A S Y L U M A R T I S T S T U D I O S
"Modern shop units or department stores with large floorplans can be transformed relatively easily into meeting spaces, business incubators or arts venues. It’s not just about spaces, though: local people are key to the future of high streets.Community businesses can meet needs that are not currently being served within high streets, bringing new people into town centres. And they can create new partnerships and constellations of interests to drive change." Julian Dobson Sheffield Hallam University
W H A T ?
The Asylum Art Studios: Post Regeneration (2018-2025)
The Asylum Artist Studio Building comprise of:
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11 indvidual studio spaces
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An art and philosophy library
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The multipurpose communal space where we host meetings, hotdesking, learning programmes, mentoring, workshops
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The Studio Gallery - situated without our communal space, a more informal place for showcasing artworks.
Our aim is to foster creative growth and our studio holders run their own public programmes and instigate their own collaborations.
We have an open application policy for new studio holders and artists have 24/7 access to the space. We are only open to the public by appointment or through our public programme which includes workshops, social clubs and open studio evenings.
The Asylum Art Studios Pre-Regeneration (2017)
W H Y ?
Due to many years of austerity and systemic failings in power structures to give space back to its public, aswell as a decline in investment in arts and culture, not only is there a manifest decline in the visual appearance of the city, but a lack of services for the community access and generate new project. We believe that the remedy is regenration of high streets building, common ownership of space and the facilitation of cultural currency.
The cheapest way to transform the aspect of a city (centre), is to encourage artists to be residents, but they need infrastructure with a sense of permanence aswell as supports structures which encourage and grow our local creatives.
We must find ways to support emerging, existing and established creative to stay, create and invest back into our declining city centres. We believe that it is community and artist led ventures that are fundamental community conveners, offering guidance, and a meeting place for members of the community to network and advocate for their own initatives to develop and deliver creative projects.
