HI-Arts 2002
| Organisation |
HI-Arts |
| Project |
The Visual Arts Marketing Project |
| Artform |
Visual Arts |
| Location |
The Highlands and Islands |
| Application type |
Full project |
| Date |
2000/02 |
| Status |
Completed |
| Grant |
£52,000 |
| Total project cost |
£72,500 |
HI Arts is contracted by Highlands and Islands Enterprise to provide a programme of arts promotion and development throughout the Highlands and Islands. HI Arts also advises and supports arts organisations and local enterprise companies at a local level and undertakes initiatives where the benefits will be spread throughout the region.
To engage an arts marketing specialist for two years to work with key galleries and visual arts organisations throughout the Highlands and Islands to devise and implement individual marketing plans and to develop collaborative initiatives for marketing the visual arts outwith the region. As far as it is known, the appointment of a ‘peripatetic’ arts marketing specialist is an untried concept.
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- To enable an arts marketing specialist to spend up to three months with each of the participating host galleries, working with them to prepare and start to implement a marketing plan
- To produce a marketing plan for the network of Highland and Island galleries
- To consider the retail opportunities of each gallery and to establish mechanisms for joint retail projects
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Over a two-year period, the Marketing Co-ordinator, Marcus Wilson, undertook a two to three month marketing residency with each of the participating nine galleries and visual arts organisations in the Highlands and Islands.
A second edition of the successful Highlands & Islands Visual Arts Guide was researched and published in 2001 and distributed throughout Scotland in 2001 and 2002.
- Each organisation has a three-year strategic marketing plan with measurable targets and outcomes. In addition, a combined marketing report was produced for the galleries supported by the Highland Council Exhibition Service.
- The Marketing Co-ordinator, established a mentoring role with each of the organisations, helping them to take ownership of their plan.
- A marketing development plan for the network of the visual arts organisations in the Highland and Islands was produced, elements of which have already been successfully implemented.
- Two visual arts forums were held for artists and gallery staff. They attracted over 120 people. Local marketing meetings, and marketing surgeries for artists, were also held.
- The Marketing Coordinator developed and led two media familiarisation tours, including representation from BBC Scotland, the Sunday Times, The Herald, The Scotsman, and the Press & Journal, amongst others. In 2001, a three-day media tour visited arts centres in Inverness, the Western Highlands, Skye and the Western Isles. In 2002, a similar tour took arts journalists to galleries in the Northern Highlands, Orkney and Shetland. Considerable media coverage was generated on both tours, and lasting relationships were established between galleries and journalists.
- The project suggests that the main battles of local audience development are in the arena of programming. The most successful projects have been those which have created a context in which contemporary visual arts becomes more relevant to the local community.
- The success of the scheme has exceeded all expectations. It has proved to be a highly cost effective way of working and has engendered much support from participating organisations. They have willingly shared experiences and are keen to collaborate on future projects.
Marcus Wilson
Audience Development Coordinator
HI Arts
4th Floor
Ballantyne House
84 Academy Street
Inverness
IV1 1LU
Tel: 01463 717091
Fax: 01463 720895
E-mail: marcus@hi-arts.co.uk
Web: www.hi-arts.co.uk |