For too long, there have been massive inequalities in terms of who benefits from ‘The Arts’ – both as audiences and professionals. Artists go underpaid, under-heard and under-supported. And it’s not truly open to everyone. We want to change that.
So in summer 2020, with the world and the arts industry thrown into disarray by the coronavirus pandemic, we launched an experiment to test out a different way of working:
We think this moment, where there is no business-as-usual, can be an opportunity to build a new normal for the arts industry. A new normal that gets us closer to the world we want to see – where everyone can access amazing cultural events. Where the systems are:
💥 fair
💥 adventurous and
💥 open to everyone.
Everyone involved in this project is convinced that it’s really important to be as transparent as possible, and to ‘show our working’ – because this change needs to be bigger than us. So we’ll be documenting every stage of the process as publicly as we can. To follow that progress, scroll through the timeline of the project’s stages/phases below. Most recent updates first!
You can also sign up to our Let Artists Be Artists mailing list to be notified of new developments and updates:
And if you’re doing something similar in your organisation, we’d love to hear about it! Please do drop us a line 👍
Phase 4: artists appointed!
April 2021
‘Let Artists Be Artists’ – 3 artists appointed
Here we go – it’s actually happening! What started as a wishful idea back in summer 2020 is now a reality. Together with a group of fantastic partner organisations, we’ve been able to appoint 3 artists – 1 full-time and 2 part-time – to ‘just be artists’ for one year. It’s an experiment in a […]
Phase 3: artist callout
December 2020
Let Artists Be Artists: Recruitment Call Out
Applications for Stage 1 have now closed. You can still read over the information on this page for reference but the deadline for expressions of interest has now passed. You can follow the rest of the process as it unfolds on our Updates page. Thanks for your interest! Download a large print version of this page. Call […]
Let Artists Be Artists: Recruitment Process Overview
How do I apply? Stage 1: expression of interest/ hello Stage 1 is a quick expression of interest or hello. Please let us know Which of Strike A Light’s 7 principles do you particularly connect with and why? One link to your work – could be a website, gallery or video You can share this […]
Phase 2: planning the practicalities
November 2020
Update: discussion and planning day write-up
We had a planning day for Let Artists Be Artists. We wrote up the conversations that were had.
Meet the artists helping us to shape the process
We wanted artists to be involved in the shaping of the recruitment process for our Let Artists Be Artists experiment.
October 2020
An email goes out to partners and artists, inviting them to take part in a planning day
Phase 1: the initial idea, & finding partners
August 2020
We wrote up the principles/model that we believe in
The Strike A Light Recipe for Great Cultural Events
Since 2013, we’ve been working in Gloucester to create great cultural events and experiences that can bring communities together, make life vibrant and exciting – and change things for the better. In that time, we’ve learned loads about what works and what doesn’t.
June/July 2020
The original proposal
Let Artists Be Artists
A proposal for arts organisations to build a new normal, with artists and communities at its heart
Funders and partners
We’re so grateful to all of the organisations who are joining us to make this a reality:
Action Hero | The Arts Development Company | Bristol Ferment | Create Gloucestershire | GL4 | Gloucester Culture Trust | Jerwood Arts | MAYK | Pound Arts | Theatre Bristol | Theatre Orchard | Travelling Light Theatre Company | Trinity Bristol
