The World Press Photo Foundation and De Nieuwe Kerk present The Stories That Matter – a talks program reflecting on today’s pressing topics through the eyes of photojournalists and critical thinkers.
This event brings together the public with the 2023 Contest winning photographers, who come from 23 different countries, from Morocco to the Philippines, Ecuador to Ukraine, and Armenia to Mexico. Throughout the day, they will showcase their work in the exhibition and engage in conversation with the audience.
On the talks stage, international speakers, thinkers and doers will explore, discuss and analyze the climate crisis, conflict and social justice; and in the social space, photobook experts will host a workshop on what makes a good photobook.
Join us for this thought-provoking and inspiring day that illuminates the stories that matter.
12.30 - 13.30 Framing the Future: Visual Storytelling and Climate Action
How can photography drive awareness of the climate crisis and what role can visual storytelling play in creating climate action?
Alice Aedy, United Kingdom, co-founder and CEO of Earthrise
Joi Lee, United States, head of editorial at Earthrise
14.30 - 15.30 Does Photography Speak Across Borders? It is said that photos ‘speak’ across cultural and social divides, telling stories in more direct ways than language. But how do they do this? And is photography enough to create solidarity?
Moderator: Ann Rigney, Ireland/the Netherlands, professor of Comparative Literature, Utrecht University Kateryna Iakovlenko, Ukraine, visual culture researcher, writer, and curator Sahar Shirzad, Afghanistan/the Netherlands, human rights activist, writer and program maker Tina Farifteh, Iran/the Netherlands, photographer and filmmaker 16.30 - 17.30 Swimming with Crocodiles: Why Press Freedom Matters
Renowned Bangladeshi photojournalist, writer, curator and activist, Shahidul Alam, gives a personal account on the importance of press freedom.
Shahidul Alam, Bangladesh, photographer, writer, curator and activist
Photographers talks
Throughout the day, the awarded photographers from the 2023 Contest will be speaking in front of their work in the exhibition. Meet the photographers and hear their stories first hand.
12.00 and 15.10 South America
Musuk Nolte, Peru/Mexico
Alessandro Cinque, Italy
Fabiola Ferrero, Venezuela/Colombia
Johanna Alarcón, Ecuador
12.40 and 14.30 Europe
Alkis Konstantinidis, Greece
Evgeniy Maloletka, Ukraine
Simone Tramonte, Italy
Cesar Dezfuli, Spain/Iran
13.40 and 15.50
Africa Lee-Ann Olwage, South Africa
Nick Hannes, Belgium
M'hammed Kilito, Morocco
Mohamed Mahdy, Egypt
12.00 and 15.10 North and Central America
Jonas Kakó, Germany
Carlos Barria, Argentina
Cristopher Rogel Blanquet, Mexico
Ashley Peña, United States
12.40 and 14.30 Southeast Asia and Oceania
Mauk Kham Wah, Myanmar*
Hannah Reyes Morales, Philippines*
Kimberly dela Cruz, Philippines
Chad Ajamian, Australia
13.40 and 15.50
Asia
Maya Levin, United States
Mads Nissen, Denmark
Anush Babajanyan, Armenia
Hossein Fatemi, Iran
* Not in attendance. Hear their stories from a World Press Photo staff member.
Tours
12.30 and 15.00 Press Freedom With Free Press Unlimited. Understand the state of press freedom in the world today. Meet at the Press Freedom chapel. 13.00 and 15.30 Honorable Mentions With World Press Photo. Listen to the stories of the awarded Honorable Mentions. Meet at the Honorable Mentions chapel.
14.00 Photo of the Year With World Press Photo. Learn about iconic photos awarded throughout 66 years of the contest. Meet at the Photo of the Year.
Social space
12:00 - 12:30 Mini workshop: What are Photography Ethics?
With Savannah Dodd, United Kingdom, founder and director of Photo Ethics Centre. Dip into the basics of what photography ethics are and why they matter in photography. 13.30 - 14.30 Workshop: Making Photobooks
With Nicola von Velsen, Germany, managing director of Hatje Cantz Publishers. Explore historical and practical insights into the
making of photobooks from a publisher’s perspective. 15.30 - 16.30 Open Q&A
With World Press Photo. An informal conversation about what it’s like to work with the best photojournalism from around the world
The World Press Photo Foundation has launched an open call for young creators to document and cover our special event The Stories That Matter. Find out more and apply.
We believe in the power of showing and seeing visual stories that are accurate, diverse, and trustworthy. As an independent nonprofit organization, we generate our own income to fund our programs and are kindly supported by individuals who also believe in the importance of photojournalism and visual storytelling. If you share our vision, please consider making a donation.
