EAST MEETS WEST is a national professional development programme for photographers devised and delivered by GRAIN Projects  and FORMAT International Photography Festival.   It is supported by Quad, Derby, Birmingham City University and Derby University. 

2022/23 was the last iteration.  Further news about the 2024/25 EAST MEETS WEST programme will follow soon.  .

The masterclass programme is  designed for UK-based emerging photographers, providing professional development, inspiration, guidance, and support in a collaborative learning environment to enable participants to develop their practice, networks, and new unique opportunities. The programme offers a platform for photographers to receive guidance and participate in focused discussions that contribute to their creative practice and career development.

EAST MEETS WEST operates an Open Call submission, is delivered online and in person and requires a small financial contribution from each participant.   Past participants have included; Anna Sellen, Amber Banks Brumby, Amina El-Edroos, Amy D’Agorne, Andy Fell, Anu Gamanagari, Chiara Zandona, Dan Moriarty, Dawn Rodgers, Emily Ryalls, Ell Hammond, Gemma Briggs, Ismail Khokon, Jai Toor, James Cunliffe, Johannes Pretorius, Kat Young, Lewis Oldham, Liliana Zaharia, Louise Taylor, Maria Reaney, Nicholas Priest, Paul Railton, Ruby Nixon, Rebecca Orleans, Rebecca Davis, Ryan Gear, Rita Pena, Shona Morgan, Sylwia Ciszewska-Peciak, Zula Rabikowska, Clare Hewitt, Simona Ciocarlan, Tracey Thorne, Tudor Etchells, Tyler Ashford, Valerii Konkov, Maryam Wahid, Emma Case, Leah Band, Adam Bennett, Caitriona Dunnett, Cheryl Newman, Camille Relet, Ed Sykes, Susanne Hakuba, Pippa Healy, Phil Hill, Christian Jago, Phillipa Klaiber, Elena Kollatou and Leonidas Toumpanos, Nieves Mingueza, Zara Pears, Nat Wilkins, Mandy Williams, Sofia Yala, Wing Ka Ho Jimmi, Mitchell Moreno, Sammie Masters-Hopkins, Tamsin Green, Nicola Morley, Marley Starskey Butler, Mark Hobbs, Lucy Turner, Laura Dicken, Joseph Allen Keys, Jacqui Booth, Emily Jones, Andy Pilsbury, Fraser McGee, Susana de Dios, Anand Chhabra, Oliver Tooke, Tristan Poyser, Jonny Bark, Ilona Denton, Hazel Simcox, Thomas Wynne, Simon Burrows, Philip Singleton, Luke Williams, Luca Crawford-Bailey.

The masterclasses are  led by industry and artform experts  who share their knowledge and practical advice on developing a successful career. They have included; Max Gorbatskyi, Vivienne Gamble, Lydia Goldblatt, Jermaine Francis, Kavi Pujara, Sebah Chaudhry, Amak Mahmoodian, Clare Hewitt, Alejandro Acin, Mariama Attah, Monica Allende, Revolv Collective, Simona Ciocarlan, Tom Lovelace, Anthony Luvera, Andrew Jackson, Vincent Hasselbach, Peta Murphy, Mahtab Hussain, Abbas Zahedi, Natasha Caruana, Colin Pantall, Louise Fedotov-Clements, Mathew Murray, Michael Sargeant, Kate Peters, Bindi Vora, Maryam Wahid, Emma Case.