Your views are needed: towards a visual arts strategy for Yorkshire & Humber

The Turning Point Yorkshire & Humber initiative to create a new visual arts strategy for the region moved up a gear this month with the appointment of consultants ERS to see the Strategy through to completion.

SHARE YOUR VIEWS WITH COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE SECTOR AND HELP CREATE A STRONGER VISUAL ARTS ECOLOGY

ERS aims to move the production of the strategy forward within the next few weeks and then to undertake a 6-week consultation programme to inform the final Strategy in the summer. 

"ERS is extremely pleased to have been commissioned to work on this exciting initiative," says Victoria Pagan. "As a first step we've designed a 'Think Piece' that we'd like people to respond to in order to help us with the draft Strategy. Its aim is to stimulate discussion and debate as well as posing some key questions."

The 'Think Piece' draws on the extensive programme of activities delivered in the region last year and the resulting Framework Report produced by Beam in January that can be found on the TPYH website. Over 300 individuals participated in TPYH in 2009 through interchange events, an exploration of a visual arts 'learning ecology', a cross-sectoral expedition across Yorkshire, and a 'Challenge Paper'.

The Think Piece is available to download today. Please send us your thoughts.

For more information about the consultation, please contact ERS by phone on 0191 244 6100.

We've re-issued our invitation to tender...

The Interim Steering Group (ISG) of Turning Point Yorkshire & Humber (TPYH), supported by Arts Council England (Yorkshire), seeks organisations and/or individuals to undertake further work towards the research and production of a new regional Strategy for the Visual Arts.

We have issued a refined brief for someone to work with us between now and June. Please click here for more information.

The deadline for responses to this invitation to tender is: 12:00 NOON, 17th FEBRUARY 2010.

How to achieve great art for everyone?

Arts Council England has opened a consultation on the future priorities for the arts:

"This consultation sets out our understanding of the current landscape, celebrates the success of the arts and identifies areas for development over the next ten years.

We are asking for your thoughts on the way forward. Your views will inform our long term strategic framework and our next set of investment decisions." 

You can take part in this consultation by visiting www.artscouncil.org.uk/consultation, from today. The consultation will end at midnight on 14 April 2010.

The outcome of this consultation will be the publication of a long term strategic framework in late 2010. This framework will inform the development of the Arts Council's next three year plan (2011 to 2014).

With regards to Turning Point Network this consultation represents a significant opportunity for the Visual Arts. By taking part we can to ensure the current strength, and potential for continued growth of the sector, is reflected in the framework. In turn , we can ensure that our work remains a priority for support beyond March 2011 when the Arts Council's current plan comes to an end.

Between now and the end of the consultation there will be a range of opportunities for people to attend and contribute to consultation events. Simon Zimmerman will be contacting Chairs and managers of the regional Visual Arts Strategy Groups to discuss the possibility of coordinating a series of sector specific conversations, to ensure our response is robust and joined up.

Watch this space for more details.

Should we have faith in art to alter the world?

Interchange 1 is a programme of work that aims to create opportunities for critical communities across Yorkshire and Humber to debate key issues related to contemporary visual arts practice.

Two events have been held to-date: 21st Century Museum & Gallery, a one-day seminar at Yorkshire Sculpture Park encouraging critical debate in the visual arts sector by exploring the concept of the 21^st century Gallery/Museum, with speakers Peter Jenkinson, Mark Waugh, Jonathan Watkins, and Nima Poovaya Smith; and Faith in Art?, a day of discussion at Henry Moore Institute to probe some of the outstanding ideologies, aspirations and strategies for the visual arts in relation to context and audience, including on a local level. With speakers Dave Beech, Andrew Brown, Matthew Kieran, and Carey Young. 

The video from the latter event has just been edited, and this short film by Will Docherty provides an overview:

Video from 21st Century Museum & Gallery and other events can be found in our Event Archive.

The output from these events has informed the development of a framework document, which will be used by TPYH to help develop a strategy for the visual arts in Yorkshire.

To keep up-to-date with our progress please subscribe to this blog today.

An invitation to tender...

The TPYH team visits The Hepworth during The Yorkshire Expedition, one of many programmes of work that have been delivered to inform a strategy for the visual arts in Yorkshire & Humber.

The Interim Steering Group (ISG) of Turning Point Yorkshire & Humber, supported by Arts Council England (Yorkshire), seeks organisations and/or individuals to undertake further work relating to a) the research and production of a new regional Strategy for the Visual Arts, and b) the support of the ISG in overseeing and communicating the Strategy research and production process in the period January-June, 2010.  

We are happy to issue this call for expressions of interest.