Over the past year or so I've been working with the Victorian Pride Centre to produce a series of images stretching from building on site through to the grand opening ceremony.
The Victorian Pride Centre will celebrate Victoria’s diverse LGBTIQ+ community, paving new directions for its future and honouring its brave, and at times, difficult past. It will provide an uplifting expression of welcome, engagement and belonging. Housing major and important LGBTIQ+ resident organisations, while also providing flexible and multi-use spaces, a health service, training room, meeting rooms, a reflection room, café/bar, theatrette and gallery for use by smaller groups. This space will also serve as a hub for LGBTIQ+ groups and organisations to share ideas and resources and to further their work in supporting equality, diversity and inclusion across the state.
It's been a pretty amazing journey to see the centre spring up from the ground over the past year or so. My involvement started when former Mayor Steve Stefanopoulos got in touch to ask whether I would be interested in photographing the Night of Pride. The Stonnington Mayor has the opportunity to hold a fundraising event each year, and in 2019 he chose to raise funds for the Pride Centre. It was an amazing night at the Malvern Town Hall, with auctions, performances, speeches and hundreds of guests. After that event I photographed a number of small fundraising and founder events for the centre as construction commenced, and some of the announcements as various tenants were announced.
As I live in the local area, I visited the site taking exterior images every month or so whilst Melbourne was in our long COVID lockdown, including some long exposures once the crane came down.
As the months past the centre just seemed to evolve, and this incredible interior space came into being.
CEO Justine Dalla Riva explained the design theme of the building for Open House Melbourne:
Strength and permanence
Evolution and emergence
Working with the Pride Centre has been so fulfilling as I strongly believe in it's purpose. I'm also the Vice President of the Melbourne Rainbow Band, and I've been involved in the LGBTIQA+ community for over 25 years. Over that time I've seen the centre of community change dramatically. We used to have organisations like the ALSO foundation, and streets like Commercial Rd, bars and nightclubs that were the centre of our world. Although there are still some clubs and bars around, increasing acceptance, and the rise of the digital world has seen many of the foundations and organisations fade away.
What has become stronger and stronger with each year are a plethora of social, sporting, artistic and social clubs and groups. These gather like minded people together to pursue common interests and activities in safe spaces. The need for these spaces shifts and changes as our community does too. Whereas once safe spaces were provided primarily for gay and lesbian people, the need marches on and incorporates those who now need support. The Pride Centre will bring all of these groups together and really strengthen the bonds of this side of our community. The tenants at the centre generally serve a specific health need, or also foster this sense of a community. I can't wait to see what our community looks like in 10 or 15 years as the impact of this incredible facility has taken hold and revitalised Melbourne's rainbow communities.
I am passionate about this centre and it's reason for being, and I have signed up to be a Bronze Patron of the centre. If you also feel passionate, and you are in the position to do so, I encourage you to get in touch with the centre.
