In the black cube of Hyson Green, inner city Nottingham, at New Art Exchange (NAE) we breathe, sweat and bleed the black bricks that symbolise our foundation to stimulate new perspectives on the value of diversity in art and society.
As a building, NAE stands strong, representing solidity and a sense of purpose and longevity.
Our motto is to “think and deliver the new” and to exchange art in new ways in a context where the “street never lies”.
We see diversity as an opportunity to represent unheard stories and transform the landscape, be that leadership, art product or audience ownership. Decisions about what is made and by whom still feel exclusive, guarded in a cosy and comfortable arts fraternity club not making way for new talent fast enough.
Although there has been progress, there are still myriad gaps in how the art ecology grasps and represents minority identities with their subjective truths – truths such as Aakash Odedra, a contemporary kathak dancer who combines ancient kathak with visual digital culture, approaching 500,000 hits with his recently launched TED Global video.
The Creative Case conference, held on 8 December by Arts Council England (ACE), certainly engaged audiences in situ and online with a strong speech of intent by Peter Bazalgette, the chairman of ACE.
His message was clear – “We are in this together”, owning the “diversity opportunity” to engage all, especially the missing demographic. He also emphasised that relying on specialist black and minority ethnic-led or disability-led organisations was fine, but not enough to make the difference needed.
The nuanced knowledge required to engage diverse communities is still missing in the arts sector. There are specialist organisations that deliver engagement with diverse communities, yielding opportunities to collaborate with them.
It would be folly not to move away from tactical one-offs towards more mature and strategic relationships with clear long-term goals and with resources in place.
A project I am championing with Tim Desmond, the chief executive of Galleries of Justice Museum (GoJM), Nottingham, is aiming to engage on this level. NAE is supporting the museum to think “diversity” and GoJM is working with it to engage the community in a new programme, Get Up Stand Up.
The relationship aims to engender strategic depth in leadership, art production, programming and audience engagement with diverse communities.
If we want success we need to instigate new action with courage and experimentation, where new thoughts and activities oscillate together, with intent.
Skinder Hundal is the chief executive of New Art Exchange in Nottingham
As a building, NAE stands strong, representing solidity and a sense of purpose and longevity.
Our motto is to “think and deliver the new” and to exchange art in new ways in a context where the “street never lies”.
We see diversity as an opportunity to represent unheard stories and transform the landscape, be that leadership, art product or audience ownership. Decisions about what is made and by whom still feel exclusive, guarded in a cosy and comfortable arts fraternity club not making way for new talent fast enough.
Although there has been progress, there are still myriad gaps in how the art ecology grasps and represents minority identities with their subjective truths – truths such as Aakash Odedra, a contemporary kathak dancer who combines ancient kathak with visual digital culture, approaching 500,000 hits with his recently launched TED Global video.
The Creative Case conference, held on 8 December by Arts Council England (ACE), certainly engaged audiences in situ and online with a strong speech of intent by Peter Bazalgette, the chairman of ACE.
His message was clear – “We are in this together”, owning the “diversity opportunity” to engage all, especially the missing demographic. He also emphasised that relying on specialist black and minority ethnic-led or disability-led organisations was fine, but not enough to make the difference needed.
The nuanced knowledge required to engage diverse communities is still missing in the arts sector. There are specialist organisations that deliver engagement with diverse communities, yielding opportunities to collaborate with them.
It would be folly not to move away from tactical one-offs towards more mature and strategic relationships with clear long-term goals and with resources in place.
A project I am championing with Tim Desmond, the chief executive of Galleries of Justice Museum (GoJM), Nottingham, is aiming to engage on this level. NAE is supporting the museum to think “diversity” and GoJM is working with it to engage the community in a new programme, Get Up Stand Up.
The relationship aims to engender strategic depth in leadership, art production, programming and audience engagement with diverse communities.
If we want success we need to instigate new action with courage and experimentation, where new thoughts and activities oscillate together, with intent.
Skinder Hundal is the chief executive of New Art Exchange in Nottingham
