SLIDEFEST Palestine

SLIDEFEST Palestine was an evening of powerful and evocative images and presentations from artists and photographers based in Palestine and/or the diaspora.  The public event was run in partnership by Gulf Photo Plus, GRAIN Projects, our Art Activisms research cluster and the British Journal of Photography, and was held in Birmingham in our School of Art building on 3 June 2025.

The projects presented span a range of stories and themes — from black-and-white photographs capturing daily life in Gaza in the early 2000s; to intergenerational reflections on exile, return, and the enduring struggle for Palestinian liberation, as explored in Amira’s Castle. Online speakers included: Maen Hammad (@maenster), Samaa Emad (@samaa.gaza), Shareef Sarhan (@shareef_sarhan), Samar Hazboun (@samarhazboun), Sakir Khader (@sakirkhader). Slidefest was founded by Gulf Photo Plus in Dubai over 15 years ago. It is an evening of inspiring photography presentations and Q&A. Since its inception, GPP has held over 30 Slidefest evenings in Dubai, Cairo, Jeddah, Riyadh, Bahrain, London, and further afield.

The money raised from ticket sales and donations will be donated to Medical Aid Palestine.