Have your portrait taken by Martin Parr

Martin Parr outside the Foundation at Paintworks, Bristol

(Image credit: Louis Little)

The Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol has just launched a membership scheme, which will be used to support photographers, increase access to its collections and build a community around its work.

With three tiers of membership available, the benefits range from invitations to private views, priority booking for events, exclusive signed prints, and your very own studio portrait session with Martin Parr.

Membership packs offer exclusive prints and event invitations

What is the Foundation?

The Martin Parr Foundation was established in 2014 and opened to the public in an architect-designed space in the Paintworks complex, Bristol, in 2017, comprising of a studio, gallery, library and archive centre. The aim of the Foundation is to support and promote photography from the British Isles. It does so by preserving the archive and legacy of Martin Parr, and by holding a growing collection of works by selected photographers.

Nearly 10,000 people are estimated to have visited the Foundation in its inaugural year to view exhibitions by Martin Parr, Niall McDiarmid, Paul Trevor and David Hurn’s ‘Swaps’, and to attend often sold-out events including a seminar day and talks by international photographers such as Don McCullin, Susan Meiselas, Michael Christopher Brown, Siân Davey, Simon Roberts, Bieke Depoorter and Peter Bialobrzeski.

The Foundation aims to keep exhibitions free to all, at a time when engagement with photography is increasingly digital.

Martin Parr Foundation events run regularly through the year (Image credit: Nathan Vidler)

What is the scheme for?

The Martin Parr Foundation houses a significant collection of documentary photography relating to the British Isles – both prints and book maquettes.

The membership scheme will contribute to expanding this collection, and will also support overlooked and emerging photographers.

What are the membership options?

Specifically, there are three tiers of membership to choose from:

Foundation membership £35

This includes invitations to private views, a welcome tour of the foundation, priority booking for photobook library, access to exclusive membership events, plus shop discount.

Supporter membership £125

You'll get all the above foundation benefits and an exclusive, signed 10 x 8 inch print each year. Expect a foundation tour with Martin Parr, too.

Patron Membership £750

For this option there's all the supporter benefits, plus you'll get to have your portrait taken by Martin Parr. There's also an annual patrons dinner with the man himself.

Certain members will receive a signed Parr print (Image credit: Martin Parr/Magnum Photos)

Find out more

Membership is available now at www.martinparrfoundation.org/membership

The Martin Parr Foundation is based at 316 Paintworks, Arnos Vale, Bristol, UK.

The Foundation is open to the public from Wednesday – Saturday from 11am – 6pm.

Admission is free.

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Lauren is a writer, reviewer, and photographer with ten years of experience in the camera industry. She's the former Managing Editor of Digital Camera World, and previously served as Editor of Digital Photographer magazine, Technique editor for PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, and Deputy Editor of our sister publication, Digital Camera Magazine. An experienced journalist and freelance photographer, Lauren also has bylines at Tech Radar, Space.com, Canon Europe, PCGamesN, T3, Stuff, and British Airways' in-flight magazine. When she's not testing gear for DCW, she's probably in the kitchen testing yet another new curry recipe or walking in the Cotswolds with her Flat-coated Retriever.