Rebecca Vassie Memorial Award | £2,000 narrative photography bursary

What is it?

A £2,000 cash bursary, plus additional benefits, for a professional photographer to undertake a narrative photography project.

The winner receives:

• £2,000 to cover all costs (including personal fee) for the project
• Support towards industry and public exposure
• Promotion of your work through our online channels
• Mentorship from Karen Harvey of Shutter Hub

Submission deadline: 5pm on Monday, 31 March 2025. Application is through an online form – click here to open it.

Who can apply?

The award is open to photographers who are either (i) UK citizens or (ii) currently full resident in the UK.

The award is for photographers at early-to-mid career stage. By this we mean a working professional photographer, probably trained, with some experience, but who does not yet earn a full living wage from their preferred style of photographic work.

There is no age limitation, and no requirement for art school or university education.

We warmly encourage photographers from culturally diverse backgrounds, those whose gender identity differs from their assigned sex, and those with disabilities.

Please note that we do not fund current undergraduates, or full-time students on any course. We also do not fund work that forms part of a postgraduate degree.

What are we looking for?

We will fund a stills photography project that is either brand new, or in its earliest stages, and which you can undertake within 12 months of receiving the award (i.e. by summer 2026 latest). The Trust must be the primary funder of the project and we will not fund projects that are already well underway. Therefore, you should apply with a project of suitable size for a £2,000 bursary.

We’ve used the word ‘narrative’ to describe the kind of photography we want to fund. This is because what’s most important to us is to tell human stories within a social or political context. While this is often approached through documentary photography or photojournalism, we are also open to photographers who work across genres such as fine art or portraiture.

Have a look at our previous winners for 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020 and 2022.

How to apply

Application is through an online form – click here to open it. To complete this form you will require a Google account. If you don’t have one, you will be prompted to create one (don’t worry, it’s free!).

On this form you will be asked to answer some questions about you and your proposed project, to upload a PDF file with examples of your previous work, and to provide contact details for 2 referees. It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the questions you’ll be asked, and the word limits for your answers – see Application questions below.

The deadline for applications is Monday 31 March at 5pm

Have a look at our FAQs and Tips for applying below.

If you feel you need help with your application, or would like to informally discuss your idea with us before applying, please do get in touch.