Bondi Beach turned into a nude beach for a day after thousands gathered for “Strip Off for Skin Cancer,” a one-of-a-kind photo shoot held to raise awareness about the condition, which can be life-threatening if not treated early. Queensland is one of Australia’s hotspots for skin cancer.
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The project was a collaboration between photographer Spencer Tunick and Skin Check Champions, a charity that helps communities who are most at risk of skin cancer by connecting them with their local GP, skin clinic, or dermatologist, or bringing specialists to the people through their free, educational pop-up skin check clinics.
“Strip Off for Skin Cancer” aims to challenge Australia by raising funds and awareness for its national skin check program. The idea is to flood social media with skin, encouraging people to donate to the charity’s program.
Everyone who would like to sign up may create their profile or start a team. Then, share it with as many of your mates as possible to get them on board as sponsors or ambassadors. The more Aussies sign up, the more people the charity will be able to save from skin cancer.
“We challenge you to do something brave and get your kit off for the cause (sun-safely and legally of course). Posting photos or videos doing whatever it is you love doing (in your undies / swimmers) to get people’s attention,” Skin Check Champions said.
Meanwhile, this kind of project isn’t new for Tunick, who is best known for organising large-scale nude shoots in various landmarks around the world. In 2010, 5,500 people gathered at the famous Opera House in Sydney for his shoot.
However, this was the first time in history that a nude shoot involving thousands of individuals took place in Bondi Beach. Tunick felt honoured to have this kind of opportunity, which allowed him to raise awareness in partnership with Skin Check Champions, whilst making his art.
The photo shoot coincided with the celebration of National Skin Cancer Action Week (Nov 21-27), which aims to create nationwide ‘skinspiration’ to help elevate the issue of skin cancer into the public consciousness.
One of the participants felt nervous about joining the photoshoot, but because everyone was respectful, despite the nature of the shoot, it ended up a fun and memorable experience for everyone.
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To learn more about Skin Check Champions and their initiative, visit their website.
