Monthly News from Kathleen O'Neill

from Kathleen O'Neill - Regional Arts Convenor

The Regional Arts Hub is the central voice of the D&G arts sector and one of my roles is to be its link with the Chamber of Arts board of trustees – helping support and inform arts strategy across the region. 

This month I am holding surgeries with hub members to help gather information on what they think are the priority regional needs for arts commissioning.Then, at the next Regional Hub meeting on 4th September, we will discuss the recommendations made under the Fresh Start for the Arts process and explore current thinking on what new commissions may look like in the short and long term.

It is anticipated that the next tranche of commissions will be advertised in the autumn, bringing a range of new opportunities. 

The information and ideas we are gathering at the moment will inform the drafting of a Regional Arts Plan for 2015 and beyond. Your views count in this process, and if you are not personally represented on the Regional Hub please make contact with your local area arts convenor, as they will be playing a very active role in making sure that all parts of the region have a voice.

Discussions around the font at Greyfriars Kirk Dumfries at the launch of the D+G Chamber of Arts vision last November

 

Another area of my work is to support D&G’s team of area convenors who have developed new patterns for Area Hub meetings.These are now being held in different towns and villages in Wigtownshire, Nithsdale, the Stewartry and Annandale and Eskdale. The idea is that area hub meetings should reflect the characteristics and needs of the creative communities they aim to support.

The results so far have been good with more people going along to share ideas, discuss ongoing work, make enquiries, engage in Chamber development and importantly create their own distinct agendas. 

We look forward to lots of people from the sector coming together later this year to share development stories at the promised Annual Arts Convention, one year on from Greyfriars in November. Watch this space for more details!

In the meantime, should you have any meeting agenda or place ideas, or questions on any aspect of the developing Chamber of Arts, please just let one of the convenors know. And if you would like to join the Chamber they will help.