Arts Cafe discussion topic Wednesday 27th October

Arts Cafe to be hosted by Caroline Walsh Waring and Mel Sewell at Stoney Street Studios (above Garden Cafe) at 8:00pm

Hi folks,
Further to my previous suggestion about the next meeting being a discussion around how to give Frome artists more market noticeability I would like to take that thought further. And please stop me if you have all been down this road before.
 

Where are we?

Points for discussion (in no order):

How does the outside world see Frome artists? What is the USP (unique selling proposition) of Frome and it's artists? Need for commercial trademark. Branding.

Frome for art. Who teaches?

Commercialisation.

Where the new 'economy’ has been, where it could be taking us, lessons learned.

Crafts council research shows that potential buyers of art and crafts value their relationship with the creators. So interface and conversation is important.

Other Frome websites all lack anything about the Arts.

The Arts can be seen at Black Swan, Frome Museum and Rook Lane, but there is no full time representation of ALL artists. Open Studio visitors v revenue v cost. Was everyone properly and commercially prepared?

.

Where do we want to be?

Make Frome synonymous with arts and crafts in Britain. Let's make it famous. Let's pull together. Together we have more weight.
 


How do we get there?

Kevin McLeod and other personalities in region.

'Friends Of'

All galleries.

All artists ideas.

Sponsorship and funding (Arts Council and all sponsors role)
Frome art in every shop window.

Media - list inc web

Invite top profile artist

Invite top profile gallery.

Artists package - art, prints, cards, other promos

FCN website role

Publicity material - print, other

Can we get a purpose built SAW/ Frome Festival –
Museum/ Gallery and get it sponsored? What about local companies can we get a commitment from them to sponsor?

Pull everything together, arts and crafts and musicians - anyone creative. Where do children and disabled fit in?

Where does Catherine Hill market, shops and Frome galleries fit in?

Resources like printers, or is that a job for yellow pages?

Create a printed directory, which can be ordered by libraries and sent to advertising and design agencies. What links do we have to the Arts Council and the Crafts Council? Can we get an article in their mags and on their websites?

A document, which is a statement of intent that can be pored over, discussed and used in the future to plan and compare progress.

FCN website good, but needs filling with all creatives. Who will be responsible for doing this? Can we divide this responsibility? FCN website could expand and be part of the direction. What about Geeks and computer creativity?

Connect with social and business networking - linkdin, facebook, smarta.

Share resources, info, contacts, links, printers, scanners, silkscreen, recording (member discounts).

Frome artists and craftspeople splash (how to be seen in the marketplace, how to make Frome a recognised 'brand' for art and creativity).

Media announcement to gain interest. Letters of appeal

List of all creatives: arts, theatre, crafts, literature etc.

Need links to all resources.

Create a new entity who‘s sole purpose is to make commercial connections?

Comments

October Arts Cafe

Submitted by Caroline Walsh-... on 29 October 2010 - 11:40am.
Due I think to half term Wednesday Nights meeting was not so well attended as previous meetings but this didn't stop some lively discussion surrounding Mel Sewell's ideas and thoughts to help stimulate art and it's exposure within Frome.  Everyone offered some interesting thoughts as to what they are looking for in the Arts Cafe whether it just plays a social aspect in their life, somewhere to discuss art and current projects or does it have a wider remit to include the planning of exhibtions and promotion of Frome as an artistis centre as a whole?

Good question? I personally think it's what we make it, which is why it is good to hear peoples opinions both at the meetings and in the forums provided here.  An idea was floated to approach landlords of some of the empty shop units in Frome centre to use them as temporary hanging spaces for local artists and try a do a deal on the rents.  So whilst the unit has no commercial use it can be filled with some lovely local art but can move on once the unit is rented.  This would help stimulate the centre of town and frankly make it more attractive to visitors, this has to be good for not just artists but the town as a whole and Anny Colgan said she would look into this.

Since the meeting I have had thoughts about setting up a Frome Arts Event to run over say 2 weeks or a month.  Trying to utilise all the empty units to show art, keep it central to Frome so that there are no long walks to different venues as with the Open Studios and set it at a time when not much else it happening.  Persuade existing businesses to let Artists use part of their windows to display work, get other businesses to run events alongside the Event.  Some might say this is duplicating the Existing Festival but my idea is that it would be much more art orientated.

Is anyone interested in this?  I like to hear some opinions.

At recent meetings it has also been pleasing to welcome new visitors each time and I hope they enjoyed their evening to.

Next meeting is on 24th November, at Helen's Studio again, so bring along your drinks, nibbles and ideas for a stimulating evening.  And let's hear some other opinions about what is going on.

All the best, Caroline

Last Nights Arts Cafe

Submitted by Anonymous on 28 October 2010 - 11:40am.
Bit of a low attendance probably due to half term but a good meeting all the same. Mel raised some very interesting questions, I'm not sure if we came to any firm conclusions as such but he is going to continue looking at promoting Frome as an Arts Centre. Anny Colgan is going to look into some of the empty shop units to see if they can be taken on a temporary basis to show art at little or no rent just to fill the spaces and get rid of some of these ugly empty places in the centre of town which so detract from the charm of the town. Perhaps others have ideas for exhibiting more in town and attracting art lovers in? Be good to see some other comments on here too.

Last Arts Cafe meeting

Submitted by MelSewell on 7 November 2010 - 3:16pm.
Yes, I was a little upset at the poor turnout. I have spent nearly four years researching the subject which covered many aspects of marketing for artists, galeries and general art/craft based commerce. I was hoping to obtain a greater depth of answers to the (quite lengthy, I admit) outline I had prepared and posted in the FCN blog and that Caroline kindly printed and handed out. In fact the quality of response on the night was very suitable and will be a valuable addition to my final findings. The reason why I am doing the research is to enable me to understand whether 'creatives' and commerce are coming together in a suitable marketing mix and if not what can be done to improve the situation. In drawing up the outline for the research I have included all 'creatives' in a 15 mile radius of Frome (for 'creative' read artists (and groups), craftspeople, those involved in creative industries, writers, actors, etc). For commerce I have included galleries, open studios, cultural events, theatre and the media. The conclusion that I am hoping will arise is one which will add to and create yet another layer to the success of artists and creativity in Frome.
Mel

A comment was added by Freya and forwarded to me as an email:
I wonder if it would be useful when writing/speaking about the proposed cuts to speak collectively of the Creative industry in Frome being the Town's primary USP (unique selling point) both for tourism and regional visiting? If we see the town as a 'business' this terminology is very easy to understand and very difficult to argue against. Any business that stops promoting it's USP will soon be dead in the water.

Just a thought.

Freya
 
Thanks Freya, here's my response:

However by definition you can only have ONE 'Unique selling proposition'. Otherwise it fails to be unique. I don't know if Frome has yet done enough to establish 'Creativity' as its USP. Some people may know it for that, but the USP should be aimed at a target audience and does Frome, whoever that is, know who their target audience is? For example the constant claim that I hear is that Catherin Hill Sunday market attracts people who think that the market and the traders in the shops are very 'creative', but does that make Frome creative? If you venture into Frome any other time of the day or night does Frome seem creative? Keep those thoughts coming. Like 'em Mel