The restructure of the Visual Arts and Galleries Association (Vaga) following the loss of its £100,000 grant-in-aid funding from Arts Council England (ACE) could provide an opportunity for the organisation to become a key lobbying body, according to some professionals.
The ACE cut, effective from April, has led to Vaga director Hilary Gresty and administrator Alison Lawrence being made redundant.
Matthew Rowe, director of galleries and museums at Eastbourne Borough Council, said: “The ACE funding cut was a hard-hitting blow for Vaga. I respect Hilary Gresty’s enormous contribution over the years, but the loss of ACE funding means that Vaga is now a truly independent membership organisation that could take on an important advocacy role.
“A representative board could operate at a senior level, pooling some of the important research and innovation being generated through networks such as Turning Point, Plus Tate and AIR, in order to make a powerful case for the social and economic value of the contemporary visual arts in preparation for the next comprehensive spending review,” added Rowe.
A new role, Vaga coordinator, has been created and will be filled by freelance arts consultant Trevor Horsewood, who has been working in business development at the association. The organisation has moved its London office to the Camden Arts Centre.
Jenni Lomax, director of the Camden Arts Centre, said: “Vaga has played a key role in disseminating information to the sector and distilling government legislation.
"The restructure is difficult in the sense that there will be redundancies, but it still has an important role to play and may achieve even more as an independent organisation.”
The responses echo comments made by Vaga chair Godfrey Worsdale, director of the Baltic in Gateshead, in a letter sent to members last month.
Worsdale said that although the loss of funding would be challenging, the restructure would give Vaga “an opportunity to become a truly independent and member-led organisation”.
In addition, Vaga Scotland is to break away and form a new organisation, the Scottish Contemporary Art Network, which will receive funding directly from Creative Scotland.
The ACE cut, effective from April, has led to Vaga director Hilary Gresty and administrator Alison Lawrence being made redundant.
Matthew Rowe, director of galleries and museums at Eastbourne Borough Council, said: “The ACE funding cut was a hard-hitting blow for Vaga. I respect Hilary Gresty’s enormous contribution over the years, but the loss of ACE funding means that Vaga is now a truly independent membership organisation that could take on an important advocacy role.
“A representative board could operate at a senior level, pooling some of the important research and innovation being generated through networks such as Turning Point, Plus Tate and AIR, in order to make a powerful case for the social and economic value of the contemporary visual arts in preparation for the next comprehensive spending review,” added Rowe.
A new role, Vaga coordinator, has been created and will be filled by freelance arts consultant Trevor Horsewood, who has been working in business development at the association. The organisation has moved its London office to the Camden Arts Centre.
Jenni Lomax, director of the Camden Arts Centre, said: “Vaga has played a key role in disseminating information to the sector and distilling government legislation.
"The restructure is difficult in the sense that there will be redundancies, but it still has an important role to play and may achieve even more as an independent organisation.”
The responses echo comments made by Vaga chair Godfrey Worsdale, director of the Baltic in Gateshead, in a letter sent to members last month.
Worsdale said that although the loss of funding would be challenging, the restructure would give Vaga “an opportunity to become a truly independent and member-led organisation”.
In addition, Vaga Scotland is to break away and form a new organisation, the Scottish Contemporary Art Network, which will receive funding directly from Creative Scotland.
