East Meets West Masterclass 2026/27 Meet the First Masterclass Leaders

FORMAT Festival are delighted to introduce the first four Masterclass Leaders joining the East Meets West Masterclass Programme 2026/27.

Bringing together a range of experiences and perspectives from across photography, publishing, curating and visual storytelling, this year’s Masterclass Leaders will share their knowledge, creative approaches and professional insights with participants throughout the programme. Through talks, discussions and practical guidance, they will offer valuable support to emerging photographers as they develop their practice, expand their networks and explore new opportunities.

We are pleased to announce our first four professionals:

Chris Neophytou
Chris Neophytou is a photographer, educator and publisher based in Birmingham UK. His practice explores place, memory and the visual language of diaspora, connecting personal histories with collective narratives.

His publishing project Out of Place Books, specialises in making photobooks about place and he is creative director of Central photobook Festival

Asha Iman Veil
Asha Iman Veal is a curator, educator and writer based between Paris, France and Chicago, USA. Her practice focuses on conceptual photography, moving image, cross-diasporic themes and intercultural dialogue. Formerly Associate Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, she has worked with leading international photography organisations and festivals, supporting artists through exhibitions, education and public programmes.

Ayesha Jones
Ayesha Jones (b. 1990) is a West Midlands–based artist working with photography and film. Her practice explores art as a catalyst for growth, healing, and social impact. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, receiving recognition from Magnum Photos, Portrait of Britain (2022, 2023), and Decade of Change. Her major works include Motherland (Coventry UK City of Culture 2021), Leave A Light In My Room (Ikon Gallery, 2023), We Feed the UK (Multistory & Gaia Foundation, 2023–25), and The Backbone (2025), a photobook exploring female health and the how the erasure of the female body—its knowledge, cycles, and truths—creates imbalance, both personally and collectively. The Backbone was featured by the BBC and exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery and The Royal Photographic Society (RPS).

Arpita Shah
Arpita Shah is a photographic artist and educator based in Eastbourne, UK. She works between photography and film, exploring the fields where culture and identity meet. As an India-born artist, Shah spent an earlier part of her life living between India, Ireland and the Middle East before settling in the UK. This migratory experience is reflected in her practice, which focuses on the notion of home, belonging and shifting cultural identities.

Her work has been shown internationally including Canada, India, United Arab Emirates and across the UK. Her work is held at the National Galleries of Scotland, Autograph ABP, Light Work (USA), Institute for Art Documentation (Germany), The Hyman Collection, Parliamentary Art Collection and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

More announcements to come

We will be announcing additional Masterclass Leaders over the coming weeks, bringing together an exciting programme of artists and industry professionals from across the photography sector.

Applications for the East Meets West Masterclass Programme 2026/27 are now open and will close on Monday 27 July at 11:59pm BST. If you’re an emerging photographer based in the UK, we encourage you to apply and join us for a year of learning, collaboration and professional development.