Art and Work in East Africa: New Engagements in Art Curating

这一影响和参与项目侧重于实际干预措施，以支持东非视觉艺术界的可持续生计和创意产业的能力，这是一个国际发展优先事项。它将通过对视觉艺术专业人士和支持他们的组织所表达的需求，抱负和优先事项的参与来做到这一点。英国理事会委托编写的关于东非创意经济的政府政策和发展报告也阐述了这些优先事项。广泛的证据收集表明，艺术策展技能、经验和能力的不足是发展繁荣和可持续的视觉艺术生态的重要制约因素。除了为东非艺术提供知识框架和背景外，策展人还为展览提供资金，记录和宣传创意艺术家的作品，帮助艺术家获得专业发展的基本要素。他们是就业机会的创造者和市场的推动者。他们引起了艺术家的注意，一些艺术家可能不会被认可，或者无法满足进入专业艺术界的障碍。他们把艺术家介绍给潜在的买家，给他们重要的曝光机会。经验丰富的策展人资源不仅会增加展览的数量，还会提高展览的质量。因此，缺乏策展技能限制了视觉艺术在文化经济中的作用和能力。与此相平衡，年轻的策展人渴望机会。对实际举措的热情和能量证明，视觉艺术界的新生代--已经将自己视为创意经济的关键未来参与者--将热情地响应提供的帮助他们专业发展的机会。该项目是在AHRC-GCRF资助的研究网络"东非艺术家网络新机会“的一部分组织的研讨会期间共同设计的。这使来自不同背景的视觉艺术专业人士，包括在贫困地区生活和工作的艺术家聚集在一起，共同确定干预措施的范围，以支持他们生计的可持续发展。该网络的活动重点是确定解决共同问题的务实方法，将直接影响真实的生活体验的实际举措，并为创意经济中视觉艺术活动的能力建设做出明确贡献，从而为EAC和国际发展目标而努力。项目团队包括Makerere和纽卡斯尔大学，视觉艺术组织32 Degrees East，乌干达艺术信托基金，英国理事会和坎帕拉艺术信托基金会合作制定了一项计划，不仅有利于策展人，而且有利于广大的视觉艺术界，包括艺术家、作家、技术人员和画廊主以及更广泛的公众。它的特点是一个试点项目，培养策展人的创业和商业技能。这种创新的方法培养视觉艺术中的新兴声音，培养新一代的艺术策展人，并为他们提供一个公共平台，围绕为期一年的活动计划，包括展览制作，工作坊，指导和观众参与。视觉艺术界的成员将具备目前缺乏的关键技能、知识和经验，这将有助于他们发展可持续的生计。该项目在支持视觉艺术专业人士和发展创意经济的重要性已经通过诸如通过《创意和文化产业法案》（2015年）等措施得到认可的背景下发展其影响，但政府的支持仍然很少。因此，该项目将产生的影响是紧迫和至关重要的。

This impact and engagement project focuses on practical interventions that will support the sustainable livelihoods of the visual art community and capacity in the creative industries in in East Africa, an international development priority. It will do this through engagements that respond to the needs, ambitions and priorities articulated by visual art professionals and the organisations that support them. These priorities are also set out in government policy and development reports on the creative economy in East Africa commissioned by the British Council. Extended evidence-gathering has identified that a deficit in skills, experience and capacity in art curating is a significant constraint to the development of a flourishing and sustainable visual art ecology. As well as providing an intellectual framework and context for East African art, curators source funding for exhibitions, document and bring publicity to the work of creative artists, assist artists with essential elements of professional development. They are job creators and market movers. They bring attention to artists, some who might otherwise not become recognised, or are unable to meet the barriers to entry to the professional art world. They present artists to potential buyers and give them vital exposure. A resource of experienced curators will lead to an increase in not just the quantity but also the quality of exhibitions. A deficit of curatorial skills therefore constrains the role and capacity of the visual arts within the cultural economy. Balanced against this, young curators are eager for opportunities. The enthusiasm and energy for practical initiatives is evidence that emergent generations in the visual art community - already identifying themselves as key future players in the creative economy, will respond enthusiastically to opportunities offered to assist their professional development.The project has been co-designed during workshops organised as part of the AHRC-GCRF funded research network 'Networking New Opportunities for Artists in East Africa'. This has brought together visual art professionals from diverse backgrounds, including artists living and working in deprived areas to collaboratively scope interventions that will support the sustainable development of their livelihoods. The network's activities focus on identifying pragmatic approaches to shared problems, practical initiatives that will impact directly on real life experiences and make definable contributions to building capacity for visual art activity in the creative economy, thus working towards EAC and international development goals.The project team comprising Makerere and Newcastle Universities, visual arts organisation 32 Degrees East, Ugandan Arts Trust, the British Council and Kampala Arts Trust have collaborated on plans that will benefit not just curators, but the wide visual art community including artists, writers, technicians and gallerists and the wider public. If features a pilot project developing entrepreneurial and business skills in curators. This innovative approach to nurturing emergent voices in the visual arts, fostering a new generation of artistic curators and providing them a public platform is structured around a year-long activity programme that includes exhibition making, workshops, mentoring and audience engagement. Members of the visual art community will be equipped with the key skills, knowledge and experience which are currently lacking and which will assist them in the development of sustainable livelihoods. The project develops its impacts within a context where the importance of supporting visual art professionals and growing the creative economy has been recognised through measures such as the passing of the Creative and Cultural Industries Bill (2015), but where government support remains minimal. The impacts that will derive from this project are therefore urgent and vital.