The CCS (Creative and Cultural Skills Council) have released the Visual Arts Blueprint after much consultation:
http://www.ccskills.org.uk/LinkClick.aspx?filetick…
Below are some examples of the recommendations it makes:
Ensure that internships are fair and offer high quality career development opportunities by 2010
Ensure that visual arts courses have strong, relevant links to the profession by 2012
Ensure that the visual arts has a role to play in broad education initiatives by 2012
Support and encourage technical and business skills training in all visual arts degree programmes and courses by 2012
Recognise and support artists’ networks and peer exchange opportunities (working with VAGA, Scottish Artists Union and Other – wish they’d named AiR too though!) by 2011
Improve working conditions across the visual arts sector (working with agenices and borrowing best practice models from other industries) by 2012
The report also goes on to expand on these recommendations and many others and also profiles the creative sector (not just artists remember though), outlining who it is comprised of (95%white!). This may not sound like a massive thing, but considering ‘artist’ has not been mentioned as a job role before, these basics are important, especially if the CCS are to promote their plans across the UK. Anyway, it looks a bit of a beast, but they have peppered it with lots of nice images, so the content is not as daunting as it may first seem!
I’ll have a proper read and get back to you…
It turns out that I still haven’t shaken the cold thing I had a couple of weeks ago, so I have been wrapped up taking it a bit easy. Today is posting loads of things (the joy and pain of selling books off my website), starting on tax return (last years) and sorting out receipts for this year so far. Also putting a presentation together for Thursday’s lecture.
I watched School of Saatchi again last night and I was a bit bored to be honest. It’s partly the overfamiliar dramatising editing tchniques from reality TV: “anyone of them could be a DISASTER” surprise, Charles really likes most of them. But it is also because I don’t think making stuff necessarily makes good TV. It is incredibly easy to pick apart an artist’s work, especially after an MA with much picking apart, this format just means they are incredibly vulnerable throughout the making process. Because the artist are under pressure and being fairly timid (partly from being put in a very difficult collaborative/commissioning situation too!) they don’t believe in their work in the same way as they usually might, and neither do I.
Croak. Monday morning – the first one after a very intense load of work in schools and also my first day off in ages. I am struggling to get going. I say day off, but actually that just means no paid work – studio and some food shopping instead. I hate the way the studio always comes between domestic chores.
I feel pretty bruised (head and mind) after helping mum move house at the weekend and working so much and all I feel like doing is sitting drinking tea and watching studio Ghibli films, but then I would loathe myself for being lazy.
Doing some visiting lecturing at Sheffield Hallum on Thursday, which I am really looking forward to – not been there for years so will see some of the new galleries. Also like hearing about students’ work a lot – I plan to soak up some of that fresh-faced enthusiasm and steal it back to Liverpool.
Also packing up a few things into boxes and trying to have a clear out pre-move at the end of the year. Hate living in such clutter and am convinced this is part of my problem!
Is it just me or is anyone else a bit dubious about Saatchi’s new art show?
After the first round, Matthew Collings apparently said “”It’s worth the public watching this. They should be thinking about where that utter s*** comes from that those poor little young artists are spouting.”” Can I just ponder whether the entries they received were representative of ‘poor little young artists’? Would it not be the case, as with X Factor, Big Brother etc, that the people likely to apply to the show were quite keen on becoming famous and saw this as a good short cut.
The article also picks up on one finalist, who was praised by Emin: Suki Chan. I have seen Chan’s work a couple of times, it was beautiful on both occasions. However, one look at her CV will show that she is doing pretty well already: http://www.sukichan.co.uk/cv.htmThis leads me to wonder what exactly is wrong with the slow burn?
Perhaps the art world is too insular and maybe the fact that people can do well and not be visible to the public at large is not desirable.. I don’t think so though. Doing well and not being famous surely just gives artists a chance to grow, develop and build up a body of work (also without the press heaping scorn on everything) before they are given the sort of opportunities that earn them mass exposure, if they want it – and when they are ready. That’s the way most people go about their careers, because experience usually counts for something.
Why do we (as a nation) seem to feel that celebrity is so important, and that it should be treated the same way in art as pop? There is another series on at the moment too – not sure which channel – for Britain’s best young Butcher, Hairdresser etc. Not sure what it consists of, not watching it either. I am interested to see how this panel choose what is ‘best’ from their artist candidates.
So, will the contestants end up being famous for having odious/adorable personalities rather than their work? I also wonder how it will work for the artists’ legacies, I mean, how many off the show will keep their credibility – or will it just end up a load of Jedwards? Guess I’ll have to watch and see…
I really have to get myself packed and off to Yorkshire, but it’s been a week of 200 miles a day in the car and I can’t be bothered! I’ve had a good week though, with high school kids for the first time; they aren’t as scary as I expected.
Also, the much-anticipated meeting with the curator at YSP. Firstly, I got a free copy of the Rob Ryan catalogue, so it was a good start. Secondly, she suggested an exhibition of new work in the Bothy Gallery (my favourite one in the park!) all going well… probably in Feb or May 2011. There would be support, in both money and practical/development and there was also talk of an accompanying publication. This is all still incredibly precarious, so I won’t jinx it anymore by talking details. It feels pretty incredible considering I went along thinking the best I might be offered would be a cabinet in the corridor for my books.
Staying a travelodge at some random services on the M62 tonight, which is pretty bland way to spend an evening. But I shall take some books parts to be assembled/cut/sewn etc. Try and make myself useful.
Money is getting tight now (next payment of the bursary is not till February) so I shall have to do a bit of thinking next week and go over my finances. I should probably do my tax return too! Right, enough of that.. I’m off to pack.
