The Big Darkroom Print Swap

The Art House are excited to introduce The Big Darkroom Print Swap!

Taking inspiration from other types of art exchange, including the much loved 20:20 Print Exchange from our pals at Hot Bed Press, The Big Darkroom Print Swap will bring together photographers and support Darkrooms from across the UK.

We know from experience that the 20:20 Print Exchange always brings such a wonderful atmosphere to our print studio and acts as a real driver for their practice. We take part every year and thought it would be brilliant to bring this opportunity to our growing community of photographers as well as the wider photography scene.

We are looking for other darkrooms, colleges, universities, and photographic societies across the country that would be interested in taking part. We hope to build a network which will grow year on year, creating an opportunity for photographers to come together in a shared exchange of ideas and artwork.

Each of your users will have the opportunity for their work to be featured in the resulting photobook publication, alongside receiving ten limited edition silver gelatin prints. The publication will be available for sale, as a permanent record of each annual Big Darkroom Print Swap.

This is a unique chance to be a part of, what we hope will be, a well-loved annual celebration of analogue photography.

How does it work?

Each individual pays a £15 participation fee to help cover the cost of admin, print sorting, and postage. Darkrooms can charge their usual fee for access to their facilities in order to make the prints.

We think the schedule will go a little something like this:

• Expressions of interest by: 30 November 2022
• Deadline for submissions: 16 January 2023
• Prints will be posted out by: 3 February 2023

We hope you’re up for become part of something special, sharing your work, and be inspired by the work of others through The Big Darkroom Print Swap!

If we’ve intrigued you register your expression of interest using the form below.

Be a part of The Big Darkroom Print Swap

At a glance:

• The Art House coordinates the print swap and builds a network of partnered darkrooms.
• Darkrooms gather participants.
• Each participant pays a £15 fee to The Art House and the partnered darkroom charges their usual open access fee.
• A new small edition of prints is produced by each participant.
• The Art House sorts and distributes each series of prints.
• People can support their local darkroom.
• They can gain inspiration from others and share their own work with a new network of darkroom users.

Become a Darkroom Member

Join a community of photographers across West Yorkshire.

Join Now

Darkroom One-To-One

New to the darkroom? Find out more about our one-to-one sessions!

Find out more