Latest art exhibition leaves local gallery 'buzzing with youth and vitality'

By Swindon Link - 1 October 2018

Arts and CultureCommunity

Last weekend gallery owners collaborated with Swindon's young artists, musicians and poets to showcase the town's buzzing art scene.

To put a spotlight on cuts to arts funding in Swindon, young creatives rallied together to showcase some of the town's unrecognised talent living in Swindon.

Inspired by Artsite's ambition to spark a resurgence back into one of Swindon's oldest galleries, Number Nine, artists and volunteers gathered together to support local art in their hometown. The two day exhibition saw artists, poets (Tony Hillier and Rusty Goat) and musicians perform to fellow creatives and residents living in Swindon.

Organisers of the event hope that the latest exhibition at Artsite, 'I Can't Buy a House, and Yet I Decorate Yours', would demonstrate how providing more support to Artsite would enable more artists in Swindon to exhibit their work.

An organiser of the exhibition said: "The exhibition was such a success - the turnout was brilliant. But, something to remember is that no one was paid for partaking in this exhibition - all the art work, organising and people's time were all voluntary. We wanted to do something, to show how much creativity is in this town, but ultimately it has reflected the lack of support from funding.

"If there was more arts funding, if Artsite is given more support to create more studios and host more exhibitions, just think about how many more creative collaborations could be popping up all over Swindon. There was such a great response from everyone involved and people who attended, and events like this showed that Swindon has the capability to be a thriving arts town."

Artsite - an arts charity which has provided Swindon with a theatre, 12 artists' studios and gallery space - has been supporting Swindon's artists for 18 years. After opening The Post Modern in 2008 Artsite trustees, Vicky Silver and Sally Taylor, have been hoping to obtain more space through council-owned, and derelict, buildings. Artsite had been in talks with the council over the last five years to obtain the former Connexions building with talks not progressing further.

Vicky Silver said: "It was rewarding just seeing Artsite buzzing with youth and vitality - so many young artists telling us how exciting it was to be able to exhibit in Swindon and expressing the desire to make it happen again.

"Conversations confirmed the need for more studios and we had an amazing response that it was an ideal place where specific vulnerable groups could come to work in safety.

"It was more than apparent that without an Arts Officer in Swindon, Artsite's role is more important than ever to continue to link up both the community and artists.

"Certainly, last weekend’s exhibition highlighted our presence to young artists that there is somewhere in Swindon that wants them to stay in Swindon - somewhere that identifies with them and understands them. Whether the town has woken up to that need I am not sure."

Photographs by local Swindon filmmaker, Henry Meredith

For further information about Artsite visit www.artsite.ltd.uk

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