Objectives & Activities
Objectives:
- to promote the visual arts by developing public appreciation and access to the arts.
- to involve the community, including schools and colleges, in arts education
by providing talks, events and practical workshops.
- to support artists and craftspeople by providing gallery and workspace facilities
within which they can exhibit and develop their work.
Standpoint is a registered charity providing low cost workshop, studio and exhibition space for artists and craftspeople. The studios were set up in 1985 and the gallery opened in 1993. It is our aim to present contemporary art to a wide public, to encourage discussion and debate, to provide opportunities for education and training, to share professional practice and to provide both the local community and wider interested audiences with access to a valuable range of resources.
We understand that art and education are inextricably linked and we are committed to providing high quality, flexible educational programmes to meet the demands of a culturally diverse community. In all our activities we promote professional practice and knowledge-sharing.
We are situated in a location which is increasingly significant in the contemporary art world. Through our exhibition programme we present contemporary art to a wide and varied audience. Exhibitions are selected by a committee both from application and by invitation.
The gallery-based education programmes which accompany exhibitions are run by the exhibiting artist/s, and are designed to promote debate on relevant issues and to introduce the work to both the general public and local schools through talks, lectures and study groups. The gallery has a year-long programme of exhibitions and events showing the work of individual artists as well as group, externally curated and touring shows. We are continually building and developing the audiences that we attract to the gallery and have established a significant reputation for the interesting and varied programme that we offer.
The artists at Standpoint Studios have demonstrated a long-term commitment to the local community and have been successfully running educational projects for more than ten years. Our targeted workshop projects have involved painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, (etching, lithography, silkscreen, relief and letter press), photography, conservation and ceramics. These education and training workshops are individually designed to accommodate the needs of the participants. To compliment the workshop practice, we also run evening classes and summer schools, providing practical training and professional support. Standpoint works with local schools and colleges, youth clubs, special needs and community groups, as well as the general public. In addition, we provide schools work experience through the Trident and other work placement programmes.