Becoming Part of Something.Part 2

Its that festive period where everything pauses. Before Christmas Annabel and I started putting together the Show&Tell Programme 2012 and delighted to have speakers Susan Collis, Virgina Verran, Freddie Robins, Alex Pearl, Cathy Lomax, Karl England Ben Street, Amy Mckenny and Andrew Hewish. You can see more here and there is yet more to come!

http://diyeducate.blogspot.com/p/diy-educate-show-programme-2012.html

In addition , we got another piece of excellent news – that Lewisham Arts Services ( our local arts authority) were giving us a grant to hold 2 creative seminars for artists. originally the LAA had come to us, offering us a grant‘ because we are an important organisation in the borough, offering something no-one else is.’

However when we lost our building and it became clear that I wasn’t going to be able to keep the name Core Gallery either, we met with our arts officer and explained it all to her and my need to free myself of an unsustainable and uncertain future and create my own artist led organisation with Annabel. One which was solid, open, sustainable and ambitious . And with no trustees and our own bank account so all finances were under our control. The arts officer was very supportive.

But, of course, the original proposal had to be rewritten, (again and again and again ) plus we also had to find a building in that time or a partner for the seminar. As I previously mentioned there were a lot of meetings with various arts organisations in the borough and in the end we met one of the gatekeepers of Goldsmiths, who was impressed by what we had achieved at Core Gallery and how Annabel and I had founded created the ambitious Show&Tell Artists education programme and they offered us a space to house the talk, ticking some very important partnerships boxes and giving us a sense of solidarity and appreciation from one of the biggest Art schools in the world.

So, in the end, we got there. Even though over the 2 months at points we were crushingly depressed and exhausted by endless permutations and uncertainty as some doors closed on us, as we spent hours working out massively reduced budgets, we realised that some doors, some gates were opening up to us and the stronger we became.

Annabel, Kate Murdoch, Lisa Snook,Jack Hutchinson and Elizabeth Murton particularly buoyed me up, and looked after me when it all felt too much. Its amazing how people thanking you or taking you for a supportive bracing drink can motivate you to keep going and remember the bigger picture. Particularly as it was important to me that as many of us that could stick together in the future studio would be able to which meant heaps of other meetings, negotiations and phonecalls- all totally worth it when I think of our new future.

There was much kindness from others too. Touching emails and meetings over the 2 months came from artists and curators, who I talked to, who had either admired or benefited from Core Gallery and DIY Educate and believed strongly in its future. Now, to be ZeitgeistArtProjects

So now, 2012 looms, bright and shiny, full of freedom and choice. And (some) funding….

No soapboxes today. Zeitgeist is doing well and things are not as manic as they have been, so guess what, I have actually been able to paint.

And listening to things, this seemed particulary apt, that I feel about painting.

‘That special kind of excitement, the slightly mesmerised quite involuntary concentration when you make out the stirrings of a new poem in your mind. The outline, the mass, colour and clear form of it. The unique living reality of it. ‘

Ted Hughes

‘

Busy week ! Annabel and I have settled on a name. ZeitgeistArtsProjects. .

ZAP for short, to express our energy , electricity (of a passionate collabrative relationship) and direct approach. It has integrity …..

It was inspired by the ALISN Emerging Artist led organisations conference we attended the other week at Goldsmiths. Inspired by the energy that is going on with this project and Sluice Art Fair we were feeling that really that artists led organisations were a very strong sector with the ability to make change. The fact that they are artist led means there is an incredible amount of creative entrepeneurship. For Core Gallery and DIY Educate we have used every available funding revenue to fund programmes, from crowd funding to charity, we have managed a bit from everywhere

which leads me to the opposite end of the spectrum of genorosity.

Exploitation is everywhere in the creative sector. It is with relief that NFPO and RFO’s have been pushed by the Arts council to pay interns. I have been gob smacked by a local arts organisation in South East London which has interns working for them 5 days a week for 3 months for just travel. How can anyone even do that unless they come from money or work every night and weekend? Interestingly these organisations pay invigilators as do most other NFPO’s etc. Its not enough to dangle a carrot in front of interns to say they may get a job in the end.

