International photographers brought into sharp focus at UCEN Manchester

Photograhy students set to welcome international artists

Photography students will benefit from the expertise of internationally renowned guest speakers who are visiting UCEN Manchester over the next few weeks.

Students from the FdA Contemporary Photographic Practices and BA (Hons) Creative Media and Visual Communication,  as well as Level 3 Photography students from The Manchester College’s Northenden campus, are set to welcome international artists Seba Kurtis and Mishka Henner.

Seba, from Argentina, left the country in the wake of the political and economic crisis of 2001. His several years spent as an illegal immigrant have informed much of his work, which has been exhibited across Europe and the USA.

Belgium-born Mishka Henner is part of a generation of artists redefining the role of photography in the internet age. In 2014, Mishka was on the shortlist for the Prix Pictet for his large-scale works focusing on landscapes carved by the beef and oil industries of America.

Both artists have volunteered their time to speak to the students thanks to industry connections of course leader Andrew Moseley, who explained: “I have worked and exhibited with both these artists over a period of several years both within the UK and Italy. When I was appointed new course leader of the FdA Contemporary Photographic Practices degree, both Mishka and Seba called me to congratulate me and offered to speak with our students.”

Andrew said the aim of UCEN Manchester photography courses is to connect students to the industry so they can collaborate with acclaimed artists. And thanks to well established links to international photography festivals, such as FORMAT and the Liverpool Biennial, students have the chance to submit work and to volunteer at exhibitions, talks and events, which provides unrivalled networking opportunities.

Andrew said: “Our course is now very well connected with the photographic industry and the artists we welcome have an input to our course content. There are plans in place for students to work collaboratively with internationally acclaimed artists. And I am currently looking at producing group exhibitions that feature the work of major specialists along with our own students, further enhancing their learning experience with us.”

Other photographic artists set to visit in the New Year include Natasha Caruana, the winner of the prestigious BMW Artist in Residence Award at Musee Nicephore Niepce, France.

Find out more about the range of Creative Arts and Digital Media courses at UCEN Manchester.