ABOUT

THE ‘CALL TO ACTION’ THEME TRANSLATES AS A DIRECTIVE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, ACROSS PROFESSIONAL OR AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE NO PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE, TO BE ACTIVE WITH PHOTOGRAPHY. THE MESSAGE IS TO PICK UP A CAMERA, TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS, EXPLORE THE ART FORM AND ‘HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY’ THROUGH THE
PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE.

For experienced and professional photographers the ‘call to action theme’ extends also in asking people to be active in examining their photography practice and its impact in the current social, economic, political and environmental climate. The message is to ‘stop, think, examine and debate’ where the industry is, where the current trends in the photographic industry are moving and to ask questions as to whether photography can take an effective role in addressing social issues for the international community.

COINCIDING WITH LIVERPOOL’S ‘CITY OF RADICALS’ THEME AND OTHER 2011 LANDMARKS SUCH AS THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE START OF THE WAR ON TERROR, 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOXTETH RIOTS, 70 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIVERPOOL BLITZ AND 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE GENERAL TRANSPORT STRIKES IN LIVERPOOL, THE FESTIVAL WILL JOIN THE CITY IN A YEAR OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL DEBATE, CELEBRATION AND REMEMBRANCE.

The festival will look to pose questions to audiences through the profile of current or retrospective international, community and personal perspectives on social justice strands. Some examples of strands under the wider social justice theme include; the natural and urban environment, human rights, equalities, war, education and employment, community, law, media and the economy.