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Centre for Contemporary Photography loses funding
The Centre for Contemporary Photography in Fitzroy, Victoria has lost its funding from both the Victorian State Government and the Federal Government. The CCP has struggled for years to find its direction and the withdrawal of government funding is not surprising.
It was established as the Victorian Centre for Photography in 1986 in a shopfront in Rathdowne Street in Carlton. Photographer Bernie O’Regan (1938-1996) was the driving force behind the centre’s creation as venue for local photographers.
The VCP changed its name to Centre for Contemporary Photography in the early 1990’s and moved to Johnston Street, Fitzroy. Since 2005 it has been located at 404 George Street, Fitzroy.
The loss of government funding means the CCP will move out of George Street at the end of August 2024. Two people will lose their jobs.
CCP Board Chair Dr. Patrick Pound said: “The CCP has always relied on a combination of government and private funding, and its broader supportive community to ensure its sustainability. Without the adequate levels of government support necessary to operate, the CCP Board has been forced into taking this drastic step.”
CCP Director Daniel Boetker-Smith: “the lack of Federal and State government support for photography that I have witnessed since joining the CCP less than two years ago is confronting, particularly given the extraordinary talent in this country, the huge audiences we have attracted, and the high levels of achievement and impact the CCP has had.
Over the past 38 years the CCP has had a significant history and track record of launching the careers of photo artists, creatives, curators, and gallery directors across Australia and the world. Our influence spreads far and wide and the CCP is a key organisation devoted the supporting our creative community young and old. The CCP plays a pivotal role in the celebration of lens-based arts by providing accessible educational programs, diverse exhibition opportunities, and unique commissioned creative projects, and despite this set back we will continue to fight to create a place in Melbourne to advocate for photography, and for the importance of photographic storytelling in our culture and society”
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This is very bad news and not a great reflection on both the State and Federal government who are supposed to be supportive of the Arts.
Concerned photographers should take action and a petition challenging the decision sent to the Premier and PM.
David, can this be facilitated in this site?
Brian, the loss of funding to the CCP is more a reflection on its governance and board than anything else.
Brian,
I understand that the CCP has downsized (ie., staff let go) and moved to new premises in the short term. The new premises are a ‘Project Space’ at Collingwood Yards (https://collingwoodyards.org). They say they will offer a smaller program of exhibitions and events for 2024/5 whilst they (the director and board?) work on developing a long-term vision for the CCP.
The CCP has, in effect, temporarily situated itself amongst other independent arts organisations working across music, visual arts, performance, digital media, creative industries. A good place for photography to be, given its current modest presence in the art institution?
Hopefully, the long-term vision the CCP is currently working on will include addressing the issues of governance and direction that have been raised by some in the photographic community. A Centre for Contemporary Photography, if it is live up to it actually being a space /hub of contemporary photography, needs to be more than Melbourne-centric and seriously address what ‘contemporary’ actually means over and above it just meaning ‘now’.