Open Studios Nottinghamshire 2012 Is there anyone else out there who'd like to join us?

Open Studios Nottinghamshire May June 2012

Open studios come in various shapes and sizes, an event may be artists opening individual studios, artists hosting others in their studios, a cluster exhibition at a venue in the area, a group of houses hosting work from artists.

Is there anyone else out there who'd like to join us?

A group of artists and makers representing active Open Studio groups in the county have come together to develop an Open Studios Nottinghamshire event in May/June 2012 with the support of Nottinghamshire County Council.

We are now seeking other enthusiastic and proactive creative practitioners from across the county to join us and help make it happen county wide!

Lady Bay Arts (Rushcliffe district), Newark Area Open Studios (Newark and Sherwood district), Harley Artists (Bassetlaw district) are planning to open their studios, exhibit work and invite the public to see art, buy art and meet artists.

The group would like to hear from individuals and representatives of other active Open Studio Groups or people who might want to get together and become one (particularly in areas that aren't currently doing events). We also need to form a robust steering group to take forward ideas and actions and launch Open Studios Nottinghamshire in 2012.

We aim to encourage the formation of localised 'hubs' or groups of artists who can co-operate and work to attract the public in to see them, seek partnerships with local businesses (eg cafe's/galleries) who might benefit from the events and benefit artists themselves through peer support.

Nottinghamshire County Council's Strategic Arts Development Officer for Creative Industries has agreed to be the point of contact for expressions of interest. Please email information (in the format requested at the end of this description) to diana.pasek-atkinson@nottscc.gov.uk as soon as possible and by Friday 2 December at the latest.

Nottinghamshire County Council wishes to support the development of the infrastructure to enable a Countywide Open Studio initiative to grow aiming to;

• Increase the visibility of creative practitioners.
• Create opportunities for sales and thus support the economic viability of businesses.
• Create opportunities for creative practitioners to meet their customers.
• Develop a wider arts offer to visitors in the county.
• Develop an accessible event for new audiences.

The group will be meeting again in December at Rufford Craft Centre. On the agenda will be plans for publicity and possible print to advertise the event in 2012, how the initiative can generate revenue to sustain itself, what criteria if any should be made common across the groups and discussion on whether in future Open Studios Nottinghamshire could seek to be an organisation with membership.

Each group has identified one of the weekends in May/June for their geographical cluster to have an event. The Harley artists want to get the ball rolling on the bank holiday weekend (when there's also a food fair at Welbeck), Lady Bay's event is scheduled for the third weekend and Newark Area Artists are hoping to open the last weekend in May and first weekend in June (the latter includes the Jubilee Bank Holidays)

Further information about the three groups

Lady Bay Arts http://www.ladybayarts.org.uk/

Newark Area Open Studios (NAOS) http://newarkarea-openstudios.co.uk/

Autumn event planned. There will be an 'Upton Open Studios' on 12/13 November in conjunction with LIZZYZ Coffee House, 10am-4pm

Harley Artists Group at Welbeck Estate

Details of the Harley artists can be found here

http://www.harleygallery.co.uk/maker.php?pg_id=11

Christmas Arts & Food Market and Harley Open Studios

26 and 27 November 2011
10am-5pm Saturday, 10am-4pm Sunday

This year May was branded as "Craft and Design Month" nationwide by Craft and Design Magazine http://www.craftanddesignmonth.net/ plans are under way for 2012 and again any events in the month can be listed on this website.

We'd really like all artists and makers in Nottinghamshire to be members of Creative Greenhouse the Network for Creative Industries in the county. It only takes ten minutes to join online and it is FREE! http://www.creativegreenhouse.org.uk You get a regular e newsletter, affiliate membership of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce and the opportunity to be part of a growing network running events to help you and your business develop.

Would you like to express an interest in being part of Open Studios Nottinghamshire?

Send your information in the format outlined below to

diana.pasek-atkinson@nottscc.gov.uk as soon as possible and by Friday 2 December at the latest.

Your name

 Are you expressing an interest as an individual or for a Group?

(If a group, tell us the name of your group or proposed name)

 Contact details (email, telephone, address, web presence if any)

 Preferred dates for Open Studios (if possible to say at this stage)

 Are you interested in joining the steering group (and therefore able to give time towards organising the event)?

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