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Tagged community arts, Participatory arts, photos, reflection, wmpaf
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Hot Topics in Community Arts from Direction of Travel
Staffordshire University Creative Communities Unit compiled this insightful list of hot topics from Direction of Travel. More positives than negatives which bodes well for where we go next.
NEGATIVE
Not enough public support ☹
Too much time spent on budgets/meetings/paperwork
Lack of funding
New streams of income and funding
A small bit of dosh for WMPAF co-ordinator?
A lack of enthusiasm from the participants
Too much thinking about funding
Same old short short projects. No money for longer engagement
Lack of confidence in developing projects of worth and scale
POSITIVE
Positive
Change is upon us!
People being encouraged (forced?) to work in partnership
Meeting like minded people
People are motivated to take action – how to support it?
Practitioners are being forced to think outside the box
Getting LAs, Vol sector and arts orgs working together
Database of arts workers of WMPAF
Good challenges
• New groups
• New projects
• New ways of working
Collaboration
Training – you know, doing creative things!!
Break down of barriers between professional and amateur
Commissioners understanding and valuing our work
This country is full of great initiatives, projects, venues and despite the recession, still funding. It’s important to look for the opportunities and value what there is.
Wider partnership working
New thinking
Finding out what people do and meeting people – potential collaborations
Getting together with other creative orgs. To share ideas and responsibility of marketing in our city S-o-T
Breaking up an established system should make room for something new.
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Video from The Cultural Sisters Workshop
The Cultural Sisters workshop involved participants making a rubber stamp that expressed their practice. Here’s the results!
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Ongoing reflections [4]
It was really lovely that people talked to each as much as they did and had so many ideas about good practice and evaluation – but it felt like a really short time for such a broad subject! We did agree as a group to try and form a network within WMPAF to share good practice and links to other examples of good practice, our own experiences – especially quite short things – such as little things that didn’t work, as well as things that did. Things like commissioners accepting more participative and/or creative methods. – Sue Challis
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Ongoing reflection [3]
Newhampton Arts Centre are running an inclusive Family Arts Day on Friday 17th February!
Christine from Newhampton Arts Centre said: “It’s been great meeting artists from all over the region, and to feel that we’re working togethr as one community. Hooray!”
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Ongoing feedback [2]
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Ongoing feedback [1]
Power Of Touch from R & A Collaborations on Vimeo.
Film made by R&A Collaborations. About the Direction of Travel day, Arron tells us: “It’s been really exciting and vibrant so far – our minds have been blown! And no “conference-bum syndrome” so far which is a good sign!”
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Safeguarding Policies, Child Protection – What is your responsibility?
Safeguarding, risk assessments and policies can be daunting things but a necessary task for any artist working with communities. Policies are always something we need to review and check with the groups or funders we are working with. The Safe Network is a free online resource with additional phone and email support to help you stay in line with current safeguarding policies. It has assessment tools, creates an action plan for you and it’s free. I’m going to be checking it out after hearing about it today at Direction of Travel.
www.safenetwork.org.uk
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Tagged artist, Child protection, funding requirements, safeguarding policy
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Panel Discussion
The panel discussion to kick off the day has provided a broad brushstroke look at participatory arts from all sides of the fence. With Steve Trow we’ve looked at the evolution of community/participatory arts with a plea that it’s time for artists to pick up the mantle and challenge the current perception. Sandra from Friction Arts has reminded us not to forget the art as we continually adapt and present ourselves as the solution to access funding. John Cocker from Telford and Wrekin Council feels that the inward focus of survival is shifting to once again looking outwards, making connections and exciting commissions. Mark Webster from Staffs Uni, the facilitator, sees three emerging strands from the discussion:
1: Where we’ve been and where are we going
2: Excellence – is it mutually exclusive to participation or do they automatically go together – Jenny Peevers from ACE says yes they do go together but Steve says there is a debate to be had about whether ACE was prioritising quality for the existing arts audience and could it do more about ensuring access for everyone
3: Are we participatory or community? The big debate continues, should the word community be reclaimed?
Let’s see how the day continues.
Hi everyone from snowy Bantock House
We are just setting up for the first WMPAF regional event, DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. During the day B Arts and We Are Frilly will be running a digital drop-in workshop getting material from participants onto the blog as well as online. Here’s a snowy Bantock House where we are as well – and we now know that pictures should be approx 600 pixels wide. 
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