EMARAN Spring 2007 Conference Notes and Information
Notes and case studies from the April 2007 Six-hour Coffee Break
The meeting of the East Midlands Arts in Rural Areas Network provided a chance for delegates to find out about and get involved in the development of EMARAN. It was an opportunity to contribute ideas about what direction the network could take and meet the right people to help make these ideas happen. There was also time to find out about developments in rural policy and the new resources that these could make available in the East Midlands.
Activites on the day included an introduction to EMARAN and its potential role within EMRAF (East Midlands Rural Affairs Forum), a news sharing opportunity and discussion groups on Practice, Partnerships and Community Engagement. Delegates were also taken on a tour of Wirksworth's creative industries and learnt more about the annual Wirksworth Festival.
You can download the delegate list.
You can read the conference report below, or download it.
Six Hour Coffee Break Conference Report
Introductions and EMARAN business
The day began with a welcome to Wirksworth from Claire Robinson (Creative Futures – New Opportunities Wirksworth), who had helped to organise the event, and whose role includes developing the venues and creative industries within the town. For more information on New Opportunities Wirksworth and the festival, visit www.wirksworth.net and www. wirksworthfestival.co.uk
Francois Matarasso (Culture East Midlands) then gave a brief introduction to the background of EMARAN, a network which has developed in response to the recognition that the growth of arts activity in rural areas, as well as its offer, has different characteristics than that which occurs in urban areas, and requires different kinds of supporting structures. Francois then outlined the proposed twice-yearly networking activities that EMARAN would undertake – one in the Spring and one in the Autumn – both of a different character and both to take place in different venues throughout the region, so as to spread awareness and increase accessibility to the network and its events. This format has been decided upon largely due to the resources available for the network; currently a £5000 grant from ACE East Midlands.
Following this, Francois spoke about the suggestion that had been put to the EMARAN steering group, that EMARAN might apply to become a sub-group of EMRAF (East Midlands Rural Affairs Forum). Francois then provided some background information as to what EMRAF is and what they do – bringing relevant private, public and voluntary sector stakeholders together to consult about and to influence rural development policy making. EMRAF has a significant voice in rural policy making, and as a sub-group EMARAN could ensure that arts & the culture have a strong part to play. For more details about EMRAF, visit www.ruralaffairs.org.uk
Susan Meech (EMDA) outlined the roles and responsibilities of an EMRAF sub-group:
- To meet quarterly
- To have an Action Plan
- To input into any new rural policy making – for example: regional spatial strategy
Francois then asked delegates to read through draft terms of reference for EMARAN, and to voice their opinions as to whether EMARAN should apply to become a sub-group of EMRAF, to which the response was unanimously favourable. The decision was therefore made to make this application, and providing it is successful, for EMARAN to have a presence at EMRAF’s annual conference on 11th July 2007.
During this discussion Graham Marriott (Graduate Theatre Company, Derby) described the enormous difference that the establishment of a well run arts forum has made to the arts community in Derby City – with over 1000 people subscribing to share information and find out about events, activities and each other. Clearly EMARAN could be helping to support a similar forum for the whole region, from which one would expect to gain similar benefits.
News Sharing
Following these discussions, delegates were invited to stand up and share news about something that they or their organisation were involved in:
- Matlock Live – 27th-29th June – visual and performing arts festival – for more info: www.matlocklive.co.uk (Chris Hawes)
- Ashby de la Zouch Festival – 4th-12th August – featuring music, theatre, lectures and workshops (Goff Lewis)
- The British Association of American Square Dance Clubs are looking for a media consultant to help with regional and national profile raising (Zoe Bremer)
- Anne Bradley, a knitwear designer / textile artist, invited delegates to visit her studio at 29, West End, Wirksworth
- Art on the Map, the open studios event in Lincolnshire, will be taking place on 6th/7th and 13th/14th October this year, instead of during the summer – brochure will be out in August (Windham Hime)
- Draycott Festival will be taking place over 27th/28th May this year, for more info: www.erewash.gov.uk/localEvents/DraycottFestivalArtsGardens.htm (Susan Smith)
- Ilkeston Festival will be held from 30th June – 6th July with the programme released in June (Susan Smith)
- There will be a free children’s theatre event called ‘Paws on the Moors’, funded by ‘Moors for the Future’ taking place across the Peak District during May 07, for more info: www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk (Graham Marriott)
- There is a new arts Derbyshire website on which people can upload their arts activities and opportunities, as well as artists being able to upload their profiles – www.artsderbyshire.org.uk
- There is plenty of activity on the coast in Lincolnshire: the ‘Bathing Beauties’ beach hut commissions - www.bathingbeauties.org.uk, Hawk Henries working with the Mozart players – workshops and performances, SEAS – an international arts event involving artist residencies in and around Skegness (Nicki Gardner)
- Derby Playhouse are aware of historically neglecting rural areas but want this to change, if you are any kind of arts practitioner who is interested in finding out more then contact:practitioners@derbyplayhouse.co.uk (Michael Drennan)
- Ken Sharples representing The National Trust encouraged artists and arts organisations to get in contact with their local National Trust properties, to find out about spaces for exhibiting and/or working with community groups – sometimes a small amount of funding can also be provided – contact Shelley Fielder at the regional office to find out more.
- High Peak Festival Forum – taking place at the dome in Buxton on 24th April – a chance to network and share information (Richard Johnson)
- Greater Nottingham Action on Tourism will be making the case for the value of arts and culture within tourism at Eastwood Hall in Nottingham on 21st June (Wendy Honeyman-Smith)
- Culture East Midlands are in the process of developing a rural culture website which has the following sections that EMARAN members can contribute to: case Studies, events, useful links and information about rural policy.
