The Royal Photographic Society - Joan Wakelin Bursary

• The Royal Photographic Society

• Deadline: July 14th, 2025

• Category: Social Documentary Photography

• Prize: £2,000 + Travel

• Entry Fees: Free

• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE

For those passionate about documentary photography, the Joan Wakelin Bursary offers a valuable opportunity to bring an important social issue to light. Administered by The RPS in collaboration with The Guardian, this bursary grants £2,000 to a photographer seeking to create a powerful overseas social documentary project. The goal is to provide financial support that enables a photographer to capture and share compelling visual stories that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The bursary was founded in 2005 as a tribute to Joan Wakelin, a documentary photographer whose work made a significant impact on the field. As an Honorary Fellow of The Royal Photographic Society, Wakelin was known for her dedication to storytelling through photography, and this bursary continues her legacy by funding new and thought-provoking projects. However, please note that this bursary is only available for new work and does not support ongoing projects or any initiatives that require travel to or within active war zones.

Interested photographers should mark their calendars—applications close on 14 July 2025. To apply or return to a saved application, visit the application portal, where you can log in with your RPS Account credentials or register for an account if you haven't already done so.