Fast Forward: a manifesto for increased involvement of women in photography

As an advocate for women in photography Karen Knorr Studio is proud to support the newly published manifesto written by Fast Forward for the increased involvement of women in photography and encourages you to sign and share it too. 

Fast Forward is calling for:

1. A step change for all arts organisations and institutions to commit to exhibiting, commissioning, publishing and collecting at least 50% women’s work.
2. Inclusivity leading to all arts events and activities to address a minimum of 50% of women’s interests and stories.
3. The education system to recognise and value women artists and photographers, and the role they play in society, in their curricula at every level of the system and to provide equal opportunities for female artists and photographers to take part and enrich their curricula.
4. A more significant encouragement for women to be involved in photography as practioners, as participants and as audiences as part of government policy.
5. The introduction of an arts and cultural strategy for women in all local and national planning that includes an emphasis on the value of photography.
6. An innovative and robust approach to financing with key government organisations such as the Arts Council as well as local arts councils being involved in the planning of events and activities that deliberately include women artists and photographers and female audiences.
7. For governments, local and national, to play an active enabling role in both pushing forward innovative ideas and finding ways to fund projects that involve and include women as photographers, artists, writers, curators and audiences.
8. A group of sector leaders including the Fast Forward research group to work together to affect change for women photographers and audiences in all aspects of our society.

The group includes a range of photographic professionals from the fields of education, commerce, photographic practice, charities and arts organisations who have come together to advocate, through their activities, for increased involvement of women in photography.

We are inspired by women in photography and we are passionate about asserting their place in our art history narratives.

We define women by any person of any race, creed or colour identifying as female.