Articulture host land managers meeting to explore support for outdoor arts in Wales

By 1st June 2016Uncategorised

In early May Articulture brought together a range of leading land managers and owners to collectively look at the value of engaging with the outdoor arts sector in Wales, and potential future work.

This meeting joined up individual conversations over the last three years into one discussion forum. It was facilitated by Orit Azaz in collaboration with Articulture, and held at the Wye Valley River Festival in Monmouth.

Those attending 

Land managers attending included Coed Cadw/Woodland Trust, Visit Wales, Cadw, Wales Local Government Association, Natural Resources Wales, RSPB, Wye Valley AONB, Canals & Rivers Trust Wales, and Brecon Beacons National Park.

Several representatives from the arts also took part including David Alston, Arts Director, Arts Council of Wales, Migrations, National Theatre Wales, and Wye Valley River Festival.

Objectives for the meeting 

The meeting sought to carry out the following objectives:

  • Create a greater awareness by those attending of the value and potential of the outdoor arts sector
  • Create a joined up and collaborative conversation regarding the outdoor arts sector in Wales
  • Create an opportunity for land managers to connect with key outdoor arts practitioners in Wales developing the sector
  • Give an overview of what has been achieved to date in engaging with the outdoor arts sector in Wales, and beyond, including inspirational case studies/best practice.
  • Create an opportunity to reflect on next steps both at a policy and practical level, both individually and collaboratively.

Actions moving forward 

An extensive list of opportunities and actions were identified for further collaborative work, with commitment from the majority of those attending.

Moving forward it is anticipated that further work will be discussed, with projects formulating.

Articulture warmly welcomes others to the discussion as it moves into the future.

Articulture hopes to provide regular updates on this work via the newsletter and social media.

These actions fell into the following catagories –

1. Opportunity to share data, reports, methodologies for working in outdoor arts

For example Wales Local Government Association offered to act as information channel to contacts in 22 local authorities in Wales

2. Opportunity for further meet-ups to continue conversations, at outdoor arts events, sharing examples in practice

For example those attending expressed an interest in coming along to Articulture’s encounter at large scale outdoor arts spectacle ‘City of the Unexpected’ in Cardiff on 17th September

3. Opportunity for further R&D work creating a shared vision/ownership, working with artists to develop collaborative creative thinking

For example RSPB to look at possibility of convening a meeting for potential outdoor arts partners in N.Wales involving new visitor experience person on reserve.

4. Opportunity to take action and collaborate to make work – leap of faith!

For example the Arts Council of Wales to work with Visit Wales to share opportunities for artists and organisations to gain funding and engage in Visit Wales work.

5. Opportunity to create/collect/share audience data for advocacy/impact

For example NRW and Cadw to explore sharing their mapping tools used to identify key areas for work.

(Pictured – Ar Waith Ar Daith @ Castell y Bere, site specific performance, Awen project 2015, created by Walk the Plank. Credit – Cadw)

 

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