Centre for Contemporary Photography facts for kids
The Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP) is a special place in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria. It's a gallery where you can see amazing modern art made with photos. The CCP helps people enjoy, learn about, and understand today's photography.
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History of the CCP
The CCP started in 1986. It was first called the Victorian Centre for Photography (VCP). It was created by photographers with help from Bernie O’Regan. The first gallery was a small shop in Carlton, another part of Melbourne.
The VCP received money from the Victorian government and the Australia Council for the Arts. This helped them grow from a small group for local photographers to a place that showed art from all over Australia and even other countries. One very important project was an exhibition called The Thousand Mile Stare. It traveled around Australia from 1988 to 1989 and became a key part of Australian photography history.
In the early 1990s, the VCP moved to a bigger building in Fitzroy. Soon after, it changed its name to the Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP). This new name showed that it focused on modern photography. In 2005, the CCP moved again to its current home at 404 George Street, Fitzroy. This building was specially designed for the gallery.
The CCP is a not-for-profit place. This means it doesn't aim to make money, but instead uses its funds to support photo-based art. It helps artists and teaches the public about photography. Many famous artists have shown their work at the CCP, including Leah King-Smith, Gregory Crewdson, Patricia Piccinini, and Taryn Simon. The gallery shows many types of photography, like art photos, pictures by Indigenous artists, portraits, and documentary photos. They even have an award for documentary photography called the Leica/CCP Documentary Photography Award.
In July 2016, the CCP celebrated its 30th birthday with an exhibition called From Silver Gelatin to Instagram: Celebrating 30 Years of the CCP. Artists donated their work to help raise money for the gallery. The CCP gets support from the government and also raises money through memberships and special events.
Who Manages the CCP?
The CCP is run by a team of people, including directors and a board.
Directors of the CCP
Here are some of the people who have led the CCP over the years:
- Deborah Ely (1988-1991)
- Susan Fereday (1992-1995)
- Stuart Koop (1995-1999)
- Charlotte Day (1999–2001)
- Naomi Cass (2001–June 2018)
- Adam Harding (August 2018–2022)
- Daniel Boetker-Smith (2022 -present)
Many volunteers have also helped the CCP. Some of them have gone on to have important careers in the art world. For example, Professor Daniel Palmer is now a leader at RMIT University's School of Art.
Board of Management
A group called the Board of Management helps guide the CCP. The current members include Patrick Pound (Chair), Michael McCormack (Deputy Chair), Nicole Bradshaw (Treasurer), Myles Russell-Cook, Isobel Crombie, Ying Ang, Neil Hugh Kenna, Hoda Afshar, and Mark Simpson.
Exhibitions at the CCP
The CCP has five different areas where it shows art. This includes a special "Night Projection Window" where you can see art projected from 9 pm to 2 am. The gallery shows many different kinds of photo-based art from new and well-known artists. You can see individual shows, group shows, and exhibitions put together by curators. They feature local, Australian, and international photography.
The CCP also hosts the CCP Salon. This is a competition where anyone can enter their photos. It has over 23 categories and offers more than $20,000 in prizes, with sponsors like Leica and Ilford. Visitors can even vote for their favorite photos!
It's free to visit the CCP. In 2017, almost 93,000 people visited the gallery in Fitzroy.
Learning at the CCP
The CCP offers ways for people to learn more about photography.
- Artist Floor Talks: Exhibiting artists often give talks about their work every Saturday after new exhibitions open.
- Education Programs: The CCP also offers practical photography courses.
- Public Lectures: They have a series of public talks each year. Past speakers have included famous photographers and thinkers like Martin Parr.
Other Photography Centres
- Australian Centre for Photography
- Queensland Centre for Photography
