Corridor8

05.03.20

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[Corridor8, Bidston Observatory]

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Corridor8 are a not-for-profit platform for contemporary visual arts and writing in the North of England. They are implementing a non-hierarchical structure where all writers are paid. This event was to facilitate discussion around this change and took place at a biannual editor's meet up. 

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We started by discussing their values and vision. They had to assign each ingredient a different value that was important to them and then talk through their method of how they would embody these values in reaching their vision. I particularly enjoyed the discussions around responsible carrots and wraps of sustainability. It was interesting to grapple with how arts organisations can live out a value of sustainability, especially in terms of funding.

 

We then discussed the phrase ‘You can’t see the wood from the trees.’ This is often a phrase embodied in organisations. What is the aim, the goal, the overall reason for being? The detail is important but so is the big picture and the reason for doing the detail. So we thought about the ‘wood’ that they are trying to grow by decorating gingerbread trees to make a Corridor8 wood whilst answering the following questions:

 

Why are we doing what we do?

Why is it important?

What inspires us about it?

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After making their wood they shared projects and ideas happening in their separate regions to think through the importance of the individual trees in their section of the whole wood. 

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A fascinating insight into how art organisations grapple with who they are, what they are about and how to implement change.

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