Alias – the South West England-based artist-led advisory network for artists – is raising funds to develop several ambitious new strands for its artists’ support programme. Blue Skies / Brown Mud is a crowdfunding campaign focused on raising £1,000 that will support international exchanges and the training and enabling of local networks.
A largely peripatetic organisation, Alias has supported artists and artist-led groups in the South West region for the past 15 years through free advisory sessions, bursaries and mentorship.
Funded on a project-by-project basis, following a period of organisational development Alias is now looking to strengthen its core structure and financial reserves. The core funds will enable Alias have greater flexibility in seeking funding.
Of its new projects, Alias’ priorities include establishing new partnerships with artist-led groups and organisations so that more artists can be enabled to support each other, and the development of international exchanges between the UK and abroad that will further enhance the professional development and career opportunities of artists in the region.
“We know there’s demand for it, as emerging artists set out at the start of their careers and established artists develop more ambitious projects,” writes Alias on its campaign page. “We know the visual arts are powered by motivated individuals and we want to do our part to help them on their journeys.”
Rewards include one-to-one skype advisory sessions and the opportunity to own one of 30 limited edition prints by Exeter-based artist Nick Davies. Fittingly, Blue Sky/Brown Mud: The Twelve Step Programme for Artist-Run Organisations is the result of a commission that Davies undertook with Alias, responding to their organisational review process through the creation of this humorous and succinct print.
The Blue Sky / Brown Mud crowdfunding campaign runs until 19 February 2015.
