Category: Photojournalism Nights

15th November 2023 7pm
Riverside Studios
101 Queen Caroline Street
London W6 9BN

To Join us HERE

We’re delighted to welcome Acacia Diana and Chelsea Pineda to the 37th edition of the Photojournalism Nights.

Acacia Diana is a visual artist whose work explores culture, identity, travel and the built environment. An enthusiastic advocate of exploring the world, she has worked with numerous global brands to create and curate images, as well as developed a portfolio of photographs on international humanitarian missions. She is a 2023 Canon EOS Master and was listed in 2022 by Tatler Asia as an inspiring female photographer making a social impact. Her works have been displayed in Amsterdam, London and Kuala lumpur. 
Travelling around the world to capture culture and community, Acacia will be presenting a curation of  photographs, themed ‘Colours of Community’, that focuses on the Muslim celebration of Ramadan in London and Eid in Tanzania, in between touching on a selected humanitarian work images in Syria and Turkey. 
In this theme, Acacia delves into the tapestry of Muslim life in London during the sacred month of Ramadan in 2023. She followed the Ramadan Tent Project, a community non-profit, as they orchestrated the Open Iftar event across the city’s revered landmarks. Muslims and non-Muslims from diverse backgrounds converged to break their fast together, harmoniously bridging divides. At every meal, the ethereal call to prayer, the Azan, resounded through the cityscape, leading the faithful to publicly commune in prayer. In 2022, Acacia was with a mission team to donate meat to the muslim community in Tanga, Tanzania with Impactive Malaysia, for the celebration of Eid. The vibrant festivities are an annual hallmark, as most in the community live below the poverty line and are not able to afford meat.
Insta: acaciadiana
acaciadiana.com

Chelsea Pineda is a Filipina-American artist whose work encompasses photography, writing and performance. Her practice explores the intimacies of cultural identity, familial relationships and memory. She is based between London and New York City, and graduated from London College of Communication with an MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography in 2023. Previously, she was a supervising producer at Insider (formerly Business Insider) overseeing production and post-production for the video team. With a background in journalism and art, she centers narrative and identity in her approach to photography, film and writing as it spans across fine art, editorial and commercial spaces.
In the Photojournalism Nights, Chelsea will share “Barako”, which explores themes of masculinity and paternal relationships through the exploration of her father’s experiences street fighting in the 1960s and 1970s Philippines. Growing up at a time when the “tough guy” archetype was idolized, her father was engrossed in his boxing training. Having never backed down from a fight, he utilized these skills to protect himself from other men throughout his youth, but also fought as a way to cope with his anger towards his father, who physically disciplined him at home.
“Barako” moves through various fights throughout Chelsea’s father’s youth, including his first fight at five years old over a game of marbles and a spontaneous street fight with a professional boxer in college — all the while exploring other memories significant to his boyhood. His final fight took place when he was 24 years old — a brawl with 10 men outside his father’s funeral viewing. Weeks later, her father moved to America to find work and support his family back home. He never fought again.
The importance of this project lies in its aim not to reproduce or glorify images of violence, but to evoke a viscerality that exists when coming of age in a container of hegemonic masculinity and its intergenerational effects as they were passed down from Chelsea’s grandfather to her father to herself. Through “Barako,” I examine an intimate legacy that allows me to reflect on my own relationship with masculinity, intergenerational trauma, and my father.
Insta: @chelspineda
chelseapineda.com

Photos above: ©Chelsea Pineda ©Acacia Diana

To book a place HERE

We’re delighted to welcome Aidan Brooks and Andrew Blowers to the 36th edition of the Photojournalism Nights.

Both photographers use the tool of photography as a means to connect with others in an authentic, raw and meaningful way whether through exploring encounters with strangers or documenting the street around them.

Photojournalism Nights is an event that invites photojournalists and documentary photographers to share their powerful, committed photography dedicated to social justice and human rights causes. Photojournalism Nights event is an opportunity for the public to ask questions, found out how to be involved and learn insights behind the powerful photos stories that are helping advance social justice and human rights around the world. After the presentations, the audience and the guest photographers can continue conversations and socialising in Riverside Studios bar and coffee lounge area.

