WHAT IS THE AGORA DIPLOMA?
A YEAR TO EXPERIMENT, MAKE MISTAKES, DISCOVER AND TRANSFORM YOUR APPROACH TO PHOTOGRAPHY.
The diploma proposes a complete journey through experimental photography: twelve months of techniques, processes, ideas and support to go from exploration to the creation of your own project.
You will combine online learning, live meetings, community, specialization, and mentorship while working with historical processes, cameraless photography, experimental printing, intervention, digital art, and photobooks.
It's not about replicating formulas, but about understanding the processes, combining them, and making them your own. A flexible and in-depth training program to expand your practice and imagine other ways of doing photography.
LEARN IN COMMUNITY,
AT YOUR OWN PACE AND FROM WHEREVER YOU WANT!
A 12-MONTH JOURNEY
IN 3 STAGES
1.
EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES
8 MONTHS
DURING THE FIRST 8 MONTHS YOU WILL COMPLETE THE 4 MAIN LEVELS OF THE DIPLOMA.
You will learn experimental techniques step by step, from the most accessible processes to more complex methodologies, combining theory, practice, artistic references and applied exercises.
2.
SPECIALIZATION
2 MONTHS
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Creative photography
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Solar printing
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Historical techniques
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Experimental digital art
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Experimental darkroom
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Cameraless photography
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Stories, theories and debates on experimental photography
AFTER THE TECHNICAL LEVELS, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CHOOSE A SPECIALIZATION ACCORDING TO YOUR PERSONAL INTERESTS.
This stage will allow you to delve deeper into a specific line and better guide your creative process:
3.
MENTORSHIP AND FINAL PROJECT
2 MONTHS
IN THE FINAL STAGE OF THE DIPLOMA, YOU WILL DEVELOP A PERSONAL PROJECT WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE AGORA TEAM.
We will work on the idea, the techniques, the format of presentation and the coherence of the project, so that you can close the course with your own proposal.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN DURING THE DIPLOMA?
YOU WILL LEARN MORE THAN 60 EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, BUT THE GOAL IS NOT TO ACCUMULATE PROCESSES:
It is about knowing how to use them with judgment, intention and your own language.
The journey progresses step by step, from accessible techniques to more complex methodologies, combining processes.
Historical processes, cameraless, experimental printing, intervention, ecological practices, digital art, photobooks, exhibitions and personal project.
A structured training to gain tools, confidence and creative autonomy.
CHOOSE YOUR SPECIALIZATION
During the diploma you will be able to choose a specialization to delve deeper into a specific line of work.
A journey through camera techniques that explore the relationship between light, chemistry, matter, gesture, chance and time, from the lumen print to the photogram and the chemigram.
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CAMERALESS PHOTOGRAPHY: FROM SUNLIGHT TO SAFETY LIGHT
A specialization designed to help you understand photographic chemistry and use development, emulsion alteration, and experimental processes as creative tools.
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EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORY: CHEMISTRY AS A CREATIVE TOOL
A space to explore image-making through experimentation, intervention, visual narrative, and the development of your own photographic language.
CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY
A specialization to explore the origins of experimental photography, understand its key movements, and connect historical debates with contemporary practices.
HISTORIES, THEORIES AND DEBATES ON EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY: FROM ITS ORIGINS TO THE HISTORICAL AVANT-GARDES
A specialization to explore the origins of experimental photography, understand its key movements, and connect historical debates with contemporary practices. A journey through the theories and debates that have transformed photography since the second half of the 20th century, connecting critical thinking, technology, society, and contemporary experimental practices.
STORIES, THEORIES AND DEBATES ON CONTEMPORARY EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY
A specialization dedicated to exploring the creative possibilities of digital imagery, post-production, mixed media, and new visual languages.
EXPERIMENTAL DIGITAL ART
A specialization focused on techniques that work with sunlight, photosensitive materials, and natural printing processes.
SOLAR PRINTING
An introduction to historical and handcrafted photographic processes, designed to explore their foundations, materials, and creative possibilities, and to discover how 19th-century techniques can be brought into contemporary practice.
HISTORICAL TECHNIQUES: INTRODUCTION
An immersion in more complex historical photographic processes, designed to deepen your understanding of their techniques, materiality, and artistic potential while experimenting with advanced methods and their contemporary possibilities.
