IMPACT stands for ‘International Multi-disciplinary Printmaking, Artists, Concepts and Techniques’. The idea for the first IMPACT conference was developed by Richard Anderton and Professor Stephen Hoskins based on their joint visits to the American Southern Graphics Council conferences in the early 90’s. They realised there was no international forum specifically for printmakers and created IMPACT – initially based on the Southern Graphics concept but the increasing thrust of IMPACT has been to create an academic forum whilst maintaining a showcase for print practitioners.
Over the past two decades IMPACT has evolved as Europe’s leading academic discourse on printmaking. Printmaking is now integral to the wider academic debate, through practice, theory, visual culture, and is studied across a range of programmes, from undergraduate to PhD around the world.
Past Impact conferences have been held in:
2018 IMPACT 10 Hosted by SM Pro Art, Santander, Spain Find out more on the conference website https://www.impact10.es/
2015 IMPACT 9 Hosted by the China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China.
2013 IMPACT 8 Hosted by Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee. Find out more on the conference website IMPACT 8 website
2011 IMPACT 7 Hosted by Monash University, Australia. Find out more on the conference website impact7.org.au/index.html
2009 IMPACT 6 Held at UWE Bristol, England. View images from the conference here.
2007 IMPACT 5 Hosted by the Estonian Printmakers’ Association and Estonian Academy of Art, and was held at KUMU, a purpose built art museum in Tallinn. Find out more in the conference programme
2005 IMPACT 4 Co-hosted by the Unversität der Künste Berlin and the National Museum in Poznan and coordinated by University of Tennessee. Find out more on the conference website
2003 IMPACT 3 Co-hosted by the South Africa Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town with Rhodes University School of Fine Art.
2001 IMPACT 2 Hosted by the University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH, Finland. Find out more on the conference website
1999 IMPACT 1 Held at UWE Bristol, England
Since 2009, Hong Kong Open Printshop has attended the IMPACT conferences, meeting friends and gaining experience. IMPACT 11 was due to be hosted at major cultural venues in Hong Kong in 2020, with the support of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. In view of Covid-19, unfortunately IMPACT 11 will be postponed until further notice. We will keep this page updated with the latest information.