Aidan Brooks
I am a community photographer and visual storyteller, with the goal of capturing individuals in an authentic and meaningful way. I use my camera to initiate conversations and discover how people feel in the moment. My passion for photography began during my childhood as a shy boy growing up in Wirral, Merseyside. Instead of asking direct questions, I found comfort behind the camera, which gave me confidence and security when interacting with people. This experience has taught me to challenge my judgments, approach things with courage and curiosity, and be a good listener. I believe in the power of being present for people and providing a safe and empathetic environment where they can express themselves freely. Aidan will be presenting selected images/stories to talk about why “talking to strangers is important for us all.”
www.aidanbrooks.co.uk
@aidan_brooks

Andrew Blowers
Having first picked up a camera after growing tired of taking phone snapshots, Andrew spent £50 on a film SLR in 2017, and was hooked. Alongside photography, Andrew is also an accomplished semi-professional bass player and during the COVID pandemic and lockdown of 2020 he found himself without a creative outlet and his enjoyment of street photography turned into documenting the world around him. 
Exclusively shooting black and white, he greatly favours the use the old ways of film and the darkroom, only utilising digital when needs must. His style is honest and open, empathetic and devoid of visual trickery. 
He is a member of documentary collective New Exit Group @newexitgroup where copies of collaborative debut zine Bardo are available. The project based on blues in Soho is being sequenced and designed, available soon. Darkroom prints from projects are available on request.
@andyblowers
@newexitgroup

To book a place HERE

Join us for an exciting night of PHOTOJOURNALISM! Our online event starts on Wed Jun 21 2023 at 7:00 PM BST. To book: HERE

This event will showcase the works of talented photojournalists Vudi Xhymshiti and Sascha Klamp. Get ready to be inspired by their captivating images and stories. Vudi a renowned photojournalist will share stories from war torn Ukraine where he has been reporting from over 7 months and Sascha who is a multi awarded filmmaker will be speaking about his latest work in Armenia.

During the event, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with the photographers and learn about their experiences in the field. You’ll also get a chance to ask questions and share your own thoughts on the power of photojournalism.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with two great photojournalists, documentary photographers and filmmakers with and connect with a peer community. Register now and get ready for a night that will inspire.

Vudi Xhymshiti is a photographer and journalist based in London, who has covered major world events since 2007, with his work appearing in prestigious news outlets such as The New York Times, TIME Magazine, The New Yorker, The Guardian, The Times and the Sunday Times of London, CNN, BBC, DW etc. His assignments have taken him to the frontlines of the Arab Spring, the Syrian and Libyan Civil Wars, and the aftermath of the Armenian-Azerbaijani armed conflict in Nagorno Karabakh. Throughout 2022, he reported on the Russian military aggression in Ukraine and travelled to Moldova to observe and report on the impact of Russian territorial expansionist foreign policy on neighbouring countries. He also spent four months familiarising himself with rising tensions in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, following Serbia’s alignment of its Foreign Policy with the Russian Federation. Xhymshiti is not only a talented journalist, but also the founder of VX Pictures and an educator in the visual journalism industry. Don’t miss out on his insights and coverage – visit his website https://vudixhymshiti.uk/ to learn more about him, read his blog https://vudixhymshiti.uk/blog/, and view his latest work on https://vximages.com/.

Sascha Klamp is a British/German multi-award winning Documentary Filmmaker, Photo-documentary Journalist and Producer based in London, UK. He spent the majority of his career as an investor and entrepreneur which enabled him to travel across frontier and emerging markets. His photography practice centres on highlighting social impact and social justice affairs which is deeply rooted in his curiosity to learn more of the world around him. He tells frontline human and community stories based on empathy for the situation and the people involved. His thinking is informed by his interest in ethnology and anthropology. Sascha exhibited a small selection of his The Art of Seeing, The Art of Remembering project in London in November 2022. His work was highly commended by the TPF Social Documentary Awards (Professional Category, Series) for his The Art of Seeing, The Art of Remembering work. Sascha completed his MA Photojournalism & Documentary Photography studies at the University of the Arts (Distinction), London. He also holds an MBA (Bayes Business School, London) and a Masters in Law, LLM (King’s College, London), and a BSc International Securities, Investment & Banking from Henley Business School (ICMA Centre). He is married with three daughters. Filmography: “The Art of Seeing, The Art of Remembering” (2022), “The Blockade” (2023)

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