supportive group dynamic.

  • Yes. Each participant produces a photographic story (10–20 images accompanied by text). The work will be presented in a final group exhibition at POST Creatives, with an invited audience, marking the public culmination of the Lab.

    Alongside the exhibition, participants’ work will also be brought together in a digital publication that documents the projects developed during the programme. This publication becomes part of the It’s Personal archive, a shared record of process, ideas and outcomes.

  • Fees are shared upon enquiry. Payment plans are available. If cost is a barrier, you’re welcome to note this in your application and we will do our best to work with you.

  • Applications are reviewed carefully to ensure a committed, engaged and diverse cohort. Selection is based on interest, intention and potential rather than experience alone.