Street Photo Collective

The Project

Around ten years ago, I had the idea and desire to organize a street photography conference. Our beginnings were very modest: with just one conference and a small exhibition that lasted for four hours, we started. After seven editions, the festival now lasts almost a week. We’ve grown over time, and we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished, as well as the international reputation we’ve developed.

Our biggest challenge today is attracting renowned and interesting photographers to Luxembourg. But as we’ve shown in the past, we’ve managed to bring in big names like Sabine Weiss, Harry Gruyaert, and Matt Stuart, and I believe it will become easier as time goes on.

Financing has never been an easy task. In the beginning, we paid for everything out of our own pockets, but with our growing reputation, we are now able to secure the funds necessary to organize the festival every year.

The Execution

The 2023 edition took place at the end of May, and preparations for 2024 are already underway. From the very first edition of the festival, we’ve aimed to act as professionally as possible. It’s important to remember that we are not event managers, but each of us is fully committed on a voluntary basis. Still, our team is well-organized and manages to combine the perfect mix of energy that has allowed the festival to be what it is today.

The week leading up to the festival is always incredibly stressful since we can never be 100% sure how many people will actually participate. However, our concerns have always been in vain, as the festival already has a solid reputation.

Indeed, considering the large number of people who typically attend the festival opening on Thursday, it’s fair to say that this vernissage has become the “place to be” in the photography scene and beyond. Of course, we’re thrilled by this, and we’re always happy when we have a lot of visitors, seeing our efforts rewarded and knowing that people appreciate what we’re doing. We regularly receive positive feedback from festival-goers or featured photographers.

We’ve also noticed that having a vision is crucial, and that it’s always worth trying to implement it. It’s clear that persistence is key, especially during the first years. But success has proven us right, and the support we receive demonstrates that what we’re doing makes sense.

Objective

We want to create an unmissable festival in the field of street and documentary photography. On a national level, I’d say we’ve already achieved that, and our next goal is to expand to the Greater Region.

I’m motivated to try this because it’s incredibly inspiring to work with a team that takes it seriously and is willing to invest their energy into something that doesn’t yet exist in this form in our region.

We work with the public and for the public. We don’t want to be an elitist festival but aim to create an event where everyone can participate, whether to learn something new, show their photos, or present themselves. The festival will always remain participatory.