Don McCullin survived the Blitz and braved bullets in Vietnam and Afghanistan. Now Britain’s greatest photo journalist joins us to celebrate his 90th birthday.
“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” – Don McCullin
Born in poverty in North London and raised in the Blitz, Don McCullin became a photographer largely by accident; but after securing his first commission at the age of 23 from the Observer, he went onto become the most distinguished photojournalist of the twentieth century. Now, in his ninetieth year, he joins us in conversation to share stories from an extraordinary life.
McCullin travelled to Cyprus, Uganda, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and every other major conflict zone of his lifetime. He was shot in Cambodia, imprisoned in Uganda, expelled from Vietnam and had a bounty on his head in Lebanon. Many times, his bravery pushed luck to its outermost limits: not only to get the perfect shot but to help the wounded and dying.
Reluctant to let the label of ‘war photographer’ define him, he travelled extensively through Indonesia, Africa, and India, producing powerful essays on places and peoples that had had few encounters with the Western world. Closer to home, his work has given voice to the poor and underprivileged, documenting homelessness in the East End and the working classes of Britain’s industrialised cities.
Joining us to celebrate his 90th birthday in two special events, don’t miss these rare opportunities to hear from a singular witness to history.
‘I need a challenge. My greatest fear is sitting and staring out of a window without the passion to do anything anymore.’ – Don McCullin
