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Creative collaboration the story of a partnership between Tony Jones – participatory photographer and Burslem School of Art, CEO Cath Ralph. Top down or organic?
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Creative collaboration the story of a partnership between Tony Jones – participatory photographer and Burslem School of Art, CEO Cath Ralph
Top down or organic? This case study examines evidence from the support given by Burslem School of Art to developing individual & participatory artists
Burslem School of Art (BSofA) • Arts promotion • Focus on community • Mutual benefit • Viable projects
Process • Value driven – social objectives - • Power-sharing • Collaboration • Egalitarian • Respectful partnerships • Transparent • Enabling
Initiatives • Skills share – as mentor & co-mentee • Community pARTnerships • Photographers Collective N Staffs • Seminars – art biz and participatory arts
Benefits for BSofA • User involvement • Improves sustainability • Self-managed, self-regulated activities • Transferred responsibility • Cost-effective / income generating intervention • Develops bonding & bridging social capital • Creates goodwill / develops relationships • Places BSofA within a network of support • Developing collaboration & ‘culture’ in N Staffs • Develops an audience for art
Tony Jones • “Retired,” disabling illness – 2006 • Photographer since 1960s • MA Participatory Arts • Developed practice as participatory artist – work with NSCHT, Brighter Futures, Staffs CC, Letting in the Light, UHNS, BSofA, Staffs Uni, Stoke CC, B Arts, Photographers Collective N Staffs
Benefits for artists • Support for activity • Skills share • Income whilst training • Other resources • Training • Professional development • Generates work / develops markets • Networking • Exposure to public • Creative inspiration • Encourages participatory, collaborative activity
Problems • Capacity • Relevance? • Some “partners” expect something for nothing • Short term funding • Lot of time to plan and bid for sustainablity • Culture clash? –supporting creative activity versus good working environment for tenants / good business practice
Lessons • It’s worth doing - Institutions should invest / Artists should get involved & come forward with ideas / Academics - become even more actively involved / Funders – be bold • Quick and dirty is good, but need to balance with slow and clean • Be collaborative • Be creative • An Organic approach supported by enabling policy context has worked well in this case
references • Putnam, Robert D. (2000). Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0304-6 • Clements, N. (2004) The Pioneers: Murals, Mosaics, Madness and Myths, Ceredigion: Sound Of Heart • Webster, M. and Buglass, G. (ed) (2005) Finding Voices Making Choices: Creativity for Social Change (Nottingham: Educational Heretics Press)
web links • Burslem School of Art - www.schoolofart.com • atypical photography - www.atypical.me.uk • Letting in the Light – www.lettinginthelight.org.uk • Tony Jones - Arts CV www.blueshawk.info/CV.htm