ADVANCED HISTORICAL TECHNIQUES
FINISH THE DIPLOMA WITH YOUR OWN PROJECT
During the final two months of the diploma program, you will develop a personal project that integrates the techniques and concepts explored throughout the year. We will work with you to reflect on what you want to express, which processes can help you do so, and which format makes the most sense for presenting your work.
The goal is not just to produce a series of images, but to help you shape a coherent, personal proposal connected to your own way of experiencing and understanding photography.
In addition, the final projects may become part of Ágora’s online experimental library. Each year, we also select one project to be exhibited individually during the experimental photo festival in Barcelona.
WHY CHOOSE THE FULL DIPLOMA?
1.
A STRUCTURED LEARNING JOURNEY
The diploma allows you to progress step by step, without getting lost among isolated techniques. Each level is designed to expand your toolkit and help you build a stronger, more solid practice.
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2.
MUCH MORE THAN INDIVIDUAL CLASSES
The diploma combines technique, specialization, community and project monitoring.
It is the most complete course for those who want to dedicate a year to exploring photography in depth.
3.
FLEXIBLE LEARNING
Follow the classes at your own pace, repeat the content whenever you need to and retain lifetime access to return to the diploma whenever you want.
4.
A CREATIVE COMMUNITY
You will be part of an international community of people interested in experimental photography, with whom you can share questions, processes, discoveries and projects.
5.
SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS
Our team will be nearby to guide you, answer questions, and help you find the best way to adapt the techniques to your own visual language.
WHAT ARE OUR CLASSES LIKE?
Take a look at these two preview videos we've selected for you! We hope you get a clearer idea of our classes and join us.
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY ABOUT ÁGORA
THE DIPLOMA PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, BACKGROUNDS, AND EXPERIENCES.
Some come out of curiosity, others to expand their artistic practice, and still others to stimulate their creativity and work with images in different ways.
What they share is the desire to experiment, learn in community and discover processes that open up new creative possibilities.
REGISTER FOR THE DIPLOMA
MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE DIPLOMA
The diploma is designed for photographers, visual artists, students, teachers, creators, and anyone interested in exploring image-making through experimental processes. You do not need to have previous professional experience. You can start from curiosity, from an already developed artistic practice, or simply from the desire to expand your creative tools.
WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?
DO I NEED PRIOR EXPERIENCE?
No previous experience is required. The programme is structured progressively, allowing you to move from the fundamentals to more complex techniques. If you already have experience, the diploma will also help you organise, deepen, and expand your practice.
You do not need a professional laboratory. Many of the techniques can be carried out at home or in a simple workspace. In each class, we will explain the materials you need and possible adaptations.
DO I NEED A LABORATORY?
HOW MUCH TIME DO I NEED TO DEDICATE TO IT?
The diploma is designed so you can adapt it to your own pace. To stay fully up to date, you should dedicate between 3 and 5 hours per week to watching all the content. If you cannot keep up with the suggested pace, don't worry: the recorded classes allow you to organise your time and return to the content whenever you need.
The diploma is available in Spanish and English, depending on the chosen format. The content is recorded in the instructor's language and subtitled for all students.
WHAT LANGUAGE IS IT TAUGHT IN?
WHAT MATERIALS DO I NEED?
Each technique requires different materials. During the classes, you will receive clear guidance on what you need, how to prepare it, and what alternatives you can use whenever possible. On our resources page, you can find out where to buy the materials in your country.
CAN I PAY IN INSTALLMENTS?
Yes. You can pay for the diploma in full or choose one of the available monthly payment options.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT INCLUDE?
It includes all 4 levels of experimental techniques, one specialisation course, project mentoring, live sessions, access to the community, supporting materials, and lifetime access to the content.
NOT SURE IF THE DIPLOMA IS FOR YOU?
If you have any questions, you can write to us or schedule a call with our team. We'll help you understand if this program is right for you, your interests, and your practice. We can also guide you if you're unsure where to begin: with the full diploma program, a technical course, or a specialization.
SEE YOU VERY SOON!
Experimental photography doesn't begin with perfect technique, but with a question, an intuition, or a desire to try something different. At ágora, we guide you so that this quest becomes a process, a language, and a project.
JOIN THE DIPLOMA PROGRAM AND START YOUR JOURNEY IN EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY.