Welcome to the Swansea Arts Forum Trust website. The organisation is intended to provide a mechanism for a multi-agency approach to arts development within the City and County of Swansea. In order to fulfil this function, its remit is broad, covering a variety of art forms and representing all the major organisations involved in arts development within the City and County of Swansea as well as allowing representation of individuals (as constituted under section 3 - organisational structure).
There are many examples of local partnerships such as those for regeneration or community development in the local area; however as a single voice the arts are seldom represented outside of the public sector and Swansea Arts Forum Trust is an attempt to redress this. Swansea Arts Forum Trust is therefore a proactive body in the development of the arts in Swansea.
Swansea Arts Forum Trust is responsible for supporting existing initiatives through representation, advocacy, help and advice, formation of partnerships etc. and to develop new initiatives in line with a strategic framework.
Swansea Art Forum Trust was formed by the City and County of Swansea as an ‘arms length’ consultative body in 1997. This partnership between the Local Authority, individuals and organisations involved in the arts aimed to develop an effective strategy for the arts in Swansea. Membership was available at a nominal fee to anyone interested in the arts. Successful projects