Artist led spaces have a much harder task, as none of us are generally paid for any of our work. We involve thoughtful passionate artists who can benefit directly from the work that they do and feel part of a team, listened to and nurtured in their own ways. when it comes our way we build in admin fees to our funding and pay everyone on a project basis-; No-one is rich but they are fulfilled in pursuing a passion project. I see my assistant Charlie who is my girl Friday and now pursuing her own curatorial projects, excited and buoyed by the experience, confidence and contacts she has made. Plus shes still part of ZAP!Because she believes in it too.

Hopefully slowly slowly we can make things more sustainable for all those involved, again ourselves included.

As for the Westbourne Grove lot offering professional practice at £400 or so a month, charming artists with their ‘ talent scout’ shady emails to about 100 ‘ unique’ artists a week, I personally feel sick. With all the fantastic PP being held for nominal costs such as DIYEducate , Artquest, Q-Art, Matt Roberts this is ludicrous.

As someone represented by galleries:

1. you don’t pay galleries for the privilege before they sell your work.when you do it’s based on commission 2. £100 per session to learn how to tweet?? !

Ask yourself this when you are being charmed- do I need this? Can I get a better opportunity by saving £1200 – yes I think you may.

As for a recent Art fair the other weekend ( for artists!) promoting themselves as supporting emerging talent, with £700 + for a stall, that is actually blatantly not supportive. I am sure there were great benefits but as a visitor I was a bit appalled by that price tag, thats £700,000+ for the organisers (plus sponsorship) …

I completely believe in doing things for yourselves and I am sure for a fair few people paying these sums, reaps in a lot. It concerns me though that this is the standard being set, it is new in the art world, what seems to be a slightly parasitic preying on vulnerable artists, its an ugly opposite from the likes of what Core Gallery was and what fairs like Sluice Art Fair are achieving.

I want a better future for you all.

Surviving After Art School Talk tackles this on Saturday.how to realise what’s a good opportunity and avoid exploitation is one of many topics coverered http://tilleydavis.moonfruit.com/

Okay off the soapbox now….

Since the loss of the studio and gallery Annabel Tilley and I have been stacking up meetings all over the place. Firstly with our very understanding Fenton Art Trust and Local Arts Officer trying to secure all the funding we worked so tirelessly to get. In addition meeting local arts and studio organisations and contacts at Goldsmiths who may be able to house some of the programmes. Our ideal situation would be to find a space that would be able to house us as well as the core members from the studio who wanted to stick together and have a space to do exhibitions and hold DIY Educate. Most days rocked between brilliant meetings full of potential and then a weighing up of what may be best.

Offers were made, proposals were written in some cases with one studio group who are opening up an interesting studio /project space in Deptford which seemed perfect but then were told that the project spaces were going to be allocated to International Project spaces and not just ‘studio groups who put up exhibitions’. This was clearly not what Core Gallery was. It was radical, dynamic and exploratory exhibition programme inviting some of the best emerging international talents as well as being blessed with heavyweight established artists such as Rose Wylie, Graham Crowley, Delaine Le Bas and Freddie Robins. Giving platforms as well to emerging and very talented visionary curators such as Nick Kaplony and Andrew Bryant. How can you not have a space for a project who has over the last 2 years been significant in getting Deptford on the international art map?

One really surreal meeting was with a new gallery created by a property developer who was passionate about art ( so he said) and had a space we could potentially use. As we walked up to our meeting with him I noticed the flash silver Mercedes in front of this gallery in Deptford. The man was wearing sunglasses, not on top of his head but perched just above his eyebrows ( a look I always admire…). Over the half hour we spent with him, he managed to both insult and enrage me. He hadn’t bothered to even look up the Core Gallery website and knew nothing about the thriving art scene in the Southeast. He told me he had no interest in art, artists etc on one breath and then that he had set up the space for artists. … confusing…..he had a great idea that we could set up a Sheesha lounge to supplement the sizeable rent…..a bloody sheesha lounge! You can probably imagine the look on my face at this point. We were diplomatic throughout and left with a heart sicker of a feeling that this may not be a new home.

