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.

We are having a site visit with the Small Scale Survival artists on Friday
Before they arrive, here's a sneaky interior photo of the main event space.

It's been a while since our last post, but we haven't disappeared.
We've been busy negotiating 'behind the scenes' in the run-up to the launch of our inaugural project, Small Scale Survival, in a new large 'multi-functional' warehouse space near Cambridge train station.
We will now be keeping you up-to-date with more regular posts and pictures in the run-in to the launch event.
Please keep an eye out for further news coming soon.........

***LAST WEEKEND of PRESENTS***

Why not take a trip to Wysing Arts Centre this weekend to check out all the amazing artist led activity that has been happening there over the last few weeks.

http://www.wysingartscentre.org/exhibitions

We are particulalry delighted with the response to our collaboration with A Two Pipe Problem and Stephen's fabulous printed matter have nearly SOLD OUT!!.

We shall be back in touch very soon with our next exciting news................

Next up!
Aid & Abet 'in conversation' with A Two Pipe Problem
4-6pm @ Wysing Arts Centre on 15th May
for more information click
HERE

The Launch event of PRESENTS at Wysing Arts Centre
photos taken by Ed Greenacre

Aid & Abet's installation for WAC: Presents:
showing a selection of printed matter from our collaboration with A Two Pipe Problem

WAC: Presents continues until 23rd May
open: Mon-Sun 12-5pm
Admission is FREE
more info: www.wysingartscentre.org

Hot off the Press:

Here is a sneak preview of CJ and Stephen's collaborative piece, created specifically for PRESENTS.

CJ has been working with text based work for some time, often applying the written words directly onto walls and responding to the architecture of a particular space. For example she exhibited a number of text works in the 2009 show PERFORMED at Wysing Arts Centre.

Stephen, from A Two Pipe Problem, has taken one of these texts, Anya, and has creatively interpreted it through the Letter Print process to create this new A4 poster, which will be exhibited as part of PRESENTS at Wysing Arts Centre opening 10 April 2010.

Aid & Abet at PRESENTS

Aid & Abet has been invited to participate in PRESENTS at Wysing Arts Centre.

Artist-led initiatives and studio groups from across the Eastern region have been invited to re-locate to Wysing for six weeks in an unusual take on the established art fair model.

This will be our first public outing as Aid & Abet after a year of writing funding applications behind the scenes and generally setting ourselves up, so we are very excited to launch our initiative!

For PRESENTS we have chosen to work with London-based Letter Press, A Two Pipe Problem who have designed us a fantastic new flyer and created a new printed text work with our very own founding member, CJ Mahony.

Alongside these new works A Two Pipe Problem will be showcasing a selection of their printed matter including posters, Stone Canyon Nocturne as well as launching a new publication, Exquisite Corpse.

PRESENTS opens on 10 April 4-6pm