Measuring the experience: the scope and value of artist-led organisations

MEASURING THE EXPERIENCE – 2

From the Introduction to the study:

“I first thought about undertaking a study of artist-led organisations in 1992, although it took some time before I was able to gain the interest of anyone who might help to fund it. I felt that there was a lack of awareness of the achievements of artist-led ventures, and that a study which attempted to do some analysis of them would make a useful contribution to the development of national and regional arts strategies.

As an artist myself, I have had first-hand knowledge of the setting up and management of a number of artist-led organisations. I have also provided formal and informal advice to a various artist-led groups over many years. Through contributing to a-n and editing a number of books for AN Publications, and because of previous research projects, I have gained a broad understanding of the wide range of approaches which constitute contemporary visual arts practice and of the specific role of artists as initiators within the arts infrastructure.

Following extensive discussions over a period of time with Fiona Ellis (then the Art Director at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation), and a core group of visual arts officers from regional arts boards, I embarked on this study. Funding for Stage 1 was granted by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation with the proviso that “a consortia of regional arts boards” would fund a number of case studies for Stage 2. The two reports for Stage 1 were completed May -July 1995. These were the Survey of Group Studio Provision which looked at some 150 artist-led studio groups, and Refreshing Alternatives thumb-nail sketches of 240 artist-led organisations providing a range of resources and activities.

Interest generated by these reports, linked with the changing climate for visual arts funding and in particular the advent of the National Lottery, resulted in the core group of three regional arts boards swelling to five regional arts boards and two arts councils. A pilot case study was completed in February 1996 and remaining case studies, undertaken by a team of researchers were completed April – September 1996.”

MEASURING THE EXPERIENCE – 1

There’s been heightened conversation in recent months – especially in England where Arts Council England’s NPO strategy cut funding to many artists’ bodies – about the role of and support for the artist-led within publicly funded arts policy.

Because this is a field I have researched in depth, I thought it might be useful to ‘serialise’ some of the evidence I have gathered and analysed to help fill a gap in knowledge, in support of and to inform advocacy from artists and others nowadays for greater recognition of this essential ‘R&D’ and social enterprise within the landscape of contemporary visual arts.

These were the objectives for my study, conducted between 1993-1996:

To examine the artist-led approach to the generation and presentation of the visual arts in the UK, covering well-estabished and recently formed groups (ie of two or more) and including thoe with a defined legal status as well as others more loosely formed, to determine whether organisations or groups formed, directed and controlled by artists

– have the potential of providing a wider range of people with a visual arts experience and of delivering tangible benefits to society and to artists

– provide innovative examples of interpretation and prosentation of the visual arts and provide indicators of the role of artist-led organisations within future arts planning strategies

– are viable ways of enabling funding bodies to realise their stated aims and objectives.

Through this blog, I will summarise and articulate the 3 studies I conducted and, looking at the conclusions and recommendations I made, draw out any evidence pertinent to those who are charged with creating and delivering arts and cultural policy nowadays.