Strategic Development

In recent years Acme has taken the lead role, working with other studio groups and organisations and the Arts Council, in the strategic development of the affordable artists' studio sector in England including the establishment of the National Federation of Artists' Studio Providers.

Acme has always understood the need for studio groups to work together: 'There is a case for all groups working in the area of provision of studio space and accommodation to co-operate and to pool resources and information, rather than to continue the fragmentary development being done at the moment'. (The Acme Housing Association, brochure, May 1976). The need for collective action to promote the value of affordable studio providers, to help emerging studio groups and make the case for greater support had been aired over many years and by many studio organisations. But it was not until 2003, with the staging of two major conferences, that this ambition looked like becoming a reality.

The first, Creating Places, was presented at Tate Modern, London and opened by the then Minister of State for the Arts, Estelle Morris. Supported by Arts Council England, Creating Places set out to explore the role of artists' studios in regeneration and was aimed at senior-level professionals and decision-makers responsible for regeneration, property development, planning and artists' workspace.

The other event, Making Space was organised and hosted by Yorkshire ArtSpace at their new studio building Persistence Works in Sheffield. Making Space included case study and workshop sessions for studio managers and those working with studio groups, and was about developing and sustaining artists' studios.

Actively involved as a steering group member for the Creating Places conference Jonathan Harvey made a keynote speech on behalf of the sector and David Panton presented a case study setting out new models for affordable studio development. David Panton chaired the Making Space conference in Sheffield and Jonathan Harvey presented a specific case study about Acme's cross-subsidy scheme at Orsman Road, N1.

Creating Places was undoubtedly the most important conference ever on studio provision in the United Kingdom. But it was not the first. It is wholly characteristic of the development of the artists' studio movement that the important precursors to these conferences, were also set up by studio organisations.

The first in 1999, called the UK Studio Providers Conference, was a one-day event organised by SPACE Studios. The second, addressing the threat to the network of studio providers - Regeneration and the Premises Crisis: Finding the Space for Art in 2000 - was the conception of Bow Arts Trust, Cable Street Studios and Chisenhale Studios and was organised by Vision in Art. What distinguishes the 2003 conferences is the public profile that the events achieved, the professionalism of those involved and the interest taken by government, local government, regeneration agencies and the arts funding system.

Taken together, the conferences mark an important stage in the 35-year history of collective action by artists to create their own working spaces. Described as a 'coming of age' by Peter Hewitt, Arts Council England's Chief Executive, the conferences helped to promote the vitally important work of studio organisations in supporting the development of art at the most fundamental level i.e. at the level of production. A clear vision emerging from the Making Space conference was the need for studio groups and organisations to work together.

Our commitment at Acme to help drive this vision forward was informed by the understanding that the development of policies to support artists' studios had to be based on knowledge of the sector - Which are the organisations? Where are the buildings? How many artists do they support? Is the sector thriving or at risk? These and many other questions had remained largely unanswered, there was no single comprehensive database and previous research had been poorly resourced and the data collected not always reliable.

This was the position we faced at the time of the conferences in 2003 and we were determined to act to provide detailed and comprehensive information about the groups and organisations and the studio buildings they manage. We embarked on a survey of artists' studio groups and organisations in England in June 2004 with financial support from Arts Council England. To ensure a high level of response and reliable data we decided to conduct the survey by face-to-face interviews. We made over 130 visits throughout England and the final survey report is based on 116 studio groups and organisations and 166 studio buildings.

A register of studio groups and organisations in England was published at the same time as the survey report. Data for the register was collected at the time of the survey and later on some further groups and organisations were added.

The survey and associated work provided the first detailed and comprehensive review of artists' studios in England. It serves not only to celebrate and promote its achievements, but also, importantly, to help others to support its continuing existence, development and vitality.

What the survey revealed is a hugely valuable, independent, distinctive and successful sector supporting over 4,000 artists with low-cost studio space with very little public funding support. However, it is also a network under threat with over 800 studio units 'at risk' i.e. likely to close, over the next ten years.

The resulting publications, A survey of artists' studio groups and organisations in England (May 2005), and A register of artists' studio groups and organisations in England (May 2005 and June 2006), are available to download. Further publications, including past issues of the Acme newsletter, can be found in Publications.

The survey report and register were launched in May 2005 at the first National Studios Forum held at the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) in London. Supported by Arts Council England, it was convened to enable representatives from across England to meet to discuss what kind of organisation they would like to establish to represent their collective interests

The demand for such an initiative had been clearly demonstrated by the consultation exercise which we undertook as part of our national survey and this provided the mandate for the forum.

An invitation to participate was sent to around 175 studio organisations and the basic criteria for inclusion were those used for our survey: not-for-profit and providing affordable studio space in England predominantly for fine artists. 60 organisations registered to send a delegate and 55 attended on the day.

At the end of the forum 14 delegates put themselves, or their organisation, forward as inaugural steering group members (including Acme) with Naomi Dines, of Occupation Studios in London, nominated as Chair.

The role of this nationally representative steering group was essentially to get things started: to review the conclusions of the forum and to prepare a proposal to ACE for funding towards the establishment of an appropriate body.

Initial funding for the establishment of a nationally representative body was made available by Arts Council England for the three years ending March 2008. The management of the grant and work of the steering group was facilitated by Acme and in June 2006 the National Federation of Artists' Studio Providers was incorporated. The federation's first Director, Val Millington, was appointed in December 2006 and its Administrator, Eleanor Salt, in March 2007.

The incorporation of the federation coincided with the formal opening of Acme's new Galleria Studios by Minister for Culture, David Lammy MP. He welcomed the launch of the federation, saying: "The move to create a national federation reflects a climate in which artists are working with a far greater degree of self-determination."

Membership of the federation, which is now a regularly funded organisation of Arts Council England, is open to all those engaged in providing affordable studio space for artists working in the United Kingdom, as well as other facilities and activities that benefit artists and the wider public. Its role is to help secure, sustain, improve and increase affordable studio provision, addressing many of the needs and concerns common to such organisations. The federation also acts as advocate, broker and champion, influencing public policy, decision-making and opinion to support the valuable work of the studio sector, and the artists that it supports, in their contribution to the social fabric and cultural and creative life of the nation.

Working in co-operation with existing organisations across England, the federation is a growing source of information, advice and support on all aspects of artists' studio provision for members, their partner organisations and other interested parties, extending mutual benefit from common resources. Acme has a defined working relationship (Memorandum of Understanding) with the federation to ensure, through the sharing of knowledge and understanding, that those seeking advice receive the best possible service.