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- We are A Space In Progress – consisting of Dan, Frankie, Billie, Sol & Melissa. We are a band of creatives, each with our own visionary identities - brought together by our passion to better our world through art and design.
- Being from different parts of the UK and in Sol’s case a different part of the world, when we think of the concept of A Space InProgress, and applying to where we are from, it makes us excited.
- We want to help celebrate a town’s heritage and qualities through art and help towns, that are especially separate from large cities, to understand and feel less isolated from art. In turn we will help generate custom for local, independent business and promote tourism for the town.
- We plan to get post-grad students to help with local regeneration, students from theuniversities nearest to the destination we find to regenerate.
- Spaces we would regenerate: walls, town squares and centres – virtually just any outdoor space – hence the name!! – wecarefully assess each space given to ensure we do total justice to it.
- The outcome is an unveiling ‘event’ around what is produced, where the whole community come together to eat, drink and celebrate!
Responsible for the cultural regeneration of spaces within towns,
The catalyst of an artistic vision through to its execution,
We aim to collaborate and inspire young minds and promote creative freedom
- One of our main rival organisations is‘Assemble’, being very popular within the world of art, completing many successful projects and also winning Fine Art award - the coveted Turner Prize.
- What sets us apart from Assemble is the artist focus and how A Space In Progressregenerate. We do this through a much more objective, accessible art form rather than an abstract, inaccessible form. We want to approach regeneration in more illustrative terms, giving towns-people the chance to engage with art, without feeling confused of separate from it.
- Compared to Assemble, we also plan to use less substantial space to regenerate rather than buildings meaning no architectural issues or planning permission is needed and it saves money for all parties involved. Theonly thing needed is the council’s permission to use and change the public space. We are willing to use any kind of media to accommodate the ideas and concepts, from light projections to 3D installations to murals.
- Our use of students is important to us – it gives them a chance to get a leg up in the world of work and offers publicity but alsobeing students from universities nearby, it gives us fresh ideas that also we hope hark back to traditions of the town, like they aregiving back to a community that they are part of.
- Our promotion is in the form of a -website-
- A clear blog featuring completed projects andthe stages of the journey through live projects until the completion
- Photographs of completed pieces and eventin an archived album
- Information about us and the organisation
- Interviews with the public, the locals, business people, the mayor, any person whoinvolved and willing to talk to us
- A database of the artists/students informationthat have helped
- Anything press related – articles, coverageetc.
- And a ‘get involved page’ – to contact us if their town has a space in need
- Let’s talk about operating expenses:
The total Annual costing of £39,052 has come from the thought that if we complete 6 projects a year and is broken down into the following :
- An annual Salary between 5 at £14,904
- Employee Related Expenses, which include “…” at £2,988
- Materials starting from £4000
- Food, Accommodation & Travel between 5 at £4,800
- Advertising at about £360
- And Licensing at £12,000
- We can receive a grant up to £15,000 under a regeneration proposal from Art Councils. Our research shows a regeneration grant has not been issued since 2011 in the North, for us this is definitely a finance opportunity.
- Other places we can possibly get are based within Direct Gov.
• Historic area regeneration grant
• Parks For People – Heritage Lottery Fund
- you, the local council play a major role in making A Space In Progress possible – we are willing to work with whatever kind of space a council is able or want to give,obviously the bigger the better, the bigger the space the bigger the impact!
- Research suggests that the spaces in need lie more towards the North of England and the seaside towns, but we are willing to go wherever we can and wherever we are needed
- We, (the research team) have been to Warrington, where online research shows isthe most culturally deprived town in the UK,and have conducted an informal field study, approaching local businesses and residents and asking if A Space In Progress project would be something beneficial to partake in and we received a GREAT RESPONSEshowing a FIRM INTEREST
- To us results matter most. The results in the long terms matter just as much as the tangible outcome. Our main focus is to fulfil a vision and celebrate a community’s heritage.
- Looking to the future, we hope to become a highly anticipated, established event and an organisation recognised by councils and the creative community.
- We aim to broaden horizons in terms of location and hopefully one day we canregenerate internationally. We look to recruiting a bigger team, then to expand into an office facility/studio space which would serve as our base of operation.
- Local businesses can make more money through this ‘event’, through catering mainly in the space we have developed, and around whereby the tourism will thrive
- The existence of art in lesser developed society has been proven to reduce crime and violence among youth – e.g a German crew painted mural to rehabilitate the Palmitas neighborhood, a small town in Mexico. Aswell as bringing together community, violence/crime has been reduced dramatically.
- And always, most crucially, a rejuvenated identity for your town, but never forgetting the heritage and tradition that makes it so unique
