1. Presentation
“Voix en Mouvement : Femmes photographes, exil et résilience” (Voices in Motion: Women Photographers, Exile and Resilience) is a programme organised by the International Women in Photo Association, in line with its commitment to social engagement, cultural promotion, and the defence of human rights through artistic expression.
The International Women in Photo Association is dedicated to advocating for women photographers by showcasing their practices and talents to an international audience. Its mission is to encourage and support women photographers in affirming their voice and developing their artistic vision.
This open call is part of a broader commitment to creating visibility for underrepresented voices in contemporary photography, with a focus on the Euro-Mediterranean region.
These Regulations set forth the terms and conditions governing participation in the programme. By submitting an application, participants acknowledge that they have read, understood, and accepted all the provisions and requirements set out in this document (the “Regulations”). Any participant who does not agree to be bound by these Regulations shall not be eligible to enter the competition.
2. Key Dates
Open Call : May 28, 2026 – June 28, 2026
Deadline for submissions: June 28, 2026 (midnight, Paris time)
Notifications for selected candidates: July 13th, 2026
Any photograph received after this date and time shall not be accepted.
3. Eligibility
Open to women photographers currently living in exile in a situation of forced migration, or who have experienced displacement as a result of political, social, or environmental crises;
- Whose artistic work engages with themes of migration, exile, displacement, and resilience;
- Emerging and professional artists based in or connected to the Euro-Mediterranean region, including but not limited to France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Israel, and Palestine
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
- No entry fee is required.
4. Theme
Applications may address one or more of the following themes:
- Exile and Reconstruction: How does distance and displacement shape a new identity?
- Borders and Mobility: Representations of migratory journeys, spaces of transit, or geopolitical boundaries.
- Resistance and Freedom: Photography as a means of resistance against oppression or censorship.
- Memory and Transmission: How do visual narratives preserve individual and collective histories?
5. Program details
Five selected candidates will participate in this program, which includes:
- Online Professional Mentorship — individual and/or group sessions with experts in photography and curation, and the visual arts.
- Permanent Virtual Gallery — presentation of their work in IWPA’s online gallery, ensuring lasting international visibility.
- Public Panel Discussion — participation in a moderated exchange with photography and cultural professionals.
- PhotoDays Festival – a final public presentation of their work during the festival.
- Cap Reza – The Photographic Art Center exhibition hosted by the Sakura Foundation in Haute-Marne (Île-de-France region), scheduled for summer 2027.
The programme aims to provide participants with the time, resources, and professional networks necessary to deepen their artistic practice and gain international visibility.
By accepting their selection, participants agree to:
- Attend all programme activities, including mentorship sessions and public events;
- Present their work as part of the final exhibition (November 2026).
- Grant IWPA a non-exclusive right to reproduce and use their submitted cork for promotional and communication purposes, with full and explicit credit given to the artist at all times.
No financial remuneration is guaranteed as part of this programme, unless expressly communicated and confirmed at a later stage.
6. Application Process
Each participant must submit the following documentation to the link available on our website.
Important: Please ensure that all auto-filled entries have been correctly completed before submitting your application, as some entries may not be recognised by our system.
- A resume (maximum 2 pages);
- A portfolio (max. 15 pages in PDF format) which may include images, text, archives, or mixed-media work;
- An artist statement/statement of intent of 200 words
- A photographic series of 4 to 7 images in JPEG/TIFF, high resolution (HD) – max 3Mb per file in .zip format. (Please be advised that selected photographs are subject to being printed and publicly exhibited during the events and exhibitions associated with this programme).
- A descriptive note including title, date, context, technique, and series number;
- All materials must be submitted in English, French or Spanish, and incomplete applications will not be considered.
Participants shall retain full copyright in their works.
Candidates will receive an email confirming the receipt of their application.
An authorisation for use and dissemination shall be requested for the purposes of the exhibition, communication materials, and the virtual gallery.
The photographs submitted must form a coherent and harmonious body of work, in which each image contributes to the overall consistency of the series.
The size of each file must not exceed 3 MB. The names of the authors must not appear in the image titles or in any attached metadata.
Should a participant’s work be selected for the programme, she shall, upon request by the IWPA, provide high-resolution files suitable for printing.
Any incomplete application shall not be considered.
In accordance with French data protection law, all personal data provided, including email addresses, shall be processed in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Selected participants shall be informed of the final results by email. The results shall also be published on the Association’s website and social media channels.
Printing and Exhibition of Selected Work
Should a participant’s work be selected for the programme:
- The high-resolution files required for printing shall be provided upon request.
- The IWPA shall bear the cost of printing, which will be carried out by a professional laboratory using a digital process. Print dimensions may vary depending on the exhibition space.
Conditions Governing the Exhibition, Prints, and Sale
Selected participants agree to the following conditions:
_A selection of four (4) images from the submitted series may be printed and exhibited.
_The prints may be offered for sale during the exhibition, subject to the photographer’s prior written consent. The sale price shall be mutually agreed upon between the photographer and the IWPA.
_In the event of a sale, fifty per cent (50%) of the proceeds shall be allocated to the photographer and fifty per cent (50%) to the IWPA. The IWPA may, at its sole discretion, donate all or part of its share to its charitable partner, and the photographer will be informed of the amount and the beneficiary.
_Prints not sold may be retained by the IWPA for future exhibitions (with the photographer’s consent) or destroyed within 12 months of the exhibition’s conclusion.
_The photographer’s name and the title of the work will always be credited in any exhibition, sale, or communication materials.
_The IWPA will ensure all exhibited prints against damage, theft, or loss during the exhibition period.
_The photographer retains full copyright of their works.
