photo oxford 2025TRUTHTruth was the theme for the fifth edition of Photo Oxford in 2025 and we explored what this increasingly loaded word means within the context of photography. 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.
2025 exhibitions
The Camera Helps by Paddy Summerfield at the Weston Library Oxford. Photo: Alex Schneideman
2025 events
Joel Meyerowitz in conversation with Richard Ovenden. Photo: Rob Judges
2025 open call
Arina from the series Stolen Spring by Alena Grom
2025 community Participation
The Window Galleries featuring community work. Photo: Fusion Arts
2025 evaluation
Alex Schneideman and Patricia Baker-Cassidy in conversation at the opening of The Camera Helps at the Weston Library. Photo: Paul Bullivant
Photo Oxford Festival 2025 achieved substantial success, attracting over 165,000 visitors* and significantly exceeding Arts Council targets. It showcased 120 artists, with 30 exhibitions held across Oxford and online, complemented by 24 events. Over 1,030 artists from 65 countries entered the festival Open Call, over 200 school and university students explored the festival on guided visits and 288 community participants were involved in the outreach programme with local community and charity groups.
*This figure includes visitor numbers to public spaces where exhibitions were held and are not necessarily direct audience figures.