Arts - Region's graduates get practical training in the art of business

Sep 14 2006 By Graeme King, North East Vision

Art and business have long had a close, but not always harmonious, relationship. Graeme King looks at how companies and artists are working together more closely in the North-East.

Many companies like to have a piece of art in their boardroom or reception area as a talking point, but more and more are now taking things a step further by taking on an artist in residence to lend their team a fresh perspective.

There are many ways to bring an artist on board an organisation, but the impact they make will largely be determined by the attitude the host organisation takes, and the skills which the artist brings to bear.

The Arts Council in the North-East runs a scheme aimed at fostering a healthy exchange of ideas between the artistic and commercial worlds.

Each year, eight graduates from art, design and glass design courses around the region are given the opportunity to spend 40 days over a six-month period in a creative business in the region.

Each artist receives a £4,000 bursary for this period, equating to a pro-rata salary of £26,000, as well as being able to claim up to £500 in expenses.

The artist then agrees with the host business what days and hours they will spend with them, and what kind of work they will undertake.

The idea is that the artist benefits from spending time in a commercial environment, while the host business gets the benefit of a fresh pair of eyes tackling its projects - sometimes resulting in answers being found to problems that would never have occurred to existing staff.

Companies which have taken part in the scheme so far include engineering company Arup, in Newcastle, PR agencies Unique Thinking in Newcastle and Cool Blue in Middlesbrough, and Newcastle architecture practices Waring & Netts and xsite architecture.

Marie Nixon, communications officer for the Arts Council in the North-East, said: "Only creative businesses can take part, and they should have the capacity to have a member of staff available to supervise the graduate for the duration of the placement.

"All the participating artists are graduates in visual art, design, or glass artists, and nominated by their course leaders and lecturers.

"We think carefully about which graduate should go to which business, to get the most out of the placements.

"We want to retain graduates in the North-East. It's a good way to let them experience the world of work and what practical application their work could have.

"The artists can realise art need not be a sideline, it can be their career."

At Unique Thinking, a `brokerage' for co-ordinating the work of a group of freelance PR professionals, co-ordinator Sam Hook took part in the Arts Council's artist in residence scheme for the first time this year.

She was assigned Northumbria graduate Ebony Andrews, whose graduate show involved examples of her work which involves stuffed animals.

She spent 40 days with Unique Thinking between January and June this year, and Sam enjoyed the experience and intends taking part again in 2007.

She said: "The artists who take part in the scheme are paid by the Arts Council, and can be at different points in life - working or studying. It's nice to have the resource available. The girl who came to work with us, Ebony Andrews, is skilled in taxidermy, but she looked at various projects while she was here.

"We have had the benefit of having an artist on board to look at our portfolio of clients with a different perspective.

"Ebony helped to write and produce a new brochure for Unique Thinking, and also worked with four photographers on their Image-masters project - she helped to organise a photo and press release for them.

"She also helped us with a PR campaign for a gay bar called @ne.

"Her mind worked so differently to ours, which was good to have on board. And hopefully in the long term, her time with us will help her to promote herself and her career."