Ideas from the Norwich Art Fair meet-up!

The Norwich Art Fair – on Thursday 19th July was a great success, lots of people attended. Fantastic and new ideas were discussed. Thanks again to everyone who came along, and to @HuwSayer for leading the meeting, great idea with the post-its! Many thanks also to @SirGarnetPub the for hosting the meeting!

I’ve copied what each post-it said and have separated the ideas into different categories. Lots of ideas were repeated, so I’ve only put them on once to avoid repetition. Please add on any new ideas, or thoughts as a comment, and remember that there is the #NorwichArtFair on Twitter too, so keep spreading the word! A website and Twitter account will be created for this.

Venues

The Space, Norwich (run by Secret Art Collector)
St Andrew’s Hall
Anglia Square
Westlegate Tower
John Innes Centre
Crypt beneath Memorial Garden
N&N Hospital corridors
Forum would be involved – good for community
OPEN (Graham Dacre)
Waterfront
Norfolk Showground
Local cafes and restaurants to exhibit – Iron House, White Lion Café, Frank’s Bar, Wine Press
Big single venue – central
Vacant shops
Malls – community remit
Hire out Forum for weekend, £120 to hire, including furniture (display boards etc), have stalls and talks by curators, agents, artists in Cube & Curve rooms
Unusual spaces to create a “buzz” around, could corporate performances into the opening of spaces, also performances during expo.
Spaces bigger than the Forum – empty offices, Sport Centre
Cathedrals
Salthouse
Churches
Chapelfield Garden
Sainsbury Centre
St Stephens Church (next to Chapelfield)
Royal Arcade
Jamie’s Italian
St Gregorys
Norwich Castle
Aviva have lots of property in Norwich
Playhouse
UEA (international connections)
Galleries/outlets who already sell our work
Cinema City
City College
Popup shops
Norwich Puppet Theatre

Ideas

“Vacant Spaces Festival”
Art & Music festival – local DJ’s, involve NUCA
Art trails
Collate all the art organisations in city – STEW, Papergirl, NUCA, Sainsbury Centre, Photography groups
Overall part of Norfolk & Norwich Festival
Out of town collaborators
Multi venue, discreet timing
Mechanism for sales – central organisation
Pop up studios
Themed areas – Jubilee, abstract, portraiture, painting, photography
Plan well ahead – aim for 2013/14
Weekend mass art boot camp – lots of outputs
Curator curated by theme rather than medium
Fringe festival
One day theme – (mapping the city)
CPRE patrons – eg. Viscount Coke
Installation – BIG – national interest, i.e recreate the City wall
Have a pre-Christmas fair for catching buyers’ market
Organisation with similar brief – Sainsbury Centre, NNFest
Mix a few big names with lots of lesser-known artists – like the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
Competition
Network through galleries to find experience
How do you decide who can exhibition – will there be different sections
Non-conformist roots if Norwich – City of Rebels
Launch at the Forum using Fusion and main area
Provide music/local talent to bring in crowds so not just an arts event
Get main attractions in Norwich/Norfolk involved (not just arts based)
Local schools involved
Use local celebrities to help promote – Delia, Stephen Fry, Lisa Goddard, Amanda Holden (Norfolk’s Got Talent!)
Produce calendars with sponsers’ logos on
Young boy from Holt whose paintings are selling from £1000’s
Local DJ’s are often in ‘arty’ circles
Norwich Lanes
Involve local graffiti artist – Lee Jay Hunton

Sponsers

Local architects e.g Hudsons
Solicitors
Local design agencies
Local accountants
Local energy companies
Identify art patrons i.e boards of Garage, Arts Centre, Heritage Lottery Fund
Support a charity or charities that are involved in the arts
Get support from Creative Arts East
Aviva
Norfolk Contemporary Art Society
NUCA
Jarrolds
Artists groups – Norwich 20 Group
Jade Free Cooperative
Library Service
Waffle House
Public involvement like Home Sweet Home
Midwich
Marsh
Norwich City FC
Google
Woodfordes
CIM
Hussey Knights
Warehouse Express
Dogfish
Main Source
UEA

Skills to help organise the festival

I’ll make a website and host it – help get the word out through Leap Flag @alifasnd
Can help with publicity via word of mouth, have contacts with London & Colchester based artists, I’m also an artist, performer & maker of things – @jcswindells
I work as an artist & photographer, used to work in publishing (assistant to editor), and I design & facilitate workshops – Anita

Great ideas everyone – keep them coming!

@Rosie_winn