In 2018, together with Sam Stourdzé director of Les Rencontres d’Arles and San Servolo srl, we created Venezia Photo, the first international festival of photography in Italy dedicated to transmitting and sharing our passion, through workshops.
Venice is the ideal place to meet every year and share our love for photography on the island of San Servolo, which allows us to meet, but also to escape into the magic of the Serenissima, so dear to all of us photographers.
Long live photography!
— Oliviero Toscani
The Venezia Photo spirit
Oliviero Toscani, Albert Watson, Peter Lindbergh, Steve McCurry, Martin Parr, Paolo Roversi. These are some of the names that, year after year, shape the story of Venezia Photo.
A training organization and a living community, Venezia Photo treats photography as culture, encounter, and creation, with structured pedagogy, substantial practical learning, and skills transmission at its core. In Venice, on San Servolo Island, fashion, reportage, portraiture and every expression of the image meet and are learned together.
who we ARE ?
Venezia Photo is carried by a human-scale team driven by passion, authenticity and a deep love of photography. Every detail matters, every encounter has meaning, and each training experience is designed around genuine human connection.
Created by Oliviero Toscani, Sam Stourdzé ADAP association and San Servolo srl, Venezia Photo has naturally expanded its mission over time by developing professional training programs that carry the same spirit of transmission.
Certified under Qualiopi standards, these programs support photographers in strengthening both their artistic practice and their professional path.
All of our short and professional training courses are co-developed and delivered in partnership with Campus Mana, founded by Thomas and Sophie Dariel. Recognized in France and in Venice for its innovative approach to artistic education, Campus Mana brings its expertise in designing and customizing training content, ensuring high-quality pedagogical standards and meaningful learning experiences.
Together, Venezia Photo, ADAP and Campus Mana share the same values of excellence, creativity and accessibility. Our collaboration offers a framework where learning photography also means growing as an artist — and as a human being.
Because beyond technique, photography is above all a story of connections — with others, with the world, and with oneself.
Accommodation & meals
Accomodation
The San Servolo Island Cultural Centre in Venice offers a wide range of room types set within a beautiful park, many with views over the lagoon. Venezia Photo gives you the opportunity to stay on the island at a preferential rate so you can experience the workshops in full immersion.
All rooms have a private bathroom and free Wi-Fi.
To book, please email: reception@servizimetropolitani.ve.it
To learn more about San Servolo Island, click here.
* Please note: the number of rooms on the island is limited and will not meet total demand. We recommend booking as early as possible to ensure you can stay on the island during the festival.
Meals
VENEZIA PHOTO FESTIVAL
Breakfast and dinner are included in the workshop fee.
For lunch, there is a cafeteria on San Servolo Island. Depending on your workshop schedule, you may also find yourself in Venice with your tutor — in that case, you’ll have plenty of options to grab a quick bite in the city.
VENEZIA PHOTO ALL-YEAR
For Venezia Photo All Year workshops, a welcome dinner will be held on the first evening to get to know one another. This dinner is included in the workshop fee.
For other meals, the island of San Servolo offers a restaurant open for lunch and dinner, as well as a cafeteria for lighter options. And just a few minutes away, Venice awaits, a rich gastronomic world to explore, whether on the go or around a beautiful table.
Transport & access
From Marco Polo International Airport (VCE)
Take the Alilaguna water shuttle (Blue Line) to San Zaccaria (St. Mark’s Square), then transfer to vaporetto line 20 from San Zaccaria M.V.E to San Servolo.
From Venice Train Station (Santa Lucia)
Take the vaporetto to St. Mark’s Square (lines 1, 2, 4.1, or 5.1).
Get off at San Zaccaria M.V.E, then take line 20 to San Servolo.
The entrance to the Centro Soggiorno, where the workshops take place, is located right at the end of the pier.
Accessibility & specific needs
Do you have a disability or special need?
Please notify our team in advance: we will adapt the training to ensure your comfort and optimal participation.
The vaporettos and San Servolo facilities are accessible to people with reduced mobility.
funding-my-workshop
If you reside in France, it is now possible to use your professional training rights to take part in a Venezia Photo workshop. Depending on your professional status, two funding schemes are available to help you cover part or all of the cost of your workshop in Venice.
Venezia Photo collaborates with Campus MANA, founded by Thomas and Sophie Dariel, who share our vision of transmission and excellence. As a Qualiopi-certified training center, Campus MANA manages the educational and administrative aspects of our workshops, ensuring their compliance and recognition by the main French funding organizations.
In France, two main “opérateurs de compétences” (skills operators) may, under certain conditions, finance a training program in Venice:
AFDAS: for photographers, performing artists, and freelance authors affiliated or registered under the French artists’ regime.
Applications for financial support for 2026 workshops will open on December 15, 2025, via the AFDAS website.
AGEFICE: for self-employed business owners and their collaborating spouses or partners registered with URSSAF or the Social Security for the Self-Employed. This scheme allows the funding of professional training activities related to commerce, industry, or services.
Other training funding schemes may be available for employees of certain organizations (notably through UNIFORMATION), subject to an application initiated by the employer.
If you are unsure about your eligibility, you can contact your local URSSAF office to check your training rights.
After you have pre-registered for the workshop of your choice, Campus MANA will provide you with all the necessary documents to complete your funding application.
For any information about funding your workshop please contact : inscriptions@campusmana.com
Faq
Not necessarily. The required level varies from one workshop to another. Venezia Photo offers a wide range of options, from beginner-friendly sessions to advanced workshops designed for professional photographers. For more information, please visit the individual workshop pages — level requirements are specified there.
Nothing could be simpler. Go to the workshops page, select the one you’d like to join, and follow the registration process. Once your payment is complete, you’ll be added to the list of participants and will receive a confirmation email along with a detailed program shortly before the start of the workshop.
The Venezia Photo Festival is a major annual event held every spring on San Servolo Island, featuring nearly 20 workshops happening simultaneously, each led by a world-renowned photographer. For three days, the island turns into a vibrant hub of photography — filled with lectures, screenings, and encounters between professionals and passionate amateurs from all over the world.
The year-round Workshops, on the other hand, offer a more intimate and immersive experience: one workshop at a time, in small groups of 8 to 12 participants, over four intensive days.
Yes, in some cases if your residence is in France.
Depending on your professional status you may be eligible for partial or full funding through professional training programs.
In France Venezia Photo workshops are eligible for funding through AFDAS (for photographers, artists, and freelancers in the cultural field) or AGEFICE (for self-employed professionals and business owners).
We recommend reaching out to your training advisor or the URSAFF to verify your eligibility.
Our partner Campus MANA, a Qualiopi-certified training center, can also assist you in preparing your application after your pre-inscription to a workshop.
For any questions, feel free to contact Campus Mana inscriptions@campusmana.com — we’ll be happy to help guide you through the process.
If the workshop you’re interested in is full, please write to us at lea@veneziaphoto.org
, specifying which one you’d like to attend. We’ll get back to you as soon as a spot becomes available, or suggest an alternative option.
We also encourage you to browse the other available workshops — some may perfectly match what you’re looking for!
No, accommodation is not included in the workshop fee. However during the Festival breakfast and dinner on the island are included.
Yes, absolutely. If you can, we recommend arriving a bit earlier to soak in the city’s unique atmosphere. You can explore Venice before and/or after your workshop.