Just when I thought the ideal would never be possible I got in touch with a leading studio organisation and told them of our plight but also about how incredible the programme had been. The chief executive phoned me immediately and has an interesting proposal for us that could just maybe be an answer…

We also need a name for our new venture. Twitter went into overload as we talked to other arts led organisations CoExist, Sluice Art Fair, Alex Pearl and Emily Speed getting involved as well as Queen of naming Elizabeth Murton. Annabel and I were hysterically giggling in the Tate Modern about acronyms PAP and PEEP and even reggae name generator was pulled out at one point! We know what we don’t want….but haven’t yet found what we do want….suggestions welcome!

The Beginning

It seems apt to restart a blog right now. One million things have happened over the days since I have left posted.

In a tumultuous 48 hours, the studios where I and Core Gallery were housed were lost after negotiations with our Trustees and landlords broke down.
It was time to stop being bullied for us all but at the same time it was terribly traumatic. Since that point over the churning days that followed I also came to realise I wanted independance from the studio group Cor Blimey Arts but at the same time that also meant I shall lose my Core Gallery. Although I founded it and it was my brain child, my blood, my heart and it should have been my priviliege to take with me to pastures new, it was not my legal right.
‘ All anxiety stems from the fear that we’ll lose what we have or the future wont be what we want. It seems rational to quell the fear by
winning those battles. But perhaps an equally effective, even preferable solution might be to lose them, decisively and
irreversibly- eliminating the sense of fearful struggle by eliminating the struggle altogether. ” Oliver Burkeman
It was hard to do that, harder than you can imagine. And this is going to be quite a shock for some people. But its time to move forward and tell people this.
Because all is not lost. Not at all. Because now I have the independance, skills and experience to do what I wish and the last year working with Annabel Tilley on DIY Educate I have found a new partnership with her. Annabel is passionate, astute, committed and clever. She makes me laugh and she is great at funding applications. Its a fantastic partnership. So we are going to start anew together in a new space and it actually feels rather fabulous.
DIY Educate continues with us. Genorousity and integrity and the will and desire to nurture artists continues with us.
Its been a incredible 2 years and I have learnt an incredible amount. I had the priviliege to work with amazing artists and curators. Some of which will be part of my future.
With special thanks to Annabel Tilley, Elizabeth Murton, Jack Hutchinson, Kate Murdoch, Chantelle Purcell, Michaela Nettell, Charlotte Norwood, Lisa Snook, Jane Boyer, Becky Hunter and as ever my mentor Graham Crowley.

Here is a potted version of all that I achieved with Core Gallery ( if anyone wants to give me a job- this is what I can do and this time I want to be paid for it! )

Founder , Gallery and Education Manager, Curator: Core Gallery 2009-11
Core Gallery was founded through a determination and initiative to create a dynamic exploratory exhibition and education programme; providing exposure, advise, education and nurturing artists whether emerging or established and to enhance the Cor Blimey Arts studio group profile and assist CBA in making their studios a more vital and desired place to be in a competitive studio market. I managed a small team working remotely across the world and worked with over 200 artists and Curators: programming curating, co-ordinating, managing, marketing and promoting 17 exhibitions, 30 talks attracting more then 6,000 visitors over 2 years and a 95% increase in the mailing list. An attraction of national press- we were even mentioned in the same breath as Frieze Art Fair!
Over 2 years we secured Funding to carry out workshops and education programmes from a variety of revenue streams local authorities , national charities, corporate sponsorship, crowd funding…and much much more. All assisted by the fabulous group of people named above and many more.

We made partnerships with many other artists organisations and schools and Universities.

I go forth with these allies and finish with a talk about setting up your own projects and how to achieve the above.
Come along, it would be nice to see you.
http://www.coregallery.co.uk/diy-exhibitions/
http://www.coregallery.co.uk/

I am also luckily talking about Curating etc for an AIR event at Surface Gallery. www.a-n.co.uk/air/topic/469394
And if you have any suggestions for a name or a building I can use then let me know….

www.rosalinddavis.co.uk