Visual art exhibitions and events with a platform for critical writing
By: Sue Hooper
I run a weekly art session for a group of homeless in a life skills centre. Funding is a real problem and for long periods of time I am working for nothing. My project is to explore if I can set my self up as a social enterprise artist. That way I can apply for funding for various long and short term projects.
I am a part time student doing research into video art and everyday life. I also run art groups for elderly and socially deprived, and a group of homeless.
# 2 [5 January 2008]
it is the beginning of January. Today in the Guardian I was reading that arts funding criteria are going to change. Until now, success criteria has been quantifiable - numbers of people attending etc. Now so-called 'soft' criteria - undefinable and unmeasurable - are going to be used to assess funding applications and success of projects. This is very useful for me as my art groups by their very nature cannot be judged by quantifiable criteria. Art and Culture are now being considered as deeply important to our society's emotional health at every level. I have also begun to list exactly what my expenses are and under what headings I can put them. Writing funding applications is not one of my skills as I have done hardly any of them. So I need a lot of time to put my ideas into the most coherent and direct form. I also want to start documenting the work my groups do so I can put images up on this blog. That will give me a sense of achievement. And as part of the development of the groups I want to get involved in setting up exhibitions. So I need to get canvases or large sheets of art papers as well as artists' quality materials for the groups. And then find venues and framers, set up publicity - I know there is a huge amount of things to do when putting on an exhibition.
# 1 [27 December 2007]
This is a project I have been working on for a year, but I have been running the art groups for over 4 years now. I have set certain criteria. The art sessions are drop-in sessions, with no restrictions on how many should attend. We cover a range of activities as each service user is at a different level of experience and expertise. My aim is to provide a social space for the group to work and interact with each other - being homeless is often very solitary; and develop the service users' self esteem and self confidence through an activity which is nothing to do with the day-to-day concerns of finding the next meal, or warm shelter for the night.
These criteria makes it very difficult for funders as the outcomes are not quantifiable. I have also met a problem in that I am working by myself on this, and that makes it difficult to build in accountability for funders. A third problem is that while I can apply for funds for a project run by someone else, the funders I have so far approached are unhappy with the fact I am both project manager and worker on the project - that is I cannot benefit in any way from the funding even though I am doing the work. Finally I cannot see how this project in its present form could develop and grow.
One possible idea is to meet up with other artists also working in the way I am with socially deprived groups and we project manage each other's projects. Working in a loose collaboration like this, it seems to me can have a number of advantages - we can exchange ideas, and discuss the developments and progress of the project. If we live close enough we could run art sessions for each other. it could and would also impact on our own practice to be part of a small community working in this way.
This is where I am - does this constitute a visual project - not in the accepted sense that it is not my visual practice which is being developed, but the practice of those with whom I am working. As I really enjoy working with these people I do want to find ways of developing my project that will enable me to continue doing this work.