Black Photographer Residency Program

Access to tech and creative industry employment

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

BIC seeks reparative justice by addressing racial biases in LA's creative economy, reflecting disproportionately high unemployment rates for Black Photographers. LA County hosts 37.4% (685,000) of California’s creative labor force. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 5% were Black, yet only 34,250 of LA’s 874,902 Black residents were employed in this sector. While available data on Black photographers is scarce, our community's feedback highlights the impact of these disparities. Through this session of residencies, BIC addresses disparities in Environmental Justice and the Fashion industry. These areas reflect the ask of BIC’s direct community. By focusing on Environmentalism and Fashion, we aim to foster job skills, talent cultivation, and self-expression for social cohesion in these areas. Our residency rectifies barriers, provides mentorship, and ensures our community has the support to thrive financially and mentally, by improving quality of life, happiness, and financial stability.

The initiative focuses on specific grants to equip each cohort with the technical skills and professional networks needed to succeed in diverse sectors of LA’s creative economy. Each participant can build a creative community with people who share their culture through a series of tailored workshops and lectures led by working professionals, producers, and gallerists. This iteration emphasizes the sectors of both Environmental and Fashion Photography. The environmental sector focuses on the intersection of racial justice and coastal conservation. This includes advocacy, research, conservation, education, awareness, and equitable access. Additionally, Fashion Photography focuses on equipping photographers with marketable skills such as storytelling, merchandising, brand development, freelancing agreements, and negotiating skills with help from The Vault Library and our network of fashion industry veterans. The initiatives culminate in exhibitions and print sales, offerings that reflect the expressed needs of our existing community.

Through continued support, The three, six-week incubation cycles equip each cohort with the technical skills and professional network needed to succeed in LA’s creative economy. Through a series of tailored workshops and lectures led by working professionals, producers, and gallerists, each participant can build a creative community with people who share their culture. The residents are then able to develop confidence in themselves and acquire a competitive set of necessary skills to make competitive bids for jobs in the Fashion and Environmental industry. Additionally, residents are provided access to green spaces, mentorship, along with spaces for social cohesion and responsibility which allows for capital needs and emotional needs to be met and improved.

Black Image Center has executed multiple artist residency programs, proving the efficacy and necessity of this initiative. We received a high volume of applicants for our 2024 Editorial focused residency; due to our scope, we added a cohort to account for the quality of applicants received. Individuals within our previous cohorts reported fulfillment through the community and increased confidence as working creatives. We measure our success through the emotional satisfaction of residents and job attainment after our program. 40% of participants from our most recent cohort secured jobs and offers from our network before the program concluded. The multi tier benefits have proven to foster pathways, past residents have been featured in LA Times Images, Crap Eyewear campaigns, and gallery representation, Through continued support, we can increase the markers for success by number of residents hosted, resident stipends, and photo resources like film and cameras,.

Our partners will work with our team to develop a specific curriculum, contacts, and experience. The Vault Library has previously supported our residencies and will continue by providing access to their archives, speakers, and mentors within their network. They have also assisted in developing tailored workshops that explore freelance work through technical training and good business practices, such as agreements and pricing. Similarly, Justice Outside will help support curriculum development and connect us with environmental activists to help inform residents on how to be effective climate activists through photography. They will link us to experiences, educators, and artists that can aid in teaching and development through site-specific trips and projects.