Blog post 7: Lindsey Smith – visiting speaker
Freelance Facilitator
I attended a talk led by Lindsey Smith. Her job title is a ‘freelance facilitator’. We learnt about how she makes a living, and all the different aspects that contribute towards her own personal practice achievements, as well as growth in her creative career.
After she graduated from University, she ran workshops in exchange for studio usage, to make her own work. This led to a paid role at the studio.
Running photography workshops – engaging people in creativity.
She described six different ways to engage yourself and others with creativity and making things – ways in which you can get paid and make a living out of it.
- Artist as catalyst
- Artist as provider of new skills
- Artist as facilitator
- Artist as mentor
- Artist as mediator
- Artist as collaborator
The point that interested me the most was the Artist as Facilitator.
Lindsey described it as:
- Enabling to help people to make the work they can’t.
- To look at Art’s Council listings.
- You build relationships with individuals.
- Sometimes this could culminate in a public show.
- The aim is to widen participation.
Looking deeper into how part of my professional career could include working as a Facilitator of art and researching to gain a better understanding of what it actually means:
- https://www.amandamccormack.co.uk/artist–facilitator.html – this a photographer who also works as an Artist Facilitator. It is interesting to look at the different workshops and projects she has led. Not only do you work with individuals who want to make work, you also work together with other artists from different mediums. For example, on one project this photographer worked with a performance company and sound artist. This is a great way to broaden your horizons and make connections within the wider art world. This photographer works mainly with children.
- Looking at the Arts Council listings for funding – this link is for individuals and funds that support your own personal creative practice development, however, it was interesting to look at the requirements and eligibility – https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/dycp
- Photoworks Photography Club – https://photoworks.org.uk/photography-club/
- It is interesting to see the different outcomes of these projects. Lots of them result in some kind of public show, which reiterates and pushes this idea of widening participation in the art world.
- Photoworks Photography Club –“Photography Club is an exciting offer from Photoworks for 13 – 16 year olds in Brighton.Young people meet on a regular basis to take part in workshops with a photographic artist. These sessions enable participants to develop their camera skills and produce work for an exhibition. Getting out and about is an important part of Photography Club. The programme includes exhibition visits to local galleries and research trips to cultural organisations”.
- ‘Why Are We Leaving?’ the title of Brightons Photo Biennal 2018 exhibition. The Photoworks Photography Club encouraged young people to make photography in response to the theme ‘ A New Europe’ – https://photoworks.org.uk/watch-the-making-of-brighton-photo-biennial-2018-exhibition-why-are-we-leaving-with-lynn-weddle/
- ‘A New Europe’ – “Examining the current state of flux as the United Kingdom redefines its role in Europe, the eighth Brighton Photo Biennial draws on one of the most important geopolitical events of our time. The UK’s status within the EU may be changing, but geographically we will remain part of Europe – with a shared history and intertwined future”.
- What I find most interesting about this particular project is how you can engage young people with current political and social situations – encouraging creative responses and outcomes, working within the community and investing in facilitating cultural life for all people. Enabling people to freely engage in the arts.
