Temporary Art Space Q & A Part 2
Why “Temporary Art Space”?
We weren’t keen on calling it a gallery as it can be a very powerful word which can distance the art and the audience. We want to establish more of a community which involves the local community in its entirety as much as local, national and international artists. We thought it was important to include “temporary” in the title so people would be aware of the transient “here today gone tomorrow” situation.
Why six months?
This was the duration offered by the Council after initial discussions. We were happy to take on a space for any amount of time, a week, a month or six months – whatever we could get.
Why unfunded?
Funding application can be incredibly time consuming and a gamble whether devoting so much time to writing an application will pay. We aren’t anti- public funding – previous projects wouldn’t have been possible without it – but we are experienced in doing stuff on shoestring budgets. We work part time or full time in low-wage un-art-related jobs, which help fund both this type of activity and our own art practices, which may seem a bizarre way of doing it but it gives us financial security knowing that we will actually receive money after putting in hours of hard work. There’s more freedom in what you can do when not funded by a public body – there’s no criteria you need to aim at fulfilling to ensure your application is successful. There’s no strings attached. We like to promote the DIY ethos and self-reliance. We're also looking into local business sponsorship although not anticipating much in the current economic climate.
What about the existing Art Gallery in the Piece Hall? Aren't you almost directly above it?
Yes – we're on the top floor overlooking the Piece Hall Gallery & Information Centre. We think it's an ideal location and are looking to work with the Gallery to have joint openings and of course cross-promote events. The permanent gallery is a different type operation to what we're doing but we hope their audience will be interested in what we're doing and vice versa.
Why this programme?
Themes of temporary, the everyday, DIY, all-inclusivity & social structures are key and common themes within our own art practices. We thought about one month long was a suitable duration to enable a good amount of people to come to each exhibition but to also have an adequate number of exhibitions and events in the short period we'll occupy the space. The changeover shows are cramming in as much art into the six months as possible, meaning the space wont be closed for one week each month and also present a unique (temporary) situation for artists to respond to. Open calls mean everyone has the opportunity to get involved, worldwide.
