It announced its merger with Photoworks in 2006[2] following a successful Arts Council England National Portfolio funding application that secured the future of the newly merged organisation for three years.
[4] Other projects from the festival included Wind Blown Cloud by Alec Finlay, Insight by Patrick Killoran and The London to Brighton Art Car Rally and Boot Sale in collaboration with Vauxhall Motors.
The Art Car Rally and Boot Sale has continued to beyond the Brighton Photo Biennial festival and has now been running annually since 2004.
Gilane's vision of the BPB presented a mix of historic and contemporary photography through exhibitions of artworks and shows from Adel Abdessemed, Richard Avedon, Phyllis Baldino, David Claerbout, William Eggleston, Walker Evans, Paul Fusco, Alfredo Jaar, Gabriel Kuri, Van Leo, Glenn Ligon, Steve McQueen, Lee Miller, Richard Misrach, Henna Nadeem, Mitra Tabrizian, Fiona Tan, Kara Walker, Andy Warhol and Orson Welles.
The Henna Nadeem exhibition, A Picture Book of Britain led to the Photoworks publication of the same name with text by David Chandler and Dr Benedict Burbridge.
Stallabrass' edition of the festival saw it extend beyond the city of Brighton and Hove to nearby regions of Chichester, Winchester, Eastbourne, Hastings and Portsmouth.
[10] 2010 saw the British documentary photographer, Martin Parr take the helm as Curator, titling the edition New Documents - portraying the vibrancy of photography in reflection of the diversity of the city of Brighton & Hove.
This led to the inclusion of Brighton's White Night that encouraged the public and artists to engage with photography and light in different and unexpected ways.
It included: The Agents of Change 2012 Biennial attracted over 100,000 visits[15] from 6 October - 4 November 2012, making it one of Europe's largest photography festivals.
Critic Peter Popham described BPB12 as "edgier than ever" for its tackling of difficult subject matter such as poverty, wealth disparity and politics in the Independent.
Due to social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will take three forms: outdoor exhibitions on billboards throughout Brighton and Hove; a deconstructable magazine that can be displayed at home, with posters, and texts by Julia Bunnemann, Simon Baker, Pamila Gupta, Thyago Nogueira and others; and online.