Three years ago I was commissioned as the Photographer in Residence for the NALGAO (National Association of Local Government Arts Officers) annual conference which was held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
The underpinning theme of the conference was the contribution that the arts and creative industries make in building sustainable communities and supporting regeneration.
The conference was a huge success and I had a fantastic time photographing keynote speakers, workshops and cultural study tours. Earlier this year, NALGAO rebranded itself as Arts Development UK and decided to come back to Blackpool for the first time since 2008. I’m pleased to say that I was asked back once again to undertake the role of Photographer in Residence.
Arts Development UK Photography Gallery
The main task of the photography residency was to document a creative account of the conference that will be used to illustrate a published report following the event and circulated nationally. I’ll needed to interact with delegates and work with a Poet in Residence to produce a “sharing piece” as an end result on the final day.
This years conference, entitled ‘A Process of Illumination’, explored key issues including:
- the shape and future of arts developmen
- the realities of the Big Society
- navigating the political and economic landscape
- how new commissioning and delivery opportunities can help you
The two days offered a mix of keynote presentations, breakouts, study tours, and open forum discussion groups. The AD:UK conference was aimed at everyone involved in local arts delivery including:
- arts officers
- arts organisations
- artists
- festival organisers
- youth and music services
- museums, archives and libraries services
- community and health development
- economic development and tourism
- independent consultants
The event took place at the Winter Gardens between on the 13th -14th October 2011 and more information can be found by visiting the Arts Development UK website.