Workshops
Following the ‘news sharing’, the group went into three different workshops, which were repeated again in the afternoon. Following both sets of workshops, the following summaries were provided by the workshop leaders:
Arts Practice – led by Nikki-Kate Heyes (soundLINCS) and Alisdair Aldous (artsNK)
The workshop looked at three main areas, and the following suggestions were made:
SHARING GOOD PRACTICE
- EMARAN members could host ‘Swap & Share’ events that bring practitioners together to share their working processes with each other – see Derby Playhouse model. Regional artist’s networking and practice sharing events could then develop.
- regional arts in rural areas showcase – possibly moving around counties
- developing and sharing good practice through case studies – Rural Culture East Midlands website www.ruralculture-em.org
SUPPORTING ARTISTS
- providing networking events that really are ‘6 hour coffee breaks’ – just a chance to meet and talk
- develop a centralised website/database of artists and venues – consolidating the information that is only currently available across innumerable small websites. It would need to be designed by and for a full range of users (professional artists, commissioners, community arts organisations, etc.) – but primarily for use by the arts sector rather than for cultural tourists.
- research into venues for arts/crafts markets that are places where people are already spending money e.g. farmer’s markets.
- use EMPACT model of quality promotional literature to map the regional cultural centres, from which the local offer can then be signposted
- promote ‘arts jobs’ service run through ACE website - www.artscouncil.org.uk
- promote ‘EMIT’ writers newsletter – go to www.literatureeastmidlands.co.uk
- in short term, create a page with all relevant website links on Culture-EM website and start an EMARAN e-forum, to be facilitated by artsNK, where members can share info and then send this out to their networks.
STANDARDISING EXPECTATIONS
- supporting and advocating for the creation of a regional artistic community that is valued in itself, and supported in its creative development, without having to tick boxes – promoting an holistic approach to supporting the arts
- develop a cultural services standard for rural areas with Culture-EM/ EMRAF
- developing better methods for evidencing economic benefits of cultural activity – contact Newark & Sherwood DC about EMDA funded pilot project b
Community Engagement – led by Richard Johnson (High Peak CVS)
Although the grand plan of these workshops was to look at every aspect of working within the community, it was felt that neither workshops even scratched the surface.
However, the subject that both workshops identified was the need to be reaching more young people, but also the numerous issues involved in achieving this.
What could EMARAN‘s role be in engaging community groups which would include young people, not just hard to reach young people? Would this be to provide a focus for the promotion of good practice in such work, and the sharing of these processes?
Partnerships – led by Sue Cullen (Nottinghamshire County Council)
The outcome of both these workshops was felt to be the extent to which all partnerships are a matter of individual experience, and that the word “partnership” , as an umbrella term, was overused. The term is used both within organisations and amongst freelance artists in different contexts. Partnership should mean “a sharing and working together, with equality both in interests and benefits” and not mean “buying and selling”, as it does in contractual service agreements.
It was also felt that the term partnership used within the concept of funding needs to be more defined.
Rural Action Plan & Rural Development Plan for England
After the final workshop session, Francois Matarasso gave a presentation on the RAP and the RDPE – see separate attachment. The presentation highlighted the role of EMRAF in the consultation and drafting of these policies, and the new opportunities for cultural funding that could appear through the European money attached to the RDPE. Francois explained that this was most likely to come through the ‘Enhancing Opportunity & Quality of Life in Rural Areas’, which although it only accounts for 5% of the total funding could still amount to £2-4 million.
Francois also highlighted the Peak Leader project in Derbyshire, which has come out of this policy making, and which has involved the arts and culture through several strands of the project. Francois also highlighted the fact that rural touring schemes in Ireland have mainly been Leader funded.
In the near-future, Francois sees substantial opportunities for Leader projects to be established in Lincs, Notts, and Derbyshire although these projects will have to meet certain targets and lever additional funding.
April 2007 should have seen the publication of the Leader project guidelines, however this has currently been delayed. However, the co-ordinators are still planning for all submissions to be made by end of Aug 2007, with selection of the chosen projects to have occurred by the end of Sept 2007. The chosen projects will then be expected to start from Jan 2008 onwards. For more info, find the RDPE at: www.ruralaffairs.org.uk Or for Leader project info see: www.goem.gov.uk
Following Francois’ presentation, a question was asked about the definition of ‘rural’. Apparently a detailed and agreed definition can now be found on: www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk
Other Information
ACE EM are paying EUCLID to explain to arts organisations and practitioners how they can access European funding – one of these presentations will be given by EUCLID in Nottingham on 16th May, for more info see: www.euclid.info
Cultivate are starting a programme of support for rural arts organisations, and they may also have an on-line resource for touring and touring venues in the pipeline, for more info see: www.cultivate-em.org.uk
Susan Meech from EMDA explained how the Market Towns group have funded a pilot project with Newark & Sherwood District Council, to look at how to successfully develop festivals, and the capacity to make this development sustainable, as well as looking at easier ways to evidence the economic success of festivals. For more info contact Mark Stephens or Sarah Midgeley at the District Council.
Francois then thanked all the delegates for attending, and invited those who were interested to join a brief EMARAN steering group meeting.Notes taken by Alisdair Aldous and Muriel Marr, artsNK.
last updated: 11-05-2007 10:14