​Does photography matter? OCA national symposium, 21 May 2016

In the mid-19th century, Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard predicted that the popularisation of photography would mean only one portrait would be necessary as 'everything is being done to make us all look exactly the same'. A century and a half later, one million selfies are being taken every day and the International Business Times reported last October that young adults will each take a predicted 25,000 selfies during their lifetime.

How much does photography matter? Does its real value lie in its ability to capture a moment? As viewers, should we pay attention to the visual image or to the feeling is creates in us? These are just some of the questions that will be examined at a photography symposium being hosted by the Open College of the Arts.

The higher education charity's first national photography symposium is taking place at Doncaster performance space CAST on Saturday 21 May. Chaired by Professor Mark Durden, author of Photography Today, OCA aims to determine areas for discussion by practitioners and academics in photography's relationship to lived experience.

The speakers are:

• Greg Hobson, Curator of Photographs at the National Media Museum in Bradford, on vernacular photographs appropriated by newspapers for public audiences
• Les Monaghan, OCA tutor, on making art photography
• Keith Roberts, OCA tutor, on family portraits and the returned gaze
• Derek Trillo, OCA tutor, on exploring notions of time through experimental photography
• Dawn Woolley, OCA tutor, on selfies, consumer culture and identity

A pop-up exhibition curated for the symposium will be on display throughout the day.

Time: 10am to 4pm

Cost: £40, to include lunch and refreshments

Tickets are available from the Cast ticket office telephone 01302 303959 or online.

Getting to CAST

By train to Doncaster: 1hour and 40 minutes from London Kings Cross, 1 hour 25 minutes from Newcastle, and 1 hour 20 minutes from Manchester.

By road: the A1(M) and M18 motorways linking to the M62 and M1. Secure parking is available less than three minutes' walk away.