From the Arts Council via the Biennial Office…
(I have been invited and will hopefully be able to report back here)
Re: Update on Arts Council support for the Independents.
The Arts Council is looking at ways to provide additional, autonomous, support and advice to the Liverpool Independents strand of the Liverpool Biennial.
The Arts Council’s interest in this is in ensuring the public enjoy a quality experience, which as well as the provision of a quality programme, also means that information is centrally coordinated, that invigilation is guaranteed, that opening times are adhered to, etc.
An internal Arts Council meeting on Friday 6th will discuss how this support could be delivered in terms of administration, not funding.
So what is the meeting about?
During previous Biennials several ways of supporting the Liverpool Independents have been tested. It has become clear that there is the need for regular, professional coordinated support.
This meeting is about ensuring that public money is spent well on a quality programme for Liverpool Independents by establishing a professional organisation that will support, co-ordinate and provide advice to individual artists and curators participating in Liverpool Independents. It is our intention is that this organisation will be autonomous, its sole purpose being to support the Liverpool Independents. It will be independently run – separate from both the Arts Council and The Liverpool Biennial.
Who is invited?
The meeting is an Arts Council meeting, to which a small number of curators/artists have been invited to contribute – people who have made a strong contribution during past Liverpool Independents.
What is the meeting not about?
It needs to be made clear that this meeting is nothing to do with who is, or isn’t going to be part of Liverpool Independents.
This meeting is not a consultation exercise.
As in previous years Arts Council funding for individual exhibitions or events will be accessed through the Arts Council’s grants programme Grants for the Arts scheme which is open to everybody to apply. Advice on how to apply for Arts Council funding is available from the Arts Council on;
Tel: 0845 300 6200
Email: enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk
Textphone: 020 7973 6564
What next?
An open meeting will be arranged in February as a forum to discuss what support is available for all those wishing to exhibit in the Independents.
Sarah Fisher
Head of Visual Arts
Arts Council England, North West
Direct line +44 (0) 161 827 9281
Fax +44 (0) 161 834 6969
email:sarah.fisher@artscouncil.org.uk