It was disappointing to learn that the Centre for British Photography will in all likelihood be homeless on its first birthday. It's closing in its current location in January after just a year, following the landlord's decision to halve its two-year lease.
The venue was always going to be temporary, and negotiations to secure a new base are underway, thankfully - but nothing is yet resolved. And the bigger problem is that the support and goodwill of the photographic community can only take the CBP so far; it desperately needs a funder or patron to relieve founder James Hyman of the financial burden and ensure long-term sustainability, wherever it ends up calling home.
The recent critical and indeed popular success of Paul Sng's documentary about Tish Murtha has helped to draw attention to British photography and hints at its potential audience and the scale of public interest. The CBP seems to have been doing sterling work to promote it, with a laudable commitment to diversity. So here's hoping that the required funding is forthcoming and the CBP's future can be secured.
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