SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS & CRAFTSPEOPLE:

Community Education Mentoring schemes:

Home-grown pilot MENTORING SCHEME – at any one time, 2 mentors, 2 projects, 6  artists. Through informal teaching each ‘community education’ mentor will take the lead in guiding a group of 3 selected artists/craftspeople, working together as a team, as they deliver one successful community art/craft education project. Over the course of the project the Mentor will nurture the skills and confidence of these artists/craftspeople to the extent that subsequently they will be able to continue providing education to the community in art/craft, unaided, as professionals.

• Community Education Mentor -  Mandie Saw has been working as a community artist and practicing artist for the last 20 years, predominantly with vulnerable and disabled adults, but also with all sectors of the community from young able and severally disabled children, ex offenders and users, elderly and also primary schools. Her personnal creativity is fundamental to who she is, and she is passionate about sharing this with all members of the comminity, using art as a catalyst to enable healing. She has undertaken community arts projects for Creative Landscapes, Creative Response, Creative Futures, Light Box, Pallant House Gallery, Metal Monkeys, and many more. Along side this she has set up Artscape in Petersfield,  and run drop in workshops at many other venues and for the general public. http://www.mandiesaw.org/
• Community Education Mentor – Rachel Johnston has worked with a wide range of individuals and community groups in different settings in London and the South East over the last 16 years, and is familiar with the challenges of finding work as an artist and all the practical considerations of working in the community. She believes passionately in the importance of socially inclusive art, in widening access and offering participation in cultural events to socially excluded groups. Rachel is a part-time tutor at the University of Chichester where she has begun to develop an extensive programme of external projects and opportunities for students. This has encompassed working in schools, healthcare environments and other community organisations. The projects have given students an invaluable opportunity to gain vocational experience of working to commission as well as broadening the context of their studio practice. http://www.chi.ac.uk/fineart/RachelJohnston.cfm

SHADOWING SCHEME – UAT is currently partnering with West Sussex County Council’s Arts Service. Creative Partnerships, Sussex and Surrey. Westergate Community School, Specialists in Visual and Performing Arts to pilot a free ‘shadowing scheme’ whereby 5 emerging artists/craftspeople will each ‘shadow’ a more established artist educator for three half-days as they undertake Enquiry Projects at schools involved in the West Sussex Creative Partnerships programme, observing a creative practitioner at work with a school group. This will be supplemented by 1½ days of professional development to be provided by Inroads, Continuing Professional Development Consultants for Creative Partnerships, Sussex and Surrey.

Professional Mentoring schemes  … tba

• Professional mentors, inc. developing career plans.– tba
• Professional Development Training – tba

EVENTS for Artists & Craftspepople.

• Professional network: PALLANT HOUSE GALLERY and UNITY ARTS TRUST are collaborating and hosting regular events for Artists and Craftspeople, art students and recent arts graduates, on regular Thursday evenings at Pallant House Gallery. The first meeting on Thursday 9th December 2010 was a chance for the 100 or so people who attended to meet and chat, but more specifically discuss what this event should be for! There were all sorts of suggestions, ranging from simple networking and talks to formal debates and critical feedback sessions about each others work. The organisers will be feeding back the results at the next event  in February 2011. Contact UAT for more information.
• Crits and Talks … tba