Coventry Artspace is an established venue for contemporary art and projects in the centre of Coventry. Its programme is educational and participatory, taking place in the building and across the City. Artspace works with local, national and international artists and other City art partners to engage and benefit Coventry’s diverse communities and visitors. The charity also delivers the City Council’s arts development service, leading on the strategic development of the arts in Coventry.
The Artspace building houses 14 studios and shared community facilities used by over 135 members and 700 participants every year. I have worked with Artspace since 2002, initially as a consultant, and for the past 18 months as Chair of the Board of Trustees.
Initially, I helped Artspace submit a bid to the Arts Council for capital development, but we were unsuccessful. We regrouped and applied for organisational development funds to search for alternative premises and to capacity-build the company. We were successful, and the funding led to a subsequent capital bid for the existing building which was match-funded by Coventry City Council, two local private trusts and a local property developer – a total of £300,000. The provided an improvement to existing spaces and services to artists, communities and other residents in Coventry.
In the past two years the company has gone from strength to strength. We were at the forefront of the artists in empty shop spaces initiative, and we now also deliver the City Council’s Arts Development Service as well as our own contemporary art programme across the City.
“Lynn has an enviable knack of combining conscientious efficiency with being utterly friendly and approachable, patient and diplomatic, and is extremely organised and fast working – making you feel that you’ve somehow got more than you’ve paid for…. Lynn is skilled at seeing, understanding and acting upon both the wider picture and day-to-day workings of a project, and Artspace has benefited from her wide knowledge of the organisational structures and inner workings of numerous arts organisations, capital development programmes and sources of funding. We’ve always felt confident to let Lynn ‘get on with it’ because she has a good instinct and a knack of very quickly coming to an understanding of what’s required in any given situation.”
Coventry Artspace
The Artspace building houses 14 studios and shared community facilities used by over 135 members and 700 participants every year. I have worked with Artspace since 2002, initially as a consultant, and for the past 18 months as Chair of the Board of Trustees.
Initially, I helped Artspace submit a bid to the Arts Council for capital development, but we were unsuccessful. We regrouped and applied for organisational development funds to search for alternative premises and to capacity-build the company. We were successful, and the funding led to a subsequent capital bid for the existing building which was match-funded by Coventry City Council, two local private trusts and a local property developer – a total of £300,000. The provided an improvement to existing spaces and services to artists, communities and other residents in Coventry.
In the past two years the company has gone from strength to strength. We were at the forefront of the artists in empty shop spaces initiative, and we now also deliver the City Council’s Arts Development Service as well as our own contemporary art programme across the City.
“Lynn has an enviable knack of combining conscientious efficiency with being utterly friendly and approachable, patient and diplomatic, and is extremely organised and fast working – making you feel that you’ve somehow got more than you’ve paid for…. Lynn is skilled at seeing, understanding and acting upon both the wider picture and day-to-day workings of a project, and Artspace has benefited from her wide knowledge of the organisational structures and inner workings of numerous arts organisations, capital development programmes and sources of funding. We’ve always felt confident to let Lynn ‘get on with it’ because she has a good instinct and a knack of very quickly coming to an understanding of what’s required in any given situation.”
Janet Vaughan, previously a Company Director