Martin Parr

1952–2025

It is with great sadness that we heard of the death of pioneering British photographer Martin Parr at the weekend.

Martin spoke at the Weston Library on the opening day of Photo Oxford 2025 just a few weeks ago, and exhibited his work Martin Parr: Oxford there as part of the Photo Oxford 2017.

Commissioned by the Bodleian Libraries and Oxford University Press to photograph the University of Oxford, he captured the traditions, everyday life and eccentricities of the institution in his inimitable way.

He will be greatly missed.

Photos by Paul Bullivant

Photo Oxford 2025 is over. We hope that you were able to visit our exhibitions, attend our events and that you found the festival thought-provoking and that it exceeded your expectations. Thank you for being part of our community and please share your thoughts on your experiences here.

We will be in touch soon as we don’t plan to go quiet until 2027. Keep an eye out on this site and sign up for our Newsletters to be in touch and get involved.

Photo Oxford, Oxford’s biennial photo festival, returned for its fifth edition in 2025. This year the theme for the festival was Truth and we explored what this increasingly loaded word means within the context of photography.

Questions about photography’s relationship with truth are as old as the history of the medium and they feel particularly relevant now. Photo Oxford 2025: Truth and Photography presented a series of exhibitions and events featuring artists exploring photography’s relationship to truth. From images that reveal current debates around Artificial Intelligence, to those that highlight the stories missing from photographic records, it was an exploration of truth in photography that considered how far and wide the boundaries of this continuously expanding medium have become.

What happens when photographers challenge their medium’s relationship to reality? What truths lie beneath the surface? Photo Oxford 2025 invites you to look closer and find your own truths in photography.

For a taste of what the festival offered, take a look at Photo Oxford 2025 in 10 Images, download our full programme below, or watch a recording of our symposium. Some of our exhibtions are still open, please take a look below.

Download Our Programme

Watch the Photo Oxford Symposium Recording

Watch Rose Teanby's talk on Constance Talbot

PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS

Photo Oxford Festival works closely with communities across Oxford and Oxfordshire, using photography as a creative way for people to express themselves, build confidence, and learn new skills.

We collaborate with local partners such as Yellow Submarine, Aspire Oxford, Crisis, Mind Oxforshire and My Vision Oxfordshire to run welcoming workshops and projects that support people with a wide range of experiences and abilities. Together, we explore photography as a tool for storytelling, connection, and creativity — while also helping participants develop practical skills they can use in everyday life, from communication to teamwork and employability.

Learn more about our Partnership Projects