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2024 Joop Swart Masterclass

2024 Joop Swart Masterclass participants announced

After a three-year hiatus, the Joop Swart Masterclass returns in 2024, with a focus on the MENA region, thanks to funding from the Porticus Foundation.

The Joop Swart Masterclass comes back in a renewed format. While holding on to the core objective to develop and guide photographers with 5-10 years of experience in their practice, it will place special emphasis on building skills for long and sustainable careers in photojournalism, documentary photography, and beyond.

Participants

Presenting the 12 participants for the 2024 Joop Swart Masterclass, selected from over 200 nominated photographers by an independent selection committee:

  • Ali Jadallah

    Ali Jadallah is a Palestinian photojournalist. During his young career, he has covered three Israeli wars in Gaza with a commitment to truth-telling, providing documentation of the region's struggles.

  • Ali Zaraay

    Ali Zaraay is an Egyptian documentary photographer merging with visual art. He’s interested in surveillance, mobility, gentrification, urban expansion and demolition, and the land-human relationship.

  • Arlette Bashizi

    Arlette Bashizi is a documentary photographer and photojournalist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her work centers on health, environment, and culture, with a focus on women and youth.

  • Belal Khaled

    Belal Khaled is a Palestinian photographer and artist from Gaza. He began photographing when he found himself amidst the reality of conflict and has been covering Israel’s attacks on Gaza since 2010.

  • Fernanda Pineda Palencia

    Fernanda Pineda Palencia is a Colombian photographer and producer. She is dedicated to documenting migration, gender dynamics, and Afro, Indigenous, and rural communities cultures in Latin America.

  • Kiana Hayeri

    Kiana Hayeri is an Iranian/Canadian photographer who lived in Kabul for eight years. Her work delves into themes such as migration, adolescence, identity, and sexuality in conflict-ridden societies.

  • Myriam Boulos

    Myriam Boulos is a Lebanese photographer and co-founder of Al Hayya magazine. She started photographing at 16 to get closer to reality. Today she uses photography to explore, defy, and resist society.

  • Ri

    Ri is a lens-based visual artist from Myanmar. They explore stories rooted in the queer community and intimate relationships, alongside self-portraits, personal stories, and their country's politics.

  • Richard Pierrin

    Richard Pierrin is one of Haiti's youngest emerging photojournalists. Inspired by local peers, he uses his lens to document his community’s daily life and the significant events shaping his country.

  • Samar Abu Elouf

    Samar Abu Elouf is a self-taught photojournalist from Gaza. She has been documenting daily life, news, and the profound effects of conflict on her country since 2010.

  • Serhii Korovayny

    Serhii Korovayny is a Ukrainian photojournalist. His projects center on conflict, environmental issues, refugees, and healthcare, with his current focus on documenting the Russia-Ukraine war.

  • Taniya Sarkar

    Taniya Sarkar is an Indian photographer. Her work focuses on the socio-political reality of Bengal through the stories of women, exploring religion-related topics to uncover colonial narrative gaps.

Selection committee

The 12 participants were selected by an independent selection committee based on a nomination process. The selection committee for this year was:

  • Laura Boushnak, Palestine, photojournalist
  • Khona Dlamini, South Africa, educator, Programs director, The Market Photo Workshop
  • Federico Ríos, Colombia, photojournalist
  • Sandra Stevenson, United States, deputy director of Photography, The Washington Post
  • Tanzim Wahab, Bangladesh, curator

Find out more about the selection process. 

Program

The 2024 Joop Swart Masterclass program will consist of three components:

  • Online mentorship from mid-June to mid-October. Participants will work on their projects, receive feedback from their mentors, and participate in online thematic presentations.
  • Masterclass week from 27 October to 2 November. The group will come together in Amsterdam for an intensive week of workshops, talks, and presentations.
  • Post-masterclass presentations in the participants’ regions from November to December.

Mentors

The participants will work on their projects under the guidance of four mentors. The 2024 Joop Swart Masterclass mentors will be announced soon.
See the alumni
Joop Swart Masterclass 1994-2024

See the alumni

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