Where do we go from here? was a series of conversational events that invited contributions, questions and future possibilities for Aberdeen’s Arts Ecology from those working in the sector. In July of 2021 the British Art Show 9 [BAS9], the biggest touring exhibition of contemporary art in the UK arrived to Aberdeen Art Gallery. It was framed as a significant moment for the city and its creative and cultural sector. A significant moment certainly – but under what terms? For who? And for how long? The BAS9 will have no significance beyond the walls of the gallery unless the arts and cultural ecology make it so.
An arts ecology is the many interdependent networks of society and economy that shape the demand for the production of arts and cultural offerings. This includes relationships between the organisations, individual cultural workers, policy makers, as well as wider communities. It can be thought of as the ‘spaces’ in which visual art is produced and shown. It can also be thought of in relation to issues of power, responsibility, support and diversity for example. This constellation sometimes makes articulating and mapping these relationships and the real lived conditions they produce challenging as individuals.
The events used an approach of co-authorship to begin to generate knowledge on the existing conditions that inform Aberdeen’s visual arts sector; the opportunities and challenges. Whilst posing questions to ourselves and each other; What are our needs? What are the future possibilities? and where do we go from here? This focuses on non-hierarchical models of facilitation and is open to all those whose work contributes to the visual arts sector of Aberdeen, who are willing and able to contribute their time.
This model reflects there is not one definitive answer to development, arts ecologies at their best are diverse, disagreeable and divergent and operate on multiple levels over time. The programme hopes to be a space to gather and continue the ground work for future possibilities.
More information on the model can be found in the PDF download below.
An arts ecology is the many interdependent networks of society and economy that shape the demand for the production of arts and cultural offerings. This includes relationships between the organisations, individual cultural workers, policy makers, as well as wider communities. It can be thought of as the ‘spaces’ in which visual art is produced and shown. It can also be thought of in relation to issues of power, responsibility, support and diversity for example. This constellation sometimes makes articulating and mapping these relationships and the real lived conditions they produce challenging as individuals.
The events used an approach of co-authorship to begin to generate knowledge on the existing conditions that inform Aberdeen’s visual arts sector; the opportunities and challenges. Whilst posing questions to ourselves and each other; What are our needs? What are the future possibilities? and where do we go from here? This focuses on non-hierarchical models of facilitation and is open to all those whose work contributes to the visual arts sector of Aberdeen, who are willing and able to contribute their time.
This model reflects there is not one definitive answer to development, arts ecologies at their best are diverse, disagreeable and divergent and operate on multiple levels over time. The programme hopes to be a space to gather and continue the ground work for future possibilities.
More information on the model can be found in the PDF download below.
| Where do we go from here?.pdf |