Output details
34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
Birmingham City University
International Project Space, Major Urban Revitalisation, Regeneration and Regional Arts Development Model (2002-2012)
Butler instigated the International Project Space (IPS) and was Executive Director throughout its development. The scheme explored a novel combination of models for engagement in the visual arts:
1. Helping the career paths of new curators
2. Engaging students and local neighborhoods
Following the establishment of IPS (2002) and during its initial phase, the emphasis was on validating model 1. Through its professional development programme IPS helped launch the careers of many now prominent artists/curators. One former curator (later, in 2012, a Turner Prize judge) is to undertake a directorship at Spacex, Exeter. He acknowledged the “crucial initial period of development and support” he received while on the programme – so the IPS experience has been foundational in ensuing successes.
Whilst this professional development strand continued, from 2008 the focus was directed towards the exploration of model 2. This addressed issues of urban revitalization and linking the University with local disaffected youth. Working through successive IPS curators the programmes included activities and exhibitions with content likely to engage a youthful audience, for example: Revolution, I Love you: 1968 in Art, Politics and Philosophy (2008). In 2011 the ‘Reading Room’ was established alongside the exhibition space to accommodate a series of workshops and other events targeted at the young people of the city and region. To promote these social media were used, inter alia, including blogs and invitations to follow IPS on Twitter.
With Arts Council funding (£120K until 2012) plus support by BCU, a range of innovative projects were delivered under the IPS umbrella: http://internationalprojectspace.org/ See also its archive.
The outcomes of this inquiry informed the development of further research into effective outreach in the visual arts, leading to follow-up projects, e.g. Eastside, Kalaboration and Turning Point West Midlands [See Butler outputs 2, 3 and 4].
