Darkroom Residency 2027

A funded residency providing the opportunity to explore analogue photography practice using provided equipment, materials and training. No application fee or barrier to entry. 

Negative Development is a community darkroom in Manchester city centre. We believe making art with film should be open to everyone, and our shared darkroom is where people learn from one another. We are now inviting applications for our first funded residency, giving one artist dedicated time and materials to make work in the darkroom.

The residency is open to visual artists aged 18 or over who live in the North West of England. You may be an established photographer, an artist from another medium who is curious about film, or someone returning to the darkroom after years away. What we are looking for is a genuine interest in shooting film and printing by hand. You must have a project in mind that could be explored with analogue photography, and will need to be able to travel to Manchester regularly to work in the darkroom.

You will receive everything you need to make a body of work: ten rolls of film (120 or 35mm), 100 sheets of 8x10 inch photographic paper (colour or black and white) and 60+ hours of darkroom time to develop, scan and print. Training will be provided for any equipment or materials you're unfamiliar with. The residency runs for three months (January-March 2027) and you can book your hours flexibly within that period.

At the end of the residency we will then help the chosen artist present their body of work in an exhibition. A celebration of your experiments and achievements in the space. Throughout your time with us the team will provide support for you to connect with other members and share your progress and process. It is a chance to take part in the creative community that makes Negative Development what it is.

Residency package

  • Materials

    To ensure the artist has everything needed to explore this practice, the residency provides 10 rolls of 35mm or 120 film and 100 sheets of 8x10 paper. Both are available in a choice of black & white or colour.

  • Training

    Training is available on any process needed during the residency. Our monthly darkroom workshops cover film developing and darkroom printing in both black & white and colour, so the artist can build skills at whatever stage they need.

  • Equipment

    Our fully equipped community darkroom is available for experimenting with film developing and printing by hand. The residency includes 60+ hours of darkroom time, booked flexibly across January, February and March 2027.

The successful applicant will arrive with a project already in mind. This means a specific subject, topic, story or technique that you want to develop and experiment with, ideally a continuation of work already underway or a brand new project altogether. The residency is not a chance to print your back catalogue. It is an opportunity to take an idea somewhere new, using the darkroom, the materials and the time we can offer.

We are hoping to fill a technical gap in your ability or access, rather than guide you through making a body of work from scratch. Our team will gladly teach you any equipment or process you are unfamiliar with, but the vision and direction need to be yours. When we review applications, a well structured plan and a genuine interest in your subject or practice will be worth far more to us than an impressive portfolio of past work. We know how much patience and skill goes into making artwork by hand with film, and we want to support someone who is ready to bring that same curiosity and commitment to the space.

Timeline

  • Application Deadline

    Applications are accepted through to December 15th 2026. The successful applicant will be announced on the 18th December before we close for the year. 

  • Residency Period

    The residency runs for three months (January - March 2027) with any necessary training will take place in the first month. Darkroom time can be booked flexibly within that period.

  • Residency Exhibition

    Once completed, the body of work produced during the residency will be exhibited at a community show. The artist will receive our support during the organisation of the show. 

Darkroom location

Hosted within SeeSaw, our community darkroom sits right at the heart of Manchester city centre. It’s a short walk from either Oxford Road or Manchester Piccadilly train station, making it simple to reach and easy to fit into a day of creating, experimenting, and printing.

FAQ

What kind of work are you hoping to see? Is there a theme or style you prefer?

We’re not asking for a particular subject or style. We’re looking for a proposal that makes good use of film and hand printing, and for an artist who wants the time and space to explore it.

What does “a genuine interest in film and hand printing” actually look like in an application?

It might be a project that only makes sense on film, a curiosity about slow, physical processes, or a wish to experiment with test strips, reprints and experimental processes. You don’t need to show years of technical expertise. We want to see why this way of working matters to you.

I mostly work digitally or in another medium. Does my work need to be entirely analogue?

The residency is built around shooting film and printing it by hand, so that should be the core of what you make. The residency could also include a hybrid process if possible. For example, experimenting with digitally manipulated negatives. If your practice sits across mediums, tell us how film fits into it.

How many images or prints do I need to make?

There’s no set number, but generally a show will consist of 15 to 30 photographic prints. The resources (ten rolls of film, 100 sheets of paper and 60+ hours of darkroom time) are meant to be enough to develop a coherent set of work. The hours allow for the slow, careful process of test strips, adjustments and reprints.

Do I need to be an experienced photographer or have darkroom experience?

No. What we’re looking for is a genuine interest in shooting film and printing it by hand. Established photographers, artists new to film and people coming back after a long break are all welcome.