Arts Commission handed the initiative on long-term strategy

Wednesday 02 December 2020

An ambitious long-term strategy that aims to professionalise investment in the arts, create new facilities and increase engagement across the community will be pursued by the Guernsey Arts Commission.

The commission is assuming responsibility for implementing the recommendations of the Arts Strategy Working Group, which was created and overseen by the Guernsey Community Foundation back in 2017 with a view to rejuvenating the arts through better long-term funding.

The report, which was endorsed by the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture, made the case for a new arts strategy that would achieve six broad strategic aims:

• Secure sufficient and sustainable funding for the arts

• Ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be creative, regardless of their age or background

• Attract the widest possible audience for the arts, including audiences overseas, helping to boost the economy and support tourism

• Help deliver all forms of art by connecting artists, arts organisations and businesses

• Improve facilities and resources for the arts, and support artists in their creative endeavours  

• Ensure strong leadership for the arts and ensure that sector participants and stakeholders have a voice

The report recommended doing this by reinvigorating the Guernsey Arts Commission, looking into centralised arts funding, professionalising investment, creating new facilities and putting the arts at the heart of 'Brand Guernsey'.

Since 2018, the Foundation has been the driving force behind the review, which concluded that an adequately-resourced Commission was central to the success of any long-term plan.

With the Foundation’s help, the Commission recruited new trustees, implemented new governance arrangements and secured new funding.

“The Guernsey Arts Commission is now in a very exciting place, and is now more resilient than ever," said GCF Chair Wayne Bulpitt. "The Foundation has done what it set out to do, so it is time for us to step back and let the Commission, as experts in the arts, take the lead.”

Stephen Ainsworth, Chair Elect of the Guernsey Arts Commission, said the organisation is now well-placed to work towards those recommendations. 

“Our expanded board is now working on its Plan for the Arts, building upon the work of the ASWG," he said. "A key part of this plan is expanding our digital strategy centred on the development of a state of the art website, which will be launched very shortly. 

“We are really grateful for the ongoing support of the Foundation and for its funding to enable the digital strategy to move forward apace.”

Pictured top: a montage of various projects the Guernsey Arts Commission has been involved in this year.