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Developing New Artists, Artist Groups and Organisations in Nottingham

    Cohort 2025 Research Placement Project

    Diligent man is putting colourful clay to his new handmade pot.

    About The Project

    Artists and cultural institutions have historically played a vital role in Nottingham’s social and
    cultural life . However, in recent years, many new artists have either clustered in the urban
    areas or have left Nottingham for more economically prosperous and better supported cities.
    The urban clustering and ‘brain drain’ of new artists in Nottingham has a negative impact on
    the region’s cultural life and economic development, leading to further disparities in regional
    development. New policies, strategies and initiatives need to be designed to support new
    and emerging artists in the region and to boost the regional economy through creative and
    cultural industries.

    This placement project highlights the importance of place-based and grassroots art
    practices, as well as the role of creative arts in developing local cultural economies. In their work with artists and art organisations in Nottinghamshire, UK New Artists finds that
    the role of arts and artists in economic development, placemaking and the overall wellbeing
    of our towns and cities is very much overlooked and under-investigated in this region. Artists
    have little to no voice in cultural strategies and high street improvements but are still
    expected to deliver impact and change for little to no money. Nottingham and
    Nottinghamshire receive a lower-than-average share of arts funding when compared with
    other regions across the UK, according to independent analysis by consultancy Data Culture
    Change (2024).

    Artists communities, especially those based outside Nottingham City, are
    highly scattered, poorly resourced and lacking in policy and financial support.
    Artists in Nottinghamshire face similar challenges as their counterparts in other parts of the
    country. For example, they often need to balance a day job with time in the studio and other
    commitments, which significantly cuts down their time to create or curate their own work. But
    they also face some specific place-challenges: In January 2024, Nottingham City Council
    warned of a £53 million budget gap for the following financial year (Casswell, Patel and
    Martin 2024). The Council’s budget proposals for 2024-25 included a plan to stop
    contributing to the cultural sector. The controversial budget was approved in May 2024.
    There has been a significant a reduction in contributions to the arts ever since. To cope with
    the situation, most art organisations in Nottinghamshire must cut back funding, staff or
    events. The current funding landscape has led to enormous financial pressure and
    psychological stress for artists and art organisations in the region.


    To address the community needs, both artists-friendly policies and artist-centred strategies
    need to be developed. Artists and art organisations are often too consumed in their everyday
    needs and practices to have the time or resources to design a region-wide strategy. This,
    therefore, requires dedicated researchers to conduct thorough studies that address the
    community concerns

    Project Aims 

    Taking equality, diversity and inclusion matters seriously, this placement focuses on a pilot project that highlights the importance of place-based and grassroots arts practices, as well as the role of creative arts in developing regional cultural economies. The successful candidate will aim to:

    • To understand key scholarly literature and extant methodologies for research in arts.
    • To map key artists, artist groups/collectives and organisations in Nottingham.
    • To identify the opportunities and challenges faced by new artists in Nottingham, as well as key stakeholders for artists, artist groups and organisations in Nottingham.

    Project Team