The management of Gallery 37 is an enormous responsibility that requires year round planning, networking, research and development and programming. The foundations for this are laid through the work that Gallery 37 does with a wide range of partners - arts organisations, educational institutions and the artists who create the dynamic arts environment that exists in Birmingham.
Artistic Partners
Enabling new partnerships and creating exciting, imaginative projects often involves arts organisations working across art forms, widening their own sphere of practice. In this way the programme tackles the concerns of both performing and visual arts.
The artistic partners provide resources, expertise and in some cases visiting artists who offer valuable insight for apprentices interested in pursuing employment within the arts.
Recruitment Partners
Gallery 37 is indebted to the support of recruitment partners who publicise and signpost young people towards the initiative. They also help in interviewing interested young people and offer on-going support for those experiencing difficulties in areas such as coping as a single parent, experience of bullying, drug use, homelessness, literacy or numeracy problems amongst others.
Gallery 37 has developed a robust recruitment system with, every year, the programme over-subscribed. Whilst prioritising recruitment at those of greatest need, Gallery 37 is also aware that there needs to be diversity within the project. The experience of meeting people from very different backgrounds and life styles is a vital element of the Gallery 37 experience since the opportunity to share previous experiences whilst creating new ones is invaluable for the young people taking part.
Gallery 37 Rationale
All artistic programming is devised in partnership with the major arts and arts education establishments in Birmingham. Our rationale behind this is:
To ensure a high quality and professional artistic experience.
To foster mentoring relationships between arts organisations and apprentice artists.
To increase the accessibility of the arts both to the apprentice artists and the wider community.
To ensure equal opportunities in the recruitment of the artists.
To ensure representation of a broad range of cultural traditions and practices relevant to contemporary communities within the city.
Each project is linked to established exhibition or education programmes. The majority of young people who access Gallery 37 have never been to an arts venue or event before, and this breakdown of threshold barriers enables them to continue to access the arts.
During Gallery 37 a large team works incredibly hard to ensure apprentice artists gain the most out of an extremely intensive process. The programme takes place in a central location for a number of important reasons:
To ensure maximum awareness of the programme for the people of Birmingham and potential employers
To promote a positive view of young people in the centre of Birmingham
To create a non-traditional environment that appeals to young people
To create a visitors attraction for Birmingham people and tourists
To provide a central focus for young people from all areas of Birmingham
To ensure ease of access for all people of Birmingham
To demonstrate Birmingham’s commitment to the arts and young people.