EXHIBITION Guidelines

In order to ensure that Everyday Africa’s photographers are appropriately compensated, and that our photography is displayed at the highest quality, the contributing photographers of Everyday Africa hereby present the terms and conditions for exhibitions of our work. We hope that other photographers and creatives (as well as clients) find these guidelines useful and share them widely.

As members of Everyday Africa, we insist that photographers be compensated fairly for their work, including news assignments and work for NGOs and nonprofits, including  exhibitions, promotional materials, etc. We believe it is worth reminding media outlets and other institutions that as independent photographers, we do not have a guaranteed income, health benefits, or vacation pay -- something that those who ask us to donate our work for free often do have. 

We recognize that many individuals and institutions are working as diligently as we are to promote photography about social justice issues and to support the photographers that do this work in an increasingly inequitable world. We pledge to work with these entities in ways that are mutually beneficial. But asking for our work to be given for free is an unsustainable and exploitative model, furthering the systemic inequities that Everyday Africa seeks to disrupt and displace, and heightening the economic barriers that we seek to break down. (We acknowledge that fair value for photography shifts according to the nature and size of the project, the client, etc.)

These are listed as guidelines, not rules. We are always willing to consider creative ideas that fall outside the parameters of traditional exhibition -- screenings, street displays, etc. -- as long as we can work together to ensure that the highest quality and engagement are maintained.

Everyday Africa exhibition terms and conditions:

• Compensation. The photographers should be paid for their work.

  (We acknowledge that all artists must make their own decisions regarding the value of each opportunity they are presented with, particularly at the start of their careers. If money cannot be offered as appropriate compensation, consideration may be given to alternative means of compensation, including travel and accommodation, per diems, and other offers of value, such as proactive steps taken to arrange meetings between photographers and editors, publishers, curators, other potential clients, etc.)

• Representation. The photographer and/or at least one member of our cohort should be present for the exhibition opening, at the expense of the organization putting on the exhibition.

• Quality. Whether our images were made on a DSLR camera, on film, or on a smartphone, we are creating high quality images, and prints of our work should also be high quality. They should be displayed properly (framed and/or mounted depending on the venue) and with care in regards to lighting, positioning, audience perspective, and curation. The photographer(s) and/or Everyday Africa representative must be consulted on the exact conditions.

• Recognition. Each photographer’s name must be displayed next to their photograph(s), along with their Instagram handle. 

• Text. Everyday Africa and individual photographers are to be consulted on any text that is proposed to accompany the images or exhibition as a whole.

• Promotion. Proper promotion is a must, as is public access to our work. The exhibition organizer must promote the exhibition and related events through social media, emailing a list of subscribers, physical posters, etc. Everyday Africa  will work with the exhibition organizers regarding a promotion plan and the use of a limited selection of photographs as promotional material.

• The sponsoring party should cover any cost having to do with promotions, catalogue, opening/closing receptions, production of work, travel and accommodation of representative traveling, etc. At the end of an exhibition, all works that are not sold shall be returned to Everyday Africa or to each photographer at the expense of the organizer, or shall be destroyed, whichever one is feasible.

Signed,
The Photographers of Everyday Africa
everydayafrica.org/photographers

Everyday Africa is a collective of photographers working to broaden perception of Africa beyond the headlines. We are the first of theThe Everyday Projects, an ever-growing global community of photographers who strive to make images that convey a more accurate view of daily life than what is commonly seen in the media. We are creating new generations of storytellers and audiences that recognize the need for multiple perspectives in portraying the cultures that define us.