Work placement – Photo Meet

Assignment 3 requires me to:

‘Submit a 1,500-word account of a work placement with a professional photographer or complementary role within the industry. Briefly summarise your experience and reflect upon how the role or the business that you worked with relates to the visual arts and/or economy more broadly. You should also reflect upon the role’s position within the visual arts.’

Photo Meet is an annual event in London consisting of ‘portfolio reviews  with experts drawn from across the industry, together with talks, workshops, screenings and organised networking opportunities’ (from the Photo Meet website). It is run by photographer Mimi Mollica, who I first met when he made a presentation to a meeting of the OCA Thames Valley Group about his work. I subsequently attended a workshop in Sicily run by Mimi and Dewi Lewis.

I contacted Mimi to ask if there was a possibility of me working at Photo Meet and he kindly agreed. We discussed a number of ways in which I can be involved:

1. Assistance with publicity material and applications for funding.
2. Set-up and tear-down of the event.
3. Organisation during the event including assisting with portfolio reviews and talks.

The event will take place on the 4th and 5th June, with the set-up on the 3rd, so I will plan to spend those days in London. Another plus is that as payment-in-kind I will receive free portfolio reviews.

I think this will be a very valuable experience as I will not only be able to work with a professional photographer on his business (Mimi Mollica) but I will also be exposed to a number of other professionals at work during the event.