Children Photo Book Support Fund
Following its mission to support research and creative work, promote photographic publishing, and provide training in the critical interpretation of images, the Institut pour la photographie launched the first edition of the Children Photo Book Support Fund in 2023; the second edition is currently underway.
The history of children’s photography publishing is closely linked to the field of education and the development of visual-based learning beginning in the 1920s. While this educational focus remains relevant today, this genre of publishing has continually explored new areas to expand the imagination and shape the viewer’s perspective.
The Children Photo Book Support Fund aims to promote the creation of photographic books for young audiences, through a grant of €10,000 intended to support the design and production of an original French-language book project aimed at children and/or teenagers aged 6 to 18.
Every two years, the Institut pour la photographie issues a call for applications open to authors, artists, photographers, and graphic designers, with no age limit and regardless of nationality. Following this call for submissions, a jury composed of experts in publishing, photography, and education selects one candidate based on their application materials.
This support program was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of publisher Frédérique Destribats.
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L'École Buissonnière
Allegra Baggio Corradi
2026 Edition
L'École Buissonnière, the winning project of the Children Photo Book Support Fund, takes the form of a series of photo books aimed at 12- to 15-year-olds.
Created during workshops with children from social centers in Paris, this series will consist of twelve chapters—one for each month of the year—each exploring a distinct photographic genre.
Photography serves as an inclusive language, inviting everyone to become part of the narrative, to observe, imagine, and create. Portraits of leaves, details of bark, landscapes, and reflections become tools for reflecting on ecology, community, and ways of inhabiting the world together.
The first volume of the project is a reimagining of A Year in the Wonderland of Trees by American author Hallam Hawksworth, published in 1926 and illustrated by Lora Palmer Atkinson. One hundred years later, this book has become a photographic narrative rooted in today’s social and environmental issues. Over the next two years, Allegra Baggio Corradi will receive support from the Institute’s team and a grant of €10,000 to help her bring her publishing project to fruition and see it published by October 2027.
Lee and the Sea Creatures
Olivia Arthur
2024 Edition
Olivia Arthur is a documentary photographer whose work explores gender, intimacy, the human body, and physicality. She is a member of Magnum Photos of which she served as president from 2020 to 2022.
Created using photo collages, her children's book project, Lee and the Sea Creatures, was a recipient of the Institut pour la photographie’s first Youth Photo Book Support Fund in 2024.
after two years of support, it is now being published by Bel et Bien in the collection Sage comme des Images.
Synopsis: Lee is a child who wants to know everything. She relentlessly questions the world: the sea, the flowers, and the silence of adults who are too busy. It is from a panther that she will find the answer to THE question—the one that is kept silent, and which can only be approached through the story’s twists and turns: the story of her missing mother, carried away by the Creatures of the Sea.
Frequently asked questions about applications
Yes, it is possible to submit a group application under the same conditions and terms as an individual application. In the case of a group application, the grant amount remains the same (10,000 euros, including all taxes and fees), but the copyright assignment (valued at a minimum of 2,500 euros, including all taxes and fees) must be divided equally or unequally, following discussion and agreement among all members of the project who submitted the application.
The group must also designate a representative to serve as the point of contact for the Institut pour la photographie.
Absolutely! You don’t need to have found a publisher or distributor to apply. The Institute can assist you in finding a publisher during the 18-month project development period.
If you have found a potential publisher or distributor, or if you are already working with a publisher or distributor, it is important to mention this in your application and to include a letter of commitment from your publisher or distributor.
Like the statement of intent, the preliminary layout should include as many details as possible about your future project—whether it’s a rough draft of the visual material to be used, the format, the number of pages, the choice of paper, the type of printing, or any other information that might help our jury evaluate your project from both a visual and technical perspective. This preliminary mockup is also taken into account when analyzing the projected budget.
The budget should not be limited to the grant amount of 10,000 euros. Each applicant may draw up their projected budget as they see fit, treating the grant as one source of funding for an overall project. However, two important conditions must be met: the design and production of at least 500 copies, and a minimum amount of 2,500 euros, including all taxes and fees, for the transfer of copyright. The remainder of the budget not covered by the grant is the responsibility of the author or their publisher, depending on what has been or will be agreed upon between you. No cost estimates are required in the projected budget.