THE STOREY SO FAR....
2/6/04: Recently Virtual-Lancaster was invited by LCC Arts Development Officer Peter Courtie to a press briefing "for the (Morecambe) Visitor alongside Andy Darby from (Lancaster) Litfest and John Angus from The Storey Gallery".

Some time ago, following complaints from local artists, Virtual-Lancaster wrote and emailed the Storey Gallery under the name of one of them, asking for his work to be considered for a show and offering to bring in a small photo-portfolio. Several letters (with SAEs), emails and messages left in person at the gallery over several months got no reply at all. We put a note to that effect by the Storey gallery's entry on our exhibitions page, and immediately got a mail from John Angus, Co-ordinator of the Storey Gallery.

We asked Mr Angus how artists should apply to the committee and for a copy of the Gallery's policy on determining the exhibition programme. He refused ('it's too much paper') and we got stonewalled. However, to be fair, not all local artists complain about the Storey Gallery. At a Luneside Studios party last year, Luneside artist Nik Ingham informed me at some length that he knew John Angus really well and he was a very decent person who did his best to bring quality art to Lancaster. Fair play then. Perhaps we were expecting too much.

Recently the Storey Institute has become the subject of a £673,000 redevelopment project funded by the Arts Council. The good news is that there will be a 150 seat performance venue (an upgrade of the current lecture theatre) which can be used by Lancaster LitFest among others and which will give the LitFest a much needed base; an expansion and upgrade of the Folly multimedia exhibition space and full disabled access. However at two pretty hectic 'consultation' meetings on 25 March 2004 plans were unveiled to turn the rest of the building into a Creative Industries Centre, to be managed by a private agency, and to reduce the Storey Gallery space for non new-media art.
For a full account of one meeting click here.

Everyone agrees that there is a shortage of decent gallery space in the area for local artists to show their work. It's a stark fact that art materials cost money and it's mainly through exhibiting their work that artists get to sell it. A good show can mean a year's income or materials to develop new ideas. It's more than that too - it's about validation and building confidence and a reputation. It's hard to say you're an artist when no-one has seen your work. And when the local 'experts' blank your letters.

Everyone also agrees that there should be an exhibition space locally where people can see works of national and even international quality. But how do we know that no local artist could ever attain that standard? Who decides? That access to the Storey is through a secret door is already an issue. Hopes that redevelopment might let in some fresh air were completely dashed by news that gallery space would be reduced, the 'Music Room' gallery to be changed to a creative business unit.

However the Redevelopment Project Co-ordinator assured us that the new centre will include a Development Worker who would advise local artists on how to get funding, support and exhibition space (elsewhere).

I emailed Arts Development Officer Pete Courtie to ask if there was anything in writing about the bid including an element of support for local artists. Not yet, came the answer, as things were still being firmed up, but with an invitation to the press briefing today, with the Morecambe Visitor and the Director of the Lit Fest Andy Darby and the Storey Gallery's Co-ordinator John Angus. Local artist Chris Amriding of AIM-Artists has been in correspondence with the local press about the lack of support for local artists, so I got his phone number off his website and invited him along too.

Imagine my surprise, when we got there at the agreed time, to see Morecambe Visitor reporter Ingrid Kent finishing up her session with Messrs Darby, Angus and Courtie. She left - and so did Andy Darby and John Angus, leaving the hapless Mr Courtie to ward off questions from myself and artist Chris Amriding, over the dregs of a flask of cold coffee.

Pete Courtie is very keen to see local artists get support. With occasional questions and queries from Chris and myself he explained how he was involved with Luneside Studios and the Quicksands Arts Group in Morecambe, both of whom are currently seeking new premises to rent - their old ones having been sold for redevelopment, and about the potential for the St Laurence Church in Morecambe to become an arts centre and exhibition space. It sounds like it could be very good indeed for arts in Morecambe - which has no dedicated public gallery at all.

He talked about the possibility of a Creative Industries Worker, who would advise local artists on funding and getting exhibitions. They would also help to develop new exhibition space and opportunities in the area.

He talked about the possibility of Arts Council Continuous Professional Development Programme input to help local artists develop.

He said there had been a change and that currently the Music Room was still intended as gallery space. This was welcome news indeed.

He said there would hopefully be arts education workshops for all to benefit from. There would be engagement projects with local schools and other groups all with a view to developing local talent and appreciation. And training workshops for local artists in how to engage with the system to obtain funding and support.

He agreed that the characteristics that made a talented artist weren't necessarily the same as those needed to make successful funding applications and suggested that the AIM-Artists Group might benefit from some input from the Arts Development Office to check whether they really didn't meet any funding or support criteria as they hitherto believed.

He said that there was enormous potential in the project for both local artists and craftspeople to show their work - and workspace and business support too.

He explained that 18 months ago an SRB funded survey of all the creative industries locally (over 500) on the LCC database had shown a need for workspace and business support and LCC was doing its best to help meet that need. The Creative Industries units were necessary as the building was in poor repair and would soon be again unless money came in from somewhere to make it sustainable after the redevelopment grant had been used. Without that sustainability the building would lapse again - leaving things as bad as they are now and potentially worse. It would be irresponsible to lose such a major asset as the Storey building.

This was all very much what we wanted to hear. If everything he mentioned above is going to be featured in the new project then I promise to be a very enthusiastic supporter.

However he made it clear that it wasn't actually up to him or the city council at all whether facilities for local artists were included in the bid - it was up to Litfest, The Storey Gallery and The Folly, as they were the arts organisations driving the bid and also The Arts Council - as they were the ones funding it. Unfortunately John Angus wasn't there to answer questions about that. It was a pity because we'd have liked to clarify whether resources for local artists featured in the final draft.

However there are indicators. The new project is being created in virtual form in a computer generated model which will be on show at the Folly from June 16. A call went out to artists nationally for proposals for artworks to be placed in the public spaces of the gallery. Over 150 people responded and a shortlisted selection has been drawn up, which will 'appear' in the model and possibly be comissioned for the real project. None of these are by artists from this area.

We thanked Pete Courtie for his time and headed out. Just outside in the corridor we passed Andy Darby and John Angus, who seemed to be waiting for somebody together.

Looking at the Storey Gallery website I see there has in fact been one exhibition featuring a local artist in the past year. The artist? Nik Ingham.