Foundry Workshop

The history

The Foundry Photojournalism Workshop was set up by Eric and Sharon Beecroft in 2008 when they asked some of the top working photojournalists to donate a week of their time for a workshop idea a reality. The response was overwhelming. The enthusiasm and passion for photography and teaching displayed by these journalists made Foundry possible, and in the subsequent thirteen years, instructors volunteered their time and talent, bringing with them a commitment to a better future through responsible visual journalism.

Foundry Photojournalism Workshops have been held in Mexico City (2008 and 2017), Manali (2009), Istanbul (2010), Buenos Aires (2011), Chiang Mai (2012), Sarajevo (2013), Antigua (2014), Bali (2015), Cape Town (2016), Kolkata (2018), Kigali (2019), and online in 2021 and 2022. Worldwide, Foundry alumni have gone on to successful careers, publishing stories for National Geographic, The New York Times, Time, Stern, Paris Match, and others while winning prestigious awards from the Pulitzer Prize to POY to World Press Photo and more, with some even returning to Foundry to teach the next generation.

New leadership

In 2019, the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop entered a new chapter under the leadership of VII Academy. The workshop offers Majority World students and those from underrepresented communities in G20 countries a chance to learn from some of the world’s most well-respected photojournalists and photography professionals.