Now I really am beginning to doubt this project really will get off the ground without new input somehow. Communications with the Council officer who first invited us to put the proposal together have, in recent months become much more infrequent and although they have been particularly busy with moving premises etc I feel there are other factors that have come to play.
The proposal, however , has now been forwarded to the deputy clerk who will in turn take it to the services committee of the Council for their decision at the start of July. Something about the tone of the e-mail however would suggest the proposal is not being given the attention I feel deserves. I voiced my concerns with the curator involved, and she, who carries a lot more clout in this area, has offered to take over communications and add her weight more overtly to the relationship.
At this stage, there is little more I can do, other than stand back and let what will be will be. Salisbury is an extremely traditional city, geographically it feels quite isolated from more significant players in contemporary art, with, in some ways a wealth of culture, it can be quite insular, resting on the weight of its own history. Certain individuals and organisations are working to change this but whether the City Council are willing to take that step into unknown territory remains to be seen. If not I think they will have missed a real opportunity to generate more energy around contemporary art in Salisbury, drawing people in and raising its profile as a potential venue for further projects such as this, – and me, yes I suppose I will have invested a lot of time into a project which will never be realised in its entirety however contacts and relationships I have made and strengthened, the direction in my work influenced by the venue itself and the experience of putting together this proposal is never wasted time but can only be of value.
