Alumno, in collaboration with the national photographic organisation Photo North, launched The Photo North Festival from Friday, 11 April to Sunday, 13 April 2025 at The Carriageworks in Millennium Square, Leeds.
The Photo North Festival showcased works from renowned photographers, featuring talks, screenings, and book signings throughout the long weekend. The festival was founded by photographic curators Peter Dench and Sharon Price, who established the non-profit national organisation to celebrate photography across the UK.
Alumno, who specialise in developing purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), are passionate supporters of the arts, with a strong focus on emerging photography talent. In addition to the festival, they play an active role in backing the young photography competition, which was a key feature of the three-day event.
The festival is also supported by members of Channel 4’s Senior pictures team, who delved into archives to present a number of unseen photographs from iconic films such as Trainspotting.
Other highlights included ‘How Do you Dance in a War Zone’ (Paul Miller, Maria Falconer), featuring photography about Ukrainian dancers finding a way to dance amid conflict and ‘The North Revisited’ showing evocative images of the photojournalist, John Bulmer’s work in the 1860’s and 70’s.
Finally, 1960s Rock Legends by Paul Berriff was featured, showcasing his iconic black-and-white photographs of legendary musicians. His work, which has been exhibited and collected worldwide, includes famous shots of Mick Jagger and The Beatles.
“At Alumno, we’re deeply committed to nurturing young talent in the cities and communities where we develop. The Photo North Festival provides a rare chance for emerging photographers to gain recognition and open doors to a career in photography. Our buildings are designed to embrace and celebrate art and photography, and I’m proud to support this fantastic festival.”
David Campbell, Managing Director, Alumno
