New Project space set to open

Aid & Abet is set to open its new artist run project space in Cambridge.

After much planning and negotiation to secure a central space Aid & Abet are now planning and preparing to open to the public at 12noon on 9th April 2011, with our first project Small Scale Survival.

Aid & Abet will host a series of curated artistic projects to support and promote contemporary art in the city. Run by artists, Aid & Abet will have a flexible event based programme bringing together exciting and dynamic visual arts from regional, national and international artists.

To find out more about our plans visit our new website and blog

Editorial Meeting

In addition to our inaugural project, Small Scale Survival, we will be collaborating with 2-3 members of WARP, Spike Associates and ESP on a new publication to be launched in June. Yesterday was the first editorial meeting held at Eastside Projects, which enabled all of us to get together for the first time. The discussions centred around the idea of an invitational format where each of us propose several contributors on the topic of 'artist survival'. More about this as it progresses......

Before catching the train back we just had time to go the the opening of A Picture Unfolds at Trove

installation detail of Lulu Allison's work at G39

We've just got back from our NAN research trip. Thanks to all those we met for your hospitality and generosity in showing us around and giving us a valuable insight into setting up and running an artist run project space and for introducing us to artist led culture in Bristol and Cardiff. We are now feeling inspired and excited at the prospect of launching Aid & Abet in Cambridge later on this year!

Here are a selection of images:

Taken just after our talk with the Spike Island Associates

Late night discussion with Chris Brown at G39

A tour of the studios at Tactile Bosch with Kim Fielding

On Thursday we head to Bristol for our 3-Day NAN Bursary trip to the South West. We have scheduled a busy few days of talking and listening to artist groups and spaces about the reasons behind setting up an artist run project space and to make connections for possible future projects.

Our first stop is Bristol Diving School. We will then be heading onto Spike Island to meet Lucy and Megan who will be showing us around before our talk to the Spike Associates in the evening at 6pm.

On Friday, before we head off to Cardiff we shall be shown around the new BV studios by Penny.

Upon arriving in Cardiff our first port of call is G39 and then on the final day a visit to Mermaid and Monster and Tactile Bosch.

We shall be tweeting live throughout the trip. Please keep in touch by following our twitter feed here

mock-up of exterior space

Following our last post we have been making plans for our research trip to the South West in January 2011. We will be focusing our visits to Spike Island in Bristol and G39 + Mermaid & Monster in Cardiff, amongst other artist run spaces in both cities.

'We want to maximize our time during our visit by getting an all rounded perspective on the hub of an artist run space – not just passively observing from a distance. This Bursary means that we can go and see for ourselves what the key aspects are to running a project space through face-to-face meetings and by asking questions, becoming involved and gaining expertise through other successful models. The NAN Go and See Bursary will be an invaluable contribution to the early life of Aid & Abet and it’s sustainability into the future'. - Notes from our application

We shall be posting news and images of our trip nearer the time, in the meantime click this link to find out more about NAN

More news soon, including our forthcoming artistic programme, new website and project launch date..................

Aid & Abet are pleased to have been awarded a NAN Bursary

NAN bursaries are awarded to artists’ groups and networks for the purpose of Research and Development aimed at supporting exchange between artists' groups and networks, in the UK or elsewhere, in order to:

• Explore new projects and provide a focus for critical exchange

• Encourage artists' groups and networks to generate collaboration and extend their professional practice

• Test ideas and professional relationships between artists’ groups and networks

It was great to meet artists, Will Cruickshank, Emily Speed, Kirsty Tinkler and Laura White, for our inaugural project, Small Scale Survival, in the space together last Friday (10th).

We talked about the projects development and how it might evolve as an 'artistic laboratory' in the coming months.
It's really exciting to see how things are taking shape.