Photography festivals don't happen in isolation. Behind every edition there is a community of organisers, curators, and educators keeping the ecosystem alive. Laura Ligari knows this better than most.

As founder and co-director of the Experimental Photo Festival Association and one of the driving forces behind IPFA - the International Photography Festivals Association - Ligari has spent years building structures that give experimental and street photography a home in the world. She has supported the work of more than 300 photographers, developed festival programming across Europe, and expanded access to photography education through streamed workshops and a sustained dialogue with the international community.

At BSPF 2026, she brings that perspective to Brussels. Her talk is a conversation about what it takes to build a festival, sustain it, and connect it to a wider world - relevant to anyone running an event, dreaming of starting one, or simply wanting to understand the infrastructure behind the images.

BSPF is a proud member of IPFA, a network that links photography festivals worldwide.

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