Research trip
Studios in Eastern Arts region
by Frances Hatch
Frances Hatch met with several groups in the Eastern Arts area, including Wysing Arts near Cambridge, Cambridge Artworks, Cuckoo Farm Studios near Colchester and Warehouse Artists, Norwich.
During a conversation with Emma Lister of Wysing Arts she spoke of something akin to “physics” involved in the life expectancy of individual initiatives. The first stage, she said, is characterised by lots of drive and eagerness. After a few years, individuals get exhausted, life situations change and the result is a shift in core membership. A few may leave. A new phase begins and the group may decide to explore paying for an administrator. The co-operative becomes more hierarchical and others leave. Another phase begins where tension arises between the remnant of original core members and the newer arrivals; the former saying that they did it all for nothing and the latter stating that they deserve to be paid. The result is disillusionment and new initiative arises out of a new need. Wysing Arts is run by professional administrators and has no artists on its management committee.
Jenny Eadon arrived in Cambridge in 1994 to discover that there was not in existence in Cambridge an artists organisation that supported the needs of visual artists. She put an advertisement in AN magazine suggesting a meeting of interested individuals and 25 people came along. Cambridge Artworks was formed and it was agreed that what artists most needed affordable studios and a structure to support new work. In 1995 the group moved into Negus Yard and grew into a thriving co-operative of about 28 artists which for some months now has been planning to move to new premises with the ending of the lease. Jenny commented on the terrific energy it had required to set up the cooperative and feels that she could not do it again. Artist Ruth Hartley is the new Project Manager.
During my research I began to realise that that the desire to change an existing state of affairs is present at the conception of the artist led initiative. It requires energy, time and resolve to bring about change. In “Artists at Work” (Dr Janet Summerton, City University, 1999) artists’ long term goals were expressed in a manner which made clear that there are “changing priorities at various career stages”.
A few points to share about the dynamic of the artist led group:
• Artists need to feel able to adjust their relationship with the artist led group at different times in their career.
• Good communication, an honest exchange of views is essential. Bring in an ‘outsider’ to facilitate debate if necessary.
• The group serves and enables artists if it is functioning well. It becomes a burden when not.
• Alertness to the changing needs of the membership and community need to be present; there will then be growth and movement.
• Maybe it is OK to “fail” at a project, to risk.
• The group may well need to dissolve to regroup in a different way to respond to new needs.
• It may be sensible to expect, or even build into the constitution, a shift in personnel, project leaders, or invited curators.
• “The chemistry has to be right for collaboration to work. Laughing and eating are vital ingredients!” (Val Murray. Working Collaboratively).
And a final thought from Ruth Hartley’s studio door at Cambridge Artworks: “No change, even from worse to better is ever accomplished without pain” (Richard Hooker).
Frances Hatch
2000