Peckham 24 started 10 years ago on the fringe of Photo London, created by artist and curator duo Jo Dennis and Vivienne Gamble, with the aim of shining a spotlight on new talent in contemporary photography. The first edition, a 24 hour pop-up which gave the festival its name, brought together emerging artists and emerging galleries within the orbit of the South London artistic scene. In the space of 10 years the festival has become established as a vital platform for new talent, as well as a space that offers artists the freedom to experiment with boundary-pushing work. Since launch, Peckham 24 has supported the careers of over 200 photographic artists and is proud to have given many their first opportunity to exhibit to large international audiences in London. The legendary Late Friday opening night, which is free and open to all, now brings over 2,000 visitors to Copeland Park.
“The 10th anniversary provides a special moment to look back and reflect on what’s made Peckham 24 survive and grow. In the beginning we set out to shine a spotlight on our artistic community and without them we would not continue to exist. It is thanks to the hundreds of artists, curators, producers and collaborators who have worked with us that we have become the festival we are today. Over the course of our first decade we’ve learnt how a photography festival has the unique power to galvanise a creative community. The festival has become a collective mode of artistic expression as well as an essential space to come together, meet peers and exchange ideas. We hope Peckham 24 will continue to bring the photography community together for many more years to come”.
Vivienne Gamble, Co-Founder, Peckham 24.
Taking the anniversary moment as a starting point, the 10th edition of Peckham 24 – The Eras Edition – will explore photography through the lens of time. Time is intangible, but its traces are omnipresent; it is an illusion, yet it governs our lives; it facilitates growth, while inducing decay. The projects exhibited at this year’s festival will explore these multifaceted aspects of time; they address the issues of our time, interrogate ecological transformation and its long-term implications, capture varying life stages and nostalgic memories, and explore the lingering of the past in the present.
Artists will include:
- Alexander Mourant
- Chad Alexander
- Cian Oba-Smith
- Emily Graham
- Eugenie Shinkle
- Hashim Nasr
- Jack Moyse
- Julie F Hill
- Kristina Yenza
- MacDonald Strand
- Maen Hammad
- Mark Duffy
- Max Ferguson
- Vinca Petersen
The 10th anniversary edition will pay tribute to the founding mission of Peckham 24 by launching a dedicated new programme to support new talent in contemporary photography. The P24 Photo X Hahnemühle Spotlight Series will launch at this year’s festival, offering artists the opportunity to exhibit a new body of work for the first time. Supported by Hahnemühle, the programme will connect a new generation of up and coming artists with the experience of producing their exhibition on Hahnemühle premium paper. A nationwide Open Call for future Spotlight Series artist opportunities will be launched during the festival in May.
A Bigger Book Fair (ABBF) will return to Peckham 24 for a third year hosting over 90 tables of photobook publishers, artist self-publishers and independent magazines at Unit 8 within the heart of the festival site in Copeland Park. Confirmed publishers include 1000 Words, Chris Shaw, Dobedo, Guest Editions, HAPAX, Jane & Jeremy, The Eriskay Collection, The Photocopy Club, Tummy Ache and WANAWAL (West African & North African Women’s Art Library).
The Messy Truth Live at Peckham 24, Saturday 16th May. Gem Fletcher, writer and the host of The Messy Truth podcast, will invite a series of guests to engage in candid conversations that unpack the changing nature of photography and propose ideas about what comes next. Gem Fletcher’s guests will include Charlotte Cotton, Vinca Petersen, Cian Oba-Smith, Max Ferguson, Amelia Abraham and Bernice Mulenga.
THE FULL PUBLIC PROGRAMME OF TALKS & EVENTS FOR PECKHAM 24 2026 WILL BE PUBLISHED AT THE END OF APRIL.
