Are initiatives aimed at disabled artists just a way to make the arts sector feel good about itself, an exercise in discrimination when what is really needed is an even playing field? Cornwall-based artist Stacey Guthrie argues that what is really required is more inclusion and less segregation.
In a piece originally published by The Conversation, artist and 1997 Turner Prize nominee Christine Borland, professor of art at Northumbria University, argues that the prize needs to transcend its own ‘structures of power’ and instead find a way for the art itself to be centre stage.
At a recent festival in Belgium about Europe-wide cultural solidarity, artist and AIR Council member Joseph Young talked about a-n/AIR’s Paying Artists campaign. He reports on a debate characterised by politically outspoken artists and networking over mojitos in the Che Guevara tent.
Set against the backdrop of its Newcastle city centre building being lost to redevelopment, a recent two-day event at the artist-led NewBridge Project in Newcastle asked whether it was time for artists to ‘grow up’ and accept the new agenda of cuts, philanthropy and big business sponsorship. Artist Lesley Guy joined in the conversation and came to a different conclusion.
Why is gender inequality still rife in the visual arts and why are so many women in the arts still ‘scared’ of feminism? As a new exhibition opens at the artist-led Airspace Gallery in Stoke, Dany Louise is looking for answers.
Producer and writer Carolyn Black has worked in the visual arts for over two decades. Having witnessed many ups and downs in the sector, she believes things have never been so bad for artists in the UK. It’s time, she says, for things to change…
Following last week’s announcement by Arts Council England of its new National Portfolio of funded organisations, Mark Robinson takes a closer look at the figures to find that, whilst the portfolio has many of the same strengths and weaknesses as the first one created in 2011, ACE has failed to significantly redress the funding imbalance between London and the regions.
A new report urges those working with arts and culture to rethink their contribution to a vision of sustainable development that benefits the whole of society. Report co-author, Mark Robinson, introduces the provocation and identifies three vital ‘practices’ that can only be achieved by collaboration between artists, institutions and an intelligent funding ecology.
Arts Council England’s update of its 10-year ‘strategic framework’ makes for sober and serious reading. But while there are no dramatic changes in its ambitions and priorities, Mark Robinson finds a worrying lack of solutions for cash-strapped artists and no recognition of the regional imbalance in arts funding.
As the first results from AIR’s Paying Artists Survey make clear, artists are finding themselves at the end of the arts food chain as funding cuts bite. Here, a-n’s Director looks at how things stand and suggests a future where practitioners determine the status of their art and of artists.
In Joshua Sofaer’s latest Artist as leader interview for a-n, artist Richard Layzell and businessman Richard Hicks discuss Layzell’s seven-year tenure as ‘Visionaire’ at AIT software company. Here, Layzell writes about what came next and the continued relevance of his experience in industry a decade on.
A week after announcing the closure of Cardiff-based contemporary art agency Mermaid & Monster, its Director takes a close look at the art ecology of Wales and finds plenty to be concerned about.
In the light of Arts Council England’s recent capital grants announcement, Alistair Gentry asks when investment in the work of new, financially strapped artists will be given the same priority.
Following a series of events this weekend, New Work Network (NWN) is to close. Director Orlagh Woods discusses NWN’s achievements over its fifteen year history, its closure and the future for artists working within ‘pioneering practices’.
As Frieze Art Fair opens this week, a-n’s Director asks if we need to think about how art market growth could aid artists’ careers.
Zeitgeist Arts Projects present their research on open submission competitions and explain why they insisted on transparency for their own newly-launched Zeitgeist Open.
Alternative insights into the visual arts, with fast-paced news, comment, debate.
Get in touch
[email protected]
a-n offers a range of memberships for individuals and groups – from £38 annually – find out more.
Supported by:
