Bolton Museum will be the next UK venue to host “KFOR and Kosovo +25”, a powerful photography exhibition marking the 25th anniversary of the NATO-led international peacekeeping deployment to Kosovo.
Opening on Friday 15 May 2026 and running until 13 September 2026, the exhibition features more than 40 photographs by documentary photojournalist Nick Sidle, who was embedded with KFOR units during the early stages of the mission in 1999–2001.
About the exhibition
In 1999, KFOR - the NATO-led international peacekeeping force - entered Kosovo following resolution 1244 by the United Nations Security Council, and the 2025-2026 period marks the 25th anniversary of the first phase of that deployment.
Documentary photographer Nick Sidle was attached to KFOR in the operation’s early stages, where he was embedded with several UK regiments and produced a unique record of the work of the peacekeepers, showing troops from nine different countries.
The photo story captured not just the work of the soldiers, it also highlighted the world of Kosovo at the time from a human angle, to enable audiences beyond the country to empathise and understand a world in which intolerance had been taken to new levels.
It also helps to explain why there was a need for the peacekeeping intervention to safeguard lives and homes and help rebuild ordinary life in what were extraordinary circumstances.
Nick Sidle’s photographs form the centerpiece of the current exhibition at Bolton Museum.
Bolton is the latest venue to host the exhibition, which was first presented in 2024/25 at the Tower of London, National Memorial Arboretum, National Museum of Kosovo, Cardiff Castle, the House of Commons, and NATO HQ; and continues to tour across the UK.
Sita Kumari, Director of Heartstone, who helped to organise the original photodocumentary project and now the exhibition, says:
“This is a story that demonstrates how nine nations came together co-operatively to help establish peace, security, and stability in a country coming out of recent conflict.
“It is about the role of soldiers as peacekeepers and their interaction with civilians of all communities bringing the foundation from which peace could follow.
“It is a story of human resilience and hope; and one that is a powerful and relevant story for our time, not just a historical photodocumentary.”
Cllr Ryan Bamforth, Bolton’s Armed Forces Champion, said:
“What is particularly significant about the photographs in the exhibition is that they record the involvement of several UK regiments, including the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers based in the North West.
“The Fusiliers have a long-standing connection with our town of Bolton and are currently based at the barracks on Nelson Street, so it is appropriate that the exhibition is being hosted here in the town’s museum.
“The photographs in the exhibition capture a period of history that must not be forgotten; and it is worth remembering that KFOR is still active in Kosovo.”
About the photographer
Nick Sidle is a documentary photographer based in Highland Scotland. In a career spanning four decades, he is best known for his extended visual essays on the Balkans and on Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. He has had major solo exhibitions at The Southbank Centre in London, The European Parliament, The British Library, The City Arts Centre in Edinburgh, Stirling Castle, St George’s Hall in Liverpool, The Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Liverpool Cathedral, and Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow, as well as other major venues.
About Heartstone
Heartstone is a non-profit organisation based in Highland Scotland which produces ‘story' via literature, photodocumentary, and history. Our stories are presented through exhibitions, events, performances, installations, publications, and online. All our stories have an underlying message: to see past stereotypes and prejudice and recognise a common human experience. Heartstone stories help bring people together across different nationalities, cultures, races, faiths, and backgrounds. In Scotland, funders include Creative Scotland, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Awards for All, Police Scotland, the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, and many other funders. www.heartstonechandra.com