Meet Our Director
We are pleased to introduce the individuals behind Photo Oxford and offer you insight into the purpose and goals of Photo Oxford. Meet our Director, Katy Barron, ready to take on the challenge of the next festival in 2027.
Photo Credit Carla van de Puttelaar.
Introduce yourself and your background?
I am Katy Barron, Director of Photo Oxford. I've been in post since January 2024, and have delivered one festival so far, in autumn 2025. I've just started working on the next festival, which will take place in the autumn of 2027. I am an art historian by training, having studied at the Courtauld Institute and then Oxford University. After some years working as a curator of painting, I developed an increasing fascination with photography, which I saw as a more urgent, relevant medium. I have worked within many parts of the photography sector for the last 20 years, as a gallerist, consultant, curator, mentor and now finally in Oxford.
When did you join Photo Oxford as a Trustee/Director?
I became Director at the start of 2024.
Why did you join Photo Oxford as a Trustee/Director?
Oxford is a unique city in that it includes two universities alongside a hugely diverse community. I was incredibly excited at the prospect of bringing a photography festival to the city, reaching new audiences but also accessing the intellectual wealth that resides here. Oxford has a very active photographic community who have been hugely supportive of the festival as well as a passionate art-loving audience.
What do you find most rewarding about your role as a trustee/Director?
I have loved working directly with a huge range of photographers as well as inviting new audiences into our exhibitions - making them feel welcome and engaged. It has been a great privilege to work with the artists that we brought to the festival and also to grow deeper roots within the community. We had such positive responses from our audience, which is hugely rewarding for the team and me. I hope that we have made an impact, however small, upon the way that our audiences view the world, or on their mental health or perhaps towards someone’s career trajectory.
What would you say to anyone who wants to become a Trustee?
Working with a small charity such as Photo Oxford is a great opportunity to learn, get involved and to make a difference. You will be joining a focused group who are passionate about photography and want to make a real difference, each offering a particular skillset and expertise. Joining will be enriching and exciting and ultimately very satisfying as the festival comes together with teamwork and collaboration.
What are you looking forward to over the next year and build up to the next festival?
I’m excited to offer some great events for our Patrons and Friends and to start to build the next festival programme. I hope that we will be working with our community partners – offering photo workshops and enabling career development and other opportunities.