Unique Discussion Series with Artist Support at its Core

Guild has worked with 25 artist-led groups to support their resilience, growth and sustainability which has been particularly critical during the Covid-19 pandemic.

2020 was a particularly difficult year for the Guild cohort. Vulnerable due to Covid-19 and the precariousness of the artist led sector, during this time Guild worked with the Arts Council and the cohort to reassess where support was needed and the programme was updated to meet the unique needs of the pandemic.

Guild Conversations is an online discussion series which began in 2020 as a direct response to this change in needs. Guild are delighted to announce that Guild Conversations will return for 2021/2022.

Guild Conversations is a series of panel discussions, presentations, debates, and webinars which runs alongside case studies and national surveys. We are so pleased to welcome an array of speakers across a range of topics. Sessions include topics such as inclusive studio spaces, alternative income streams and carbon literacy.

We will invite pioneers working in these fields to reflect on their own methods and share skills and ideas on best practices, innovative solutions, sustainability and legacy. Speakers include Mother House; Spike Island; Royal Standard and Studio Polpo.

These sessions will be hosted on The Hall, UP Project’s digital event and workshop space that enables people to meet, collaborate and engage creatively online.

Guild are currently working with The Uncultured, a dynamic emerging company working across disciplines to curate, produce and advocate. The purpose of this collaborative campaign is to investigate time and labour in artist-led spaces, what systems are used to monitor this, how it positively or negatively impacts the sector and what learnings can we take from this investigation.

Karen Watson, Artistic Director at East Street Arts commented: “East Street Arts has been a leader in the artist-led sector for almost 30 years, and artist support is at the core of all our work. Via Guild we have empowered artists to be self-determined, take control, share skills and to improve their working environments, as well as work sustainably, particularly during the recent pandemic.”

Book your place at our Guild Conversations workshops online at: estrt.art/guild-conversations

You can find out more about The Uncultured at https://www.the-uncultured.com