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Autograph is a charity that champions photography exploring race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice.
Every year, thousands of people engage with photography through our work. Someone sees an exhibition that reflects their own experience for the first time. Someone else leaves with greater empathy for experiences different from theirs. A young person discovers a creative career path. An artist finds the support to create new work. A classroom becomes a space for conversations about identity and belonging.
Together, these individual encounters help shape broader cultural change – building a more inclusive future in the arts and beyond.
Last year, we engaged audiences locally, nationally and globally through our gallery in London, digital platforms and projects with partners.
Through these encounters, we invited people to explore the creative and critical power of photography – and to recognise their own agency in making and looking at images every day.
Autograph supported artists at every stage of their careers, from early opportunities to securing lasting recognition within the history of photography.
Through residencies, commissions, exhibitions, professional development, projects, open calls and more, we nurtured a unique talent pipeline that empowers artists to develop ambitious new work and shape critical conversations.
Shizza Majeed submitted work to our Open Call, and we showed it at Old Street Roundabout. They were later profiled by the British Journal of Photography.
Last year, artists received paid commissions and curatorial support to create 18 new artworks – developing their creative practice.
Our Eileen Perrier retrospective had an estimated 1.2m press coverage views, affirming the artist's place in the discourse of contemporary photography
Sabrina Tirvengadum was supported with professional development and an artist residency in the lead-up to exhibiting in I Still Dream of Lost Vocabularies.
We offered supported employment for two disabled artists to lead our Family SEND workshops - providing paid experience in creative facilitation.
75 works by ten artists were acquired for Autograph's collection of photography - conserving it for future audiences, researchers and curators.
Dianne Minnicucci, artist and Head of Photography at Thomas Tallis School in Greenwich, London.
A ground-breaking artist residency that took place in Minnicucci's classroom, working with and alongside her sixth form students – followed by an exhibition at Autograph.
Part of our Visible Practice Residency project, adressing the urgent lack of representation in art education.
Autograph expands cultural participation – from children excluded from mainstream creative activities to teenagers deciding whether to choose a creative career.
We support young people to find – and express – themselves through photography, while becoming more visually literate about the world around them.
Our award-winning creative workshops for disabled children provided 1:1 support so the whole family could take part.
Before attending the workshops our family often felt isolated ... Since joining, we’ve built stronger bonds and have a space where everyone feels seen, supported and valued.
- Kiesha Mcinnis, Parent Read case study
Through free workshops, class visits and teacher training, we supported schools and students to develop skills and confidence around identity, representation and visual culture.
Our annual Common Ground project with University of the Arts London provided free training and portfolio development to young people who may face barriers to higher education - preparing them to apply for university and start a career in the creative industries.
After taking part, I got offered work experience elsewhere in the creative industry, from publishing to museums and architectural studios
Past participant
Photography shapes whose stories are seen, remembered and valued. Through collection loans, touring exhibitions, acquisitions and curatorial partnerships, Autograph helps bring diverse artists and overlooked histories into museums and galleries.
Together, these collaborations broaden representation in exhibitions and collections – in the UK and abroad.
The first North American survey of Rotimi Fani-Kayode's work toured to The Polygon Gallery in Canada, introducing his photography to new international audiences.
Autograph has uncovered a neglected body of work that stands the test of time
Globe and Mail review of Rotimi Fani-Kayode: Tranquility of Communion
Knowledge opens the possibility of empathy and change. Autograph's consistent, patient and painstaking research – identifying and, in some cases, rescuing key artists and archives – redresses gaps and omissions in photographic history. This critical work opens up new ways of understanding ourselves and each other.
Autograph is a charity, and your donation can help us to preserve diverse photographic history, keep our exhibitions free, reach those who are underrepresented and support the next generation of artists.
We gather feedback in different ways across Autograph’s programmes, including surveys and evaluation forms with participants, partners and audiences, alongside our own programme records. Percentages shown on this page reflect the people who responded. Feedback is gathered across different activities, and the number of people responding to each question varies.
Images, section by section, from top left: All images in circles are details of the original photograph.
Introduction: 1) Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Untitled, 1988. Courtesy Autograph, London. 2) Eileen Perrier, from the series When am I gonna stop being wise beyond my years?, 2023. Commissioned by The Face magazine. 3) Family SEND workshop at Autograph. Photograph by Jannell Adufo.
Audiences: 1-3) Exhibition installations at Autograph, 2025/2026. Photographs by Kate Elliott.
Artists: 1) Thato Toeba, The Earth Underneath a Pulverised Horse I and II, 2025. Co-commissioned by Autograph, London and the V&A Parasol Foundation Women in Photography curatorial project. © and courtesy the artist. Installation photograph by Kate Elliott. 2-3) Exhibition opening night at Autograph. Photographs by Jannell Adufo.
Children and Young People: 1) Family SEND Workshop at Autograph. Photograph by Jannell Adufo. 2 and 6) Schools workshop at Autograph. Photograph by Jannell Adufo. 3 and 5) Common Ground display at Old Street Digital Canvas, Old Street Roundabout, London, 2025. 4) Family SEND Workshop at Autograph, with thanks to the attendees.
Visual Arts Sector: 1 and 4) Rotimi Fani-Kayode: Tranquility of Communion exhibition at The Polygon Gallery, 28 Feb - 25 May 2025. Curated by Mark Sealy. Installation photograph by Dennis Ha. 2) Billboard featuring work by Mónica de Miranda. Part of Grounding curated by Mark Sealy at the Capture Photography Festival, Vancouver, Canada. 14 March - 25 May. 3) James Barnor, Eva, 1960s. Courtesy Autograph and the artist.
Public Knowledge: 1) Medium-format photography contact sheet of Rotimi Fani-Kayode, 1988. Courtesy Autograph, London. 2) Maxine Walker, Contact sheet from the series Untitled, 1995. Courtesy of the artist and Autograph, London. © Maxine Walker. 3) Sargano Alicamousa. Aboyne, Scotland 1890s. Photograph by R. Charles Reid Company. Courtesy of Autograph. Supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Support our Work: All photographs at Autograph, by Jannell Adufo.
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Autograph is a space to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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