SWOS

Region: South West | City: N/A

South West Open Studios

South West Open Studios, incorporated in December 2006 as a Community Interest Company, was set up to support, promote and advocate on behalf of open studios and art trail event organisations, and through them, the artists of the South West region.

Recognising the tendency for events to suffer through organiser 'burn-out', SWOS provides a forum for exchange of knowledge and information and also provides practical help with issues such as risk assessment, public liability insurance and promotion. In this way, SWOS aims to help to sustain existing events and encourage new ones.

SWOS was instigated in 2002 by a few rural Art Trail organisers with first-hand experience of the problem. Early support from ALIAS allowed the fledgling organisation to grow and Bill Crumbleholme, an ALIAS advisor and former Dorset Art Weeks organiser, is now Chairman.

Arts Council England SW awarded a grant to fund the Forum for 2006/7 which enabled SWOS to appoint a Project Manager who could oversee the initiation and delivery of the website www.southwestopenstudios.org which will collect
and publish targeted relevant information that organisers can share. The website will also act as a hub for information of interest to potential open studios visitors and art buyers.

A service level agreement with ArtsMatrix will result in a series of training sessions later this year, aimed specifically at organisers or potential organisers.

Contact Details

For more information please visit www.southwestopenstudios.org

or contact the Project Manager, Jackie Donaldson on 01305 756874

or email jackie@southwestopenstudios.org