PASW Regional Newsletter: Spring 2007
Public Art South West Activities
Public Art South West is one of the leading public art development agencies in the UK. Primarily serving the south west of England, its works extends beyond geographical boundaries in terms of the critical thinking and application of artists’ skills and creativity it promotes. It works with artists and national and regional public and private sector organisations across Britain, and actively networks with a range of professionals within art and the built and natural environment.
Staff News
We are delighted to announce that Rebecca Warne has taken up the permanent post of assistant public art officer and will be working full-time Mondays to Thursdays. Rebecca worked in various roles within administration prior to studying Digital Media at Canterbury Christchurch University. During her time there she became involved in various public art projects and on leaving focussed more on the arts sector.
We have also been successful in obtaining funds to develop a planning resource as part of our advisory portfolio and will have a dedicated consultancy able to offer advice and support of all aspects of achieving public art and quality design activity and resources within the formal planning system. Further information about this exciting new development will be posted on the website.
Recent Projects and Initiatives include:
www.publicartonline.org.uk
This unique resource is increasingly popular and well-used; the number of visitors to the site increased by 52% during April to December 2006 compared to the equivalent period in 2005. There are 1300 people signed up to receive the email-bulletin each month, which lets subscribers know about new material added to the site.
“Thank you very much indeed for sending me the Public Art Online newsletter on a regular basis. It keeps me in touch with the wider art world; this is particularly important for an artist like me, living in a very rural part of Scotland.” Kirti Mandir
Over the past few months we have added an in-depth study of Barking Town Centre Artscape, which comprises fifteen public artworks that have been commissioned by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. We’ve also uploaded brief studies of fine artist Clem Crosby’s work with the architects redeveloping the Young Vic, and of the Peterhead Creative Communities Project, as part of which Sans façon – artist Tristan Surtees and architect Charles Blanc – have contributed to Aberdeenshire Council’s regeneration plans.
New reports include a CD Rom conference report from the Great Artistic Metropolis: Art in the City - Creativity, Property and Cultural Regeneration, held in October 2005, which examined how art and artist-led approaches can influence regeneration; A Way Forward? Trails, Art and Non-Invasive Interpretation Seminar; Building Cultures: Art and Our City - A Preliminary Reportt and reports from the Material City programme at the Arnolfini in Bristol.
New research includes A Study of the Effects of Visual and Performing Arts in Health Care. This research study carried out at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital from 1999 to 2002 designed a unique approach to scientifically evaluate the effects of visual and performing arts in healthcare.
Training
Rounding off a year in which PASW delivered a full calendar of training events, PASW partnered Devon Artsculture in devising and delivering a training day for artists, led by Lee Corner. The day focused on examining artist’s specific practice, strengths and opportunities, deconstructing briefs, and how to successfully tender for work. The training included extensive support material including ‘Managing Public Art Projects: A Handbook for Artists' commissioned by PASW from Lee Corner and Janet Summerton in 1996, which has been fully revised for 2006.
In December PASW organised a professional training and development workshop for public art consultants entitled ‘Legal and Businesses Frameworks for Public Art Commissions’. The session was well attended and very well received and we will be developing a section on the website dedicated to more detailed legal advice, sources of information etc during the coming year.
Local Authorities
Cornwall - PASW continues to work closely with Carrick District Council on a public art strategy, which will be completed during Spring 2007.The public art consultancy Ginkgo Projects Ltd has also produced a strategy identifying how artists can interact with the Perranporth master plan and we hope to be able to report on these initiatives in our next newsletter.
PASW advised on the brief for Porthcurno Telegraph Museum ‘Waves’ project and joined the recruitment panel for a fascinating project initiated by the Museum and partnered and funded by NESTA and Creative Partnerships. The Museum has subsequently commissioned three artists, Tom Grimsey, Balint Bolygo and Renny Nisbet to carry out research and develop proposals for public art commissions for the museum, which combine arts and science (see separate article for further information).
Devon - The Devon Quality Design Initiative, a project that aims to offer a good practice, co-ordinated advice, support and information service on creativity and design across all Devon authorities, is entering an exciting phase.A co-ordinator post has been established, funded by PASW, ACESW and a number of Devon authorities including Devon County Council.The work follows the recommendations of a consultancy undertaken by Gerry Wall, and is putting into action many of the objectives and opportunities which the original Devon Public Art Consortium, working with PASW, has been seeking for some time.
Dorset - PASW is working closely with ACESW on developing ideas for the Cultural Olympiad and ways in which artists can be fully involved in the development of facilities and improvements planned as part of the South West’s role in hosting the Olympics.
PASW is also a member of the Dorset Design and Heritage Forum which has been established to promote the design and heritage approach to the built landscape within community planning, land development and arts practice in Dorset. The aim of the group is also to support the county’s local authorities, professional practitioners and artists to make the county a leading place for design in the rural environment.
Bournemouth - Following the recommendations of the recently completed public art strategy for Bournemouth, Boscombe Spa Regeneration has appointed Artist Irene Rogan to join the master planning team as lead artist.Irene has been working with the team across a variety of schemes within the public realm and the regeneration area, and is producing a commissioning plan which will cover integrated works and design within the hard landscaping and highways, and also commissioned works.The Authority will be spending at least £300,000 on public art within this multi million pound scheme. PASW has supported Bournemouth throughout the briefing and recruitment of the lead artist and continues to advice on future opportunities.
South Gloucestershire - PASW have supported South Gloucestershire via their Local Authority Partnership Agreement in commissioning consultants Tom Littlewood of Ginkgo Projects Ltd and Alastair Snow to work with planning and arts officers in developing and determining a refreshed strategy and mechanisms to achieve sustainable and quality public art commissioning. The outcome of this work should be available during the summer of 2007.
Gloucestershire - Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company has appointed a consultant to implement the programme recommended by the public art strategy. ‘A Place for Art’ identified a creative rationale, programme strands and indicative projects for commissioning artists and artworks, and also recommended a delivery mechanism.
A Steering group comprising key partners, GHURC, the South West Regional Development Agency, Gloucester City Council and PASW steered and approved the recommendations within the Strategy, including implementation mechanisms. The Arts Consultant post arises from this work and will provide specialist, creative advice and arts management in the negotiation, initiation and development of a strategic commissioning programme throughout the GHURC area, in line with the Public Art Strategy and Area Regeneration Framework.
Wiltshire - The four Wiltshire District Councils of Salisbury, North and West Wiltshire and Kennet have made a Grants for the Arts bid to provide resources, matched by funding from PASW and the four authorities, for a strategic and sustainable public art service.This will develop and lead on from opportunities and successes identified through development work carried out with the four
district arts development officers and planning colleagues, co-ordinated by a consultant and resourced by PASW. It is hoped that the service will begin in April 2007.
Swindon - Swindon Borough Council is negotiating with the regeneration company New Swindon Company, with support from PASW, for a co-ordinated public art strategy and resource, drawing on the success of Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company as a model.
Other initiatives
In brief: PASW has been working with Creative Partnerships and ACESW on developing research into the Building Schools for the Future programme in the south west. The first tranche of research has been completed and further work will take place on developing frameworks, resources and advice for local authorities and partners involved in this wide-ranging programme.
South West Coast Path: PASW is advising the SWCP steering group on the development of a consultancy which will look at the opportunities afforded by the spectacular coast path, for artists to integrate work and become involved in essential environmental and improvement works. The aim is to have a workable strategy in place by Autumn 2007.