7. Jury and Selection Process
IWPA guarantees fairness, good faith and neutrality in the selection process
_A selection committee composed of renowned professionals in the field of photography will evaluate applications based on:
- Artistic quality and originality.
- Alignment with the residency’s themes.
- Potential for growth and impact.
_The selection committee will select the 5 artists. They may select fewer than 5 artists if they estimate there are not enough candidates with an adequate level.
Selected candidates will be notified by email and announced on IWPA’s website and social media.
IWPA reserves the right to cancel or modify the residency program in the event of unforeseen circumstances or force majeure affecting its ability to organise the program without liability to the participants.
In the event of cancellation, selected artists will be notified as soon as possible. No claims or compensation can be made against IWPA. Candidates are advised not to incur significant expenses until they receive final written confirmation of the residency.
By submitting their application, artists fully accept these terms
_Participant agrees that the content of her work complies with all applicable law and, in particular:
_The photographs do not include threatening, false, misleading, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, scandalous, provocative, pornographic or pedophile contents, do not strike the sensibility of the minors and do not incite discrimination whether based on sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, age or political opinion.
_The photographs do not contain any material that may constitute or encourage conduct considered a criminal offence or violate any law.
_The photograph does not infringe copyright, trademark, contract rights or any other intellectual property right of a third party or entity, and does not violate the privacy rights of any person.
. Do not affect the safety or integrity of a state or territory.
. Do not incite to commit a crime or an act of terrorism.
. Does not contain disparaging or defamatory words.
. Does not otherwise breach applicable law.
– Any deceitful statement of the participant will entail their exclusion from the award, without the responsibility of the Association IWPA can be committed.
8. Copyright
–Submitted photographs must be original materials created by the participant.
–Participants must confirm that they are the sole copyright holder of the material or have been authorised by another copyright holder to submit the material to this call
–IWPA (and its partners) are not responsible for any royalties, fees or any other amount to a third person and can assume no responsibility and are not liable for any misuse of the participant’s work by third parties.
–The photographer retains copyright of her photographs. IWPA recognises that the participant – the author of the photograph – retains complete ownership of the copyright in each submission.
– Selected and shortlisted artists agree that any photographs submitted can be reproduced (citing the credits of their author) and used to carry out and promote IWPA and its activities, but IWPA cannot guarantee that others who copy or repost images will do the same, and IWPA shall not be liable for the actions of any such third parties.
– The images remain the property of the author and the author grants IWPA a royalty-free license to use, copy, reproduce, adapt and modify the images in relation to the promotion of the award during the following year(s) and for any other purposes, without the participant being able to raise any financial claim, and to include all print, video or online media or social media. IWPA may sub-license this license to its partners.
– Photographers will be informed, in case IWPA wishes to use their work in any other context.
–The participant undertakes, warrants and confirms that she will not assert any moral or similar rights that she may have in relation to any original materials submitted as part of the contest to prevent their public display in accordance with these Regulations.
–Participant agrees to indemnify IWPA and its partners (Indemnified Parties) against all liabilities, costs, expenses, damages and losses (including but not limited to any direct, indirect or consequential losses, loss of profit, loss of reputation and all interest, penalties and legal and other reasonable professional costs and expenses) suffered or incurred by an Indemnified Party arising out of or in connection with any claim made against an Indemnified Party for actual or alleged infringement of a third party’s intellectual property rights arising out of, or in connection with the participant’s submission or from a breach by the participant of these Regulations.
9_Data Protection and Transfer of Image Rights
All personal information is collected for the purpose of administering your entry, and will be kept secure and confidential and is used in accordance with applicable law.
In compliance with the provisions of REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of April 27, 2016 relating to the protection of natural persons (“RGDP”), the owner is informed that personal data facilitated by the participants are incorporated into the corresponding ownership and responsibility file of IWPA.
Data that will be processed by IWPA:
Names and surnames
Nationality
Location
And having obtained the consent for it, images and photographs.
IWPA also informs that these data may be published by IWPA on the internet in order to disseminate and publicise its activities and residencies.
IWPA will not collect, use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those described above, unless the participants give their consent, there is a legal obligation, or a legitimate interest exists.
The personal data of the participants will be kept during the period for the duration of the process, assessment, and dissemination of the contest.
The personal data of the participants will be automatically kept for those who agreed to become IWPA members through the online application.
Participants can exercise the rights of access, rectification, cancellation, opposition, limitation and portability, as well as the right to withdraw the consent granted, by addressing, by any means that allows to prove the sending and receiving, to the attention of IWPA (International Women In Photo 42 rue de Tocqueville, 75017 Paris, France, or by writing an email to contact@iwpa.fr.
Additional Considerations
– This Contest is subject to French law. In the event of a dispute between the Parties, arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) then the dispute shall be referred to and finally resolved by Paris Court Jurisdiction.
–The illegality of any part of the Regulations shall not prejudice the enforceability of any other part, which shall be severable.
– The failure on the part of a party to exercise or enforce any right conferred upon it by these Regulations shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any such right or operate to prevent the exercise or enforcement of any right conferred upon the parties by these Regulations.
– These Regulations constitute the entire understanding and agreement of the parties relating to its subject matter and supersede, cancel and replace all prior agreements between IWPA and the participants which relate to the same subject matter whether written, oral, implied or would be inferred from the correspondence, oral statements or conduct of the parties.
– The participant shall not sell, assign, mortgage, charge, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of its rights or obligations under these Regulations, nor will it delegate or sub-contract any of such rights or obligations without the prior written consent of IWPA.
– Subject to applicable law, IWPA and its partners will not be liable for loss of profits, revenues, or data, financial losses or indirect, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, IWPA and its partners exclude all liability of for any claims under these Regulations.
