Past festivals — the first edition
BarnsleyFoto2026
Made by Barnsley artists. For Barnsley.
Barnsley's first photography festival: a free exhibition and engagement programme spotlighting local and national artists, with a focus on community and visual storytelling. Highlights included the national touring Jerwood/Photoworks Award 5, open-call artists Lāsma Poiša and Paul Crawley, and the launch of FOTO Street Gallery, a new permanent outdoor exhibition space in Mandela Gardens.
Working closely with festival partners Barnsley Council, Barnsley Civic and Barnsley Markets, FOTO brought photography into galleries, markets, gardens and the library, alongside community-led DIY and grassroots displays. A free public and schools programme of zine fairs, workshops, talks and photowalks brought every generation together to learn, discover and enjoy photography.
Across the town centre
1Barnsley Civic ♿ Accessible
- Jerwood/Photoworks Award 5
- FOTO Collective
- In Frame: Barnsley Young Photographers Award
- Proper Gander: Shy Burhan
- Community Archive
2Mandela Gardens ♿ Accessible
- FOTO Street Gallery
3Eldon Street ♿ Accessible
- Final Eyesight: Paul Crawley
4Barnsley Markets ♿ Accessible
- Returnings: Lāsma Poiša
- Interbeing: Leeds Arts University students
5Barnsley Library ♿ Accessible
- Emily Ryalls & Kelly Rankin workshop
On show
Engagement calendar
Workshops, talks and walks alongside the exhibitions, for all ages and experience levels.
JPA Exhibition Tour
Roman Manfredi & Sayuri Ichida · Civic
An Exploration of Britishness
Kelly Sian · Civic
Barnsley Zine Fair
60 zinemakers under one roof · Civic
Photo Zine & Collage
Emily Ryalls · Civic
Women in Photography
Panel talk & social · Civic
Rewriting the Photograph
Ryalls & Rankin · Library
Camera Obscura
With The Art House · Mandela Gardens
Screenprinting with FOTO
Borough Collective · Civic
Obscura Creative Writing
Kelly Sian · Mandela Gardens
Sip & Sketch
Emily Ryalls · Civic
Barnsley Photowalk
Borough Collective · Library
Cameraless Photography
Cyanotype, chemigram, lumen · Civic
From the festival
Barnsley Civic
FOTO Collective
The collective behind the festival in their first group exhibition: six early-career artists from Barnsley and South Yorkshire.
Mandela Gardens
FOTO Street Gallery
A new permanent outdoor exhibition space, launched with open-call artists alongside Lāsma Poiša and Paul Crawley.
Barnsley Markets
Returnings: Lāsma Poiša
Large-scale prints on oxblood panels and timber frames, set among the everyday life of the market.
Barnsley Markets
Interbeing: Leeds Arts University
Emerging photographers from the Leeds Arts University photography degree.
Photoworks (Photo Champions) · Arts Council England · UK Shared Prosperity Fund · Barnsley Council · Barnsley Civic · Barnsley Markets