Paul Dance travels to rural Cambridgeshire to see how an artist run space has transformed itself into a 21st century contemporary art centre and artist's studio facility.
On January 18 2008 Wysing Arts, in rural Cambridgeshire, will re-open with an innovative programme of international artist residencies, public events and workshops, whilst its 14 artist’s studios will increase to 24.
One of the most original and forward looking arts centres in the country, the transformation of the artist run space is all the more remarkable when you consider its rural location - in Bourn, Cambridgeshire; a couple of miles west of junction 12 of the M11.
But then Wysing is an arts organization that resolutely refuses to be hamstrung by its pastoral, some would say out the way, location. Typical of its recent innovative arts programming is an ambitious film for an art cowboy movie, called FEATURE, to be screened next year as part of their re-opening. As part of the audition process volunteer ‘Cowboys’, ‘Indians’ and a ‘Mexican’ guitarist, mostly from the general public, filled Wysing Arts.
FEATURE satirises the traditional Western by giving it a young British Asian slant. Photo Wysing Arts Centre
The day’s filming featured a boy in a coffin whilst The Fairhaven singers, dressed as early Americans and under the direction of Ralph Woodward, sang The Old Rugged Cross at the graveside. The filming will result in an original film that seeks to challenge perceptions of culture, place and identity and has been commissioned by Wysing from the filmmaker Shezad Dawood.
The philosophy of including the local population in projects is central to Wysing’s commitment to social inclusion in the arts. It is also in harmony with The Arts Council’s ‘Taking Part’ policy, which has public inclusion as a pre-requisite of its funding.
As Helen Robinson, Wysing’s marketing officer said: “We will often work with artists collectives, such as Platoniq from Barcelona or Juneau/projects, who use the process of interaction with members of the public, to determine the result, rather than confirm a pre-determined outcome of a work of art.”
“Some people may ask “where is the art” but it is there in the process and the vision, it’s about actively including the public rather than waiting for them to come to you.”
The 16-month, £1.3 million project to demolish the old workshop and studios and build a brand-new arts facility in their place was given an extra boost in March 2007 with an unexpected half million pound grant from The East of England Development Agency (EEDA). The money enabled them to put in place phase two of the project comprising a new reception area and café.
The new building is a modern design that manages to incorporate large windows and flexible internal features whilst reflecting its rural location with panels of black wood that echo many of the local barns. Dramatic lighting will also make this an outstanding building, enhancing Wysing’s reputation for connecting with people in an artistic context rather than hiding itself away.
It was an approach exemplified last year by the ‘Enter’ exhibition, which Wysing had been involved with for two years up to its appearance on Parker’s Piece in Central Cambridge in summer 2007. One of the artists involved in that exhibition, Mark Dixon, had previously exhibited his mobile phone-instigated LED installations at Wysing and will shortly take over one of the new studios.
Studios are now let on a five-year basis and the Wysing board have instigated a mentoring and appraisal system for the resident artists. This may sound like a commercial, target-driven system but in fact has no specific requirements for the artist, instead acting as a way of freeing the artist’s perspective whilst providing feedback and a wide-ranging social and artistic network for inspiration and support.
The rural location - Wysing is an eleven acre site with most of it still undeveloped – is also a boon to artists who are liberated from the usual urban, competitive environment. Despite, or perhaps because of, this ethos of support and liberation many artists widen their methods of working and achieve long-lasting development in their art.
Wysing has also provided seed funding for various projects that have then toured the country and beyond. One of next year’s projects will involve a group of artists engaging the people in Cambourne, using a concept related to The Bank of Common Knowledge.
A list will be compiled of talents and skills that people possess and are willing to share, along with a list of people wanting to learn a new skill. How this develops will depend partly on the skills the artists encounter together with suggestions from the population. Crucially the idea of a ‘social invitation to the artistic process’ is central to the process.
The new buildings, which include a workshop and media studio for school or college projects, were designed by the architects Hawkins-Brown and built by Jackson ISG Special Projects, both chosen for their adaptability and willingness to re-visit previous jobs and engage in further development.
Lists of public events, resident artists and future projects can be found at their newly launched website, www.wysingarts.org. The film, FEATURE, tours to Manchester, Whitechapel, London and Leeds after its completion next summer.
