Arts and Business proves a successful marriage for local artists!

The Alley Theatre recently launched a new Artist Gallery within the North West's leading department store, Linton and Robinson's. Supported by Arts and Business NI, this fantastic new venture works on several different levels. Firstly it will enable local artists the opportunity to reach a totally new client base, secondly it offers Linton's to offer a very unique product and make them "stand out from the crowd" in a busy retail sector, and finally for the Alley to implement its arts development mission. The launch was a tremendous success and I strongly believe if things go well, this project could run and run. See below the editorial which was seen across the North West.

New North West Artist Gallery launch hailed a success!

The launch of the new North West Artist Gallery, based within Strabane’s Linton and Robinsons’ department store, has been hailed by organizers as a “tremendous success for local artists and Strabane”. Featuring the artwork from 5 local artists, ranging from funky contemporary portraits, delightful sculptures and more traditional landscape and fine art works, the gallery was officially opened last week to large audience of dedicated art lovers and those interested in purchasing a unique item for their home.

“Linton and Robinson has been part of the community in Strabane and throughout the North-West for well over 50 years now. It is therefore very fitting that in conjunction with the Alley Theatre and through funding via Arts and Business NI, that we should promote local artists within our new Furniture 2 department store” commented Joe Barber, Manager at Linton and Robinson. “We hope the artists will benefit by having their works on display within a modern store, offering them extra exposure to the public and media. This is a new venture for Strabane and Linton’s, and when you see how the store has changed over the last 5 years, you can certainly see Strabane is changing, re-inventing itself and becoming far more competitive in the retail, arts and cultural tourism sectors.”

The North West Artist Gallery has been developed in association with the Strabane’s Alley Theatre and Arts & Business NI, a not for profit organisation, which aims to promote mutually beneficial relationships between business, the arts and the public sector in order to increase private sector investment into the arts through investment programmes. Commenting on the launch, Alley Theatre Manager, John Kerr stated “This has been a wonderful exhibition launch and I certainly hope that the public support this innovative project, which is showcasing some amazing pieces of new artwork, at what I must say is some excellent prices. By purchasing a piece you are not only supporting local artists, but you made never know a purchase might prove to be a valuable investment for the future.

New report shows the arts are enjoyed by all in Northern Ireland

Audiences NI have come up with a new report that in my opinion explores some of the myths about theatre attendance in Northern Ireland.

"A new report shows that the arts are enjoyed by people from all walks of life in Northern Ireland, exploding the myth that the arts are the preserve of an elite minority. The Audience Audit is based on data drawn from 22 arts organisations across Northern Ireland and looks at who went to the arts in 2008, what they spent and when they attended. Audiences NI has produced the report using the socio-demographic classification system Mosaic NI. This system divides Northern Irish consumers into nine ‘groups’ based on a range of indicators including income and lifestage. The Audience Audit report shows that people who go to the arts are drawn from all nine Mosaic groups, including Farming Communities and Housing Executive Tenants. Additionally the report demonstrates that the arts contribute significantly to the Northern Irish economy, with ticket sales alone generating £13.5 million in 2008. "

The Alley Mosaic Report 2008 showed that our largest groups comes from Farming Communities and Housing Executive Tenants, which is replicated across Northern Ireland in this new report.

Our core aim is to develop the arts and increase arts participation across the whole of the community, and I think this report and our own research shows many critics that arts are not only for the middle class, but for all groups in society.

Druids make the best arts marketing officer

In 2007 , I attended the first Northern Ireland Druidstone marketing course, one of the best courses I have ever attended.

The Theatrical Management Association (TMA) London, in conjunction with Audiences NI, delivered the Druidstone residential arts marketing course for the first time in Northern Ireland during April of 2007.

The course was a massie investment and involved a seven-day residential course, designed to provide those working in arts marketing with intensive professional development in the essential skills of arts marketing. The Druidstone course has run for over 23 years in Wales and has achieved international recognition as a unique training opportunity, this was a unique chance for theatres in Northern Ireland to rise to the challenge.

A total of 13 staff involved in Arts Marketing from across Northern Ireland attended the course which ran from 20-27 April in Rubane House, Kircubbin, County Down. The participants took part in a series of lectures and tutorials, covering marketing planning and principles as well as practical marketing 'tools' such as copywriting, e-marketing and press and public relations.

Click on the title of this blog story and check out the attached website for images and course feeback.