Community Conversation, 25th Jan 2012 - The Arts at Dartington

At our most recent Community Conversation David Francis, The Dartington Hall Trust’s Director of the Arts, shared his plans for the future of the Arts at Dartington. This was followed by a short presentation from Ursula Crickmay detailing opportunities for community participation in arts activities at Dartington.

Vaughan Lindsay, Dartington’s CEO, opened the evening by welcoming all present and introducing Robyn Brown, Regional General Manager for South Devon at the National Trust. Dartington has recently entered into a partnership with The National Trust to re-open High Cross House to the public, and the House now comes under Robyn’s portfolio of local properties.

Following David and Ursula’s presentations, Robyn spoke briefly of the National Trust’s plans for High Cross House, which will open to the public on the 7th March 2012. Click here for Robyn’s presentation notes

Q&A’s

The conversation was then opened up to the audience who were asked for questions in three areas:

1. The Arts at Dartington
2. High Cross House
3. Questions on other topics

The Arts at Dartington

1. Basketry & Beyond are organising a Festival in 2013 through the Conference team. From this evening’s presentation it would seem that there could be a large scale craft exhibition at the same time (possibly featuring Marianne de Trey). How can the Conference team and the Arts team work together to assist cross-pollination of projects that happen on the estate?
DF: replied that he had noticed this in the bookings sheet and would be in contact with Basketry & Beyond to make the most of any opportunities.

2. How do artists’ residencies benefit the community?
DF: It is a condition that resident artists undertake some public facing events. For example, Wayne McGregor gave pilates classes on the estate when he was here last year as well as a talk on how he uses science in choreograhy. Richard Alston worked with the Devon Academy of Performing Arts whilst he was here. Q&A sessions and showings of work-in-progress when appropriate are also possibilities. It is also important to allow resident artists to work in private, of course. There are three elements to our residencies (1) open access – taking place February and October annually (2) partnerships with producing organisations and (3) for Dartington to pursue the artist

3. I really enjoy the film programme – particularly the series of classic films shown last summer. Will you do that again?
DF: We regularly programme classic films such as the recent series of Ealing Comedies and get great feedback. We’ll pass this on to Colin Orr, who programmes the Barn Cinema.

4. Dartington has had a great heritage in pottery and there was once a world- class pottery here. Rents were then raised to an unsustainable level. Is Dartington going to re-create a craft centre?
DF. At present we are talking to the Leach pottery in St Ives – the next step would be to have a part of them at Dartington. The challenge is around equipment – so we are exploring links with Plymouth College of Arts. It is worth bearing in mind that Studio 20 is a wet working space.

5. I am a playwright looking for a space to develop ongoing work but need it for free. Who could I speak to regarding space to make work at Dartington?
DF. Speak to me. While space of this kind has to be limited, similar examples would be Chartwell Dutiro and Encounters Arts, where free space is provided for a specific length of time. Where possible we like to collaborate to help establish a starting point – for Dartington to be used as an incubation space rather than a nesting space. We encourage residencies to move on.

6. There is a sector of the community who don’t have a natural understanding of the arts. How can Dartington communicate with a wider section of the population?
It’s a challenge to effectively communicate all that we do to the wider community. We actively encourage people to know the breadth of what we do – which to some extent is why we have created our festival programme. It is where we can engage with more people in a creative context.

High Cross House

7. How many days will High Cross House be open?
Robyn Brown replied: the House will be open 5 days, Wednesday-Sunday, a week for the next 12 months and stay open late on Friday evenings. We will explore the possibility of opening 7 days a week in the future if there is a demand.

8. Are there any plans to bring back archive material from the Devon Records Office in Exeter?
RB: Paper records are very vulnerable. At the National Trust we believe that purpose-designed facilities are the best place for the continued care and restoration of archive materials.
VL: We can of course bring back certain works at key times, as with the Tagore Festival when we brought back items from the archive for show. But there are no plans to bring the whole archive back. Holding the archive at Devon Records Office also has the benefit of increasing access to the records for researchers and visitors.

9. Are there any plans to bring artworks from the collection back to the House?
RB: There’s a synergy with the art portfolio and the House and we can show select items from the collection, particularly when holding events and exhibitions that relate to Dartington artists. For example, we’d love to celebrate Marianee de Trey’s 100th year, and this would be the perfect time to display pieces of her work from Dartington’s Collection. The opportunity exists to cross-fertilise between local National Trust properties and the Collection.

10. Will there be training for people who would like to volunteer at High Cross House?
RB: Yes. If you are interested in volunteering there will be an open afternoon at High Cross House on the 6th February at 1.30pm. We are hoping that volunteers who have worked at High Cross House before will come back to help us. We always buddy up new volunteers with those who have more experience to begin with. If you miss the date on the 6th Feb contact Caroline Kendall at the National Trust – Caroline.Kendall@nationaltrust.org.uk

11. How can local artists get involved?
RB: For three months after house opens, we will show the house “naked” and ask local people to create work to show in the House – we’re calling it the Naked Walls project.

12. How will you communicate with your local audience?
RB: Through the National Trust website and local media. Also via Dartington’s What’s On Guide.

13. Could you advertise the Naked Walls project through the Totnes and Dartington Open Studio brochure. which is due out in February?
RB: Good idea. The best person to contact about that is Emma Carter, who will run the arts programme at the House, at emma@emmacarter.com.

Open Questions – any topic

14. It’s refreshing that no one has mentioned money as yet – but what are your thoughts about the next five years? Can you plan to be financially stable by then?
VL: We are in the midst of a strategy to invest to grow in order to create the critical mass needed to become financially stable. It’s a difficult financial environment, especially with the loss of the Arts Council funding. The cost to maintain the buildings and estate is approximately £1 million a year. All our projects need to earn money and revenue from the shops at Dartington, property and catering is put towards sustaining our charitable work. Our ambition for Dartington is to pay its own way and secure financial independence. We need to be entrepreneurial to be sustainable in the long term.

15. Is selling assets factored into the financial equation?
VL: Certain property and assets of the estate will be sold. We are equally clear that we will also retain assets. The decision to sell some of the collection was difficult, but our long-term financial plan is to protect and sustain the core estate and its activities. The Vision document (link here) sets out clearly what we will and what we will not be letting go of in terms of property. In terms of the Collection, we have now defined core collection that we will retain and work to make more accessible to more people.

General Audience Comments

“In our experience staff in the Welcome Centre sometimes aren’t able to direct or inform visitors sufficiently. Please continue to invest in this area to improve this.”

“We do appreciate being involved with Dartington, and having the chance to ask questions. Dartington is very special so thank you.”

“I used to work at Dartington College of Arts when it was here. This is the first time I have been back to Dartington since the College left. The studios are looking good and it’s good to hear that things are happening.”

NOTE

DF = David Francis, Director of the arts at Dartington
VL = Vaughan Lindsay, CEO of The Dartington Hall Trust
RB = Robyn Brown, Regional General Manager for South Devon at the National Trust