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1. About the Project:
Bernard described the aims of the Guisborough Arts CIO and progress so far.
ACCESS to ALL the ARTS - For everyone - For ever
COMMUNITY LED - We design, build and operate the Arts Centre TOGETHER
This is ACHIEVABLE; money and land is available.
Environmentally friendly design – is also cheapest option.
Guisborough Arts CIO has trustees, constitution, procedures, and a plan.
The plan: short-term develop programme of events + activities, network arts community; long-term, build the arts centre, a community asset for generations to come.
Make Guisborough an arts town.
2. Constructive Open Discussion:
2.1 who is involved in the CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation)?
- A minimum of 3 Trustees: currently Michael Dakin, Bernard Clarke, and Kelly Dounce Nava; we would like to have more trustees especially with arts / arts administration skills, and other useful organisational skills;
- An advisory panel (yet to be appointed) to advise the trustees on matters such as artistic merit;
- Everyone: we want the project to be community led therefore everyone who takes part gets to have a say.
- the CIO gives a formal legal framework within which an arts collective can operate in the less formal way that creative work requires.
2.2 We need to reach out to everyone working in the arts in our area.
2.3 Outreach – we need to be partnering with other organisations and going into other locations in Guisborough to nourish creativity.
2.4 We must not underestimate the effort needed and how big a task we are taking on, and how much it is likely to cost.
2.5 £150k was given to Prior Pursglove to create an arts centre; what has happened to that money? Our councillor representatives will undertake to find out.
2.6 As well as building we also need to acquire a lot of extra arts kit. It does not all need to be available at the outset, we need to build it up over time. There is a local need for printshop facilities (we think the nearest fine art printing is in Newcastle), ceramics (the nearest Kilnshare location is not near at all); … etc.
2.7 Film was not mentioned in the presentation but it is definitely included because we wish to include all forms and genres of art.
2.8 We have not definitively identified the site we want for the arts centre; we would like our council representatives to put us in touch with knowledgeable people working in RCBC who can help us identify the best options.
2.9 We need to get started asap on developing a programme of events for the short-term; this will give an immediate benefit to the town; will stop people getting bored and losing interest while waiting for the arts centre build to complete; will demonstrate the local appetite for arts events and the need for the arts centre building to be a base for arts activities; and will demonstrate how lack of such a base hinders the development of arts activities locally.
2.10 Earthbeat / Tony Guiliardi – a great example of what can be achieved.
2.11 If you're 16 or 17 years old, you can take part in the National Citizen Service (NCS) “the NCS experience exists to engage, unite and empower young people, building your confidence so you can go out there and achieve your dreams, no matter where you’re from or what your background is.” NCS was involved in creating the Earthbeat Centre.
2.12 Adrian Harris at RCBC is a great contact to help us secure significant funding – as he did for the Guisborough Town Hall project.
2.13 Would we have time to develop some events to begin this November (a dark month, so perhaps that means lantern festival / procession, lumiere, artist-led workshop to make lanterns). Early start on events will help to build interest in our project.
3. Closing Summary, next steps:
We agreed to meet again, at GMC 7pm for 7.30 on Monday 9th October to progress the large amount of work which needs to be done. We will each use our opportunities to invite other interested people to join us, as many people have not yet heard about this meeting. We will build on the initial enthusiasm for this project.
Meeting ended and we then split up into pleasant informal discussions
Apologies if I missed or misrepresented points you made in the open discussion. You get another chance at the next meeting!
Many, many thanks to everyone who came to the meeting, and the many people who worked hard to make it happen. |
