Photo Conversations — Impressions Gallery

Join us for a day of advice, talks and behind-the-scenes insights into Make Yourself at Home: Stories from Bradford.

Programme

10.00am to 12.00pm – Portfolio Reviews

Designed for early career photographers to share their practice and gain professional feedback. Four of our exhibiting photographers will be reviewing work, Anselm Ebulue, Laura Mate, Karol Wyszynski and Tori Ferenc. You can read more about each photographer below.

On the day you will have the opportunity to meet with two reviewers, with 20 minutes allocated for each session.

Upon booking for your portfolio reviews you will be allocated a place including two 20 minute sessions with two different reviewers. We will send you an email within 5 working days before the event to confirm the times of your sessions. If you have a preference to see a particular reviewer, please email hello@impressions-gallery.com within 48 hours of your booking. Preferences will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

We recommend bringing along one body of work and thinking in advance about any aspects that you’d like advice on. For more information about what to expect at the event and how to prepare for your sessions, download our helpful guide below.

We will ask you to send a summary and/or an artist statement along with 6 to 10 images, so we can familiarise ourselves with your work ahead of the portfolio review.

To book please email hello@impressions-gallery.com or call 01274 737 843

Your portfolio review will be £10.
If you want to attend but cannot pay £10 please email janehiley@impressions-gallery.com

1.30pm to 3.30pm – Make Yourself at Home: Artists In Conversation

Five new photography commissions offering a contemporary portrait of the district. Starting with the idea of ‘family,’ each photographer set out across the district, discovering markets alive with conversation, homes full of stories, and communities rooted in shared experience.

Gain an insight into the work and practice of Anselm Ebulue, Laura Mate, Karol Wyszynski and Tori Ferenc who were commissioned by Bradford Young Curators. Their new photographs offer a portrait of contemporary Bradford and bring the photographers diverse perspectives shaped by their own backgrounds, practices and connections to the district. Much of the work centres on migration, memory, and the rituals of everyday life.

The photographers will share their experiences of creating work for a time-limited project, collaborating with a gallery, and the challenges and opportunities this presented. This insightful open table conversation will be led by Angela Brown. Followed by a Q&A.

Free, suggested £3 donation.

Booking recommended via Eventbrite or call the gallery on 01274 737843.

4.00pm to 4.30pm – Photo Social

Round up the day with a drink and join fellow photographers to celebrate and continue the conversations. A great chance to network with like-minded others.

No booking required, drop in.

Image top: Seamus and friends, Ilkley Moor, 2025 © Anselm Ebulue

Reviewers

Anselm Ebulue

Anselm Ebulue is an early career photographer and educator based in London. Anselm is passionate about people and communities, and has recently developed a long term project photographing black communities in Peckham, South East London, where he lives. As a freelance photographer, his work has been featured in leading publications such as The Guardian and FT Weekend. His photography has also been showcased in exhibitions including Portrait of Britain 2020 and the Palm Photo Prize 2024.
Laura Mate

Laura Mate is a freelance photographer from Bradford who studied at Bradford College before embarking on an international career. She has lived and worked in China, France, Cuba, and Holland, where she has used photography to connect with local communities. Laura also teaches photography to SEN and neurodiverse young adults at the charity Outside the Box in Ilkley.
Karol Wyszynski

Karol Wyszynski is a Bradford based socially engaged photographer whose work focuses on identity, migration, and community. From working with families on the Canterbury Estate to collaborating on projects in Holme Wood, Karol is well connected to Bradford communities through his work as a photographer and broadcaster.
Tori Ferenc

Tori Ferenc is a London-based portrait and documentary photographer, born in Poland. Tori has exhibited internationally, and her work has been published in The British Journal of Photography, The Guardian, and FT Weekend, as well as international newspapers including The New York Times, Le Monde and The Washington Post. Tori’s work focuses on identity, community, and family dynamics and featured in the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize 2021.

Resources

Portfolio review advice

Make Yourself at Home: Stories from Bradford

Make Yourself at Home is a landmark exhibition for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, weaving together newly commissioned photography and rich archival material to present a vibrant portrait of life in Bradford.
Led by New Focus: Bradford Young Curators, this exhibition is the culmination of 18 months of collaboration, mentorship, research, and community engagement.

Working in close partnership with the team at Impressions, the Young Curators have been involved in every stage of the process: from selecting artists and shaping themes, to working directly with local communities and cultural organisations. Together, they have crafted an exhibition that reconciles personal experience with collective memory and celebrates identity, belonging, and what it means to call a place home.

Central to the exhibition are five new photography commissions offering a portrait of contemporary Bradford. These include three Bradford-based photographers, Laura Mate, Nathan McGill and Karol Wyszynski, and two national photographers, Anselm Ebulue and Tori Ferenc.

Image: The Harris family with neighbour, Queens Road, Bradford, c.1967, courtesy of Gem Harris