“I tend to think of the act of photographing, generally speaking, as an adventure. My favorite thing is to go where I’ve never been.”
― Diane Arbus

12 MONTH PROGRAM 2026

The Scottish filmmaker, John Grierson coined the term ‘documentary’ in the 1920’s and defined it as ‘the creative treatment of actuality.’ Werkstatt Berlin offers an educational program based on Grierson’s deceptively simple definition, designed for students to engage with documentary art photography, with reference to the complex theoretical and discursive history of this particular and rapidly evolving genre. From the onset students will be set small yet stimulating assignments to begin the process of questioning the very essence of the photograph and the practical issues of effectively engaging with the subject. Conceptual, experimental, speculative and straight approaches are all encompassed. Passion is the fuel and an essential motivation for any photographer too actively and intellectually engage in the real world. Key issues are researching, shooting, editing and sequencing projects during the process of making the work. It is only in the doing of the work that the meaning begins to develop. A great emphasis is placed on finding a natural visual voice, via technique and the appropriate visual attitude to the subject.

The Saturday seminars are taught by Werkstatt Berlin director, Michael Grieve. The seminars are for the research, development and production of major projects. For the first 3 seminars assignments will be set that are designed to question the art/document relationship of a photograph, narrative and visual technique. Participants will be provided with a reading list of photographic texts and reading material to study.

The Sunday seminars will be taught by Patricia Morosan and Calin Kruse of Dienacht Publishing, and international guest lecturers. Calin Kruse will teach during the last 3 months of the program towards the development of making a book, involving narrative, sequence and design.

The aim of the program is to produce an aesthetically strong and meaningful body of work that will be made into a book dummy and exhibited at a gallery space in Berlin and at the Festival Off during the Rencontres d’Arles.