Times flying along and trying to find time to really take hold of this and push it forward is a challenge but we’re making progress. Laurence and I met up again and thrashed out the final proposal and budget. Elements of the educational events surrounding the project were tightened up and all in all, I think it makes a good, quality package. The business manager at the Council has surfaced again long enough to give us the figures we need and a rough date at for a site visit in April has been planned.
During this time, a a small group studio has emerged in Salisbury with recent MA graduates from the Southampton course. It’s still in a fledgeling state but we have made contact with the suggestion that they could hold an open studio week to coincide with the exhibition, giving visitors to the city another venue to visit. Time will tell if this will develop but it’s an exciting prospect. Discussing the possibilities for an artists networking/discussion event, Jon Bowen’s article in February’s a-n came up and I realised that Jon had contacted me recently on another issue but we hadn’t had time to follow it up. It seemed absolutely advantageous that this contact had been made and we decided straightaway to invite Jon to meet up and discuss possibilities.
It was really lovely to meet Jon in person and we had a very worthwhile discussion about our plans for the event. Jon immediately questioned whether we had planned in a creche enabling artist parents to attend and I suddenly realised, especially with our involvement in APT, what an essential element this was to the event.
Once Laurence has passed the final copy of the proposals/budget it will be sent for the council’s final agreement and then onto the next hurdle, the Arts Council form.
