Offspring Photo Meet Returns with Portfolio Reviews and Community Focus

The Offspring Photo Meet, co-founded by photographer Mimi Mollica and Twenty Twenty agent Frede Spencer, is scheduled for 07 and 08 May at The Art House in Bethnal Green, East London. This grassroots initiative, which began a decade ago, features a panel that includes curator Monica Allende, designer Johanna Neurath, and former BJP editor Simon Bainbridge, aiming to connect photographers with industry experts. Notable participants this year are Matthew Beaman from Monocle and Konfekt Magazine, Emma Bowkett of FT Weekend Magazine, and Fiona Shields from The Guardian News and Media Group, along with art buyers from leading UK ad agencies. Attendees will see their work published in a gazette by Newspaper Club, with Best Portfolio Awards determined by reviewers; winners in 2025 included Alice Poyzer, Mikael Buck, and Stu McKenzie, who shared insights with Naoise O'Keeffe of Hot Potato. The event will also feature a talk by photographer Niall McDiarmid and emphasizes community engagement through social events and possible live editing sessions. Mollica describes the atmosphere as "buzzing, constructive, intellectually-challenging, thought-provoking, and still fun," highlighting that the event is not for profit and that volunteers receive compensation. His own seven-year experience creating the book Terra Nostra, published by Dewi Lewis following an FT commission, illustrates the enduring relationships nurtured through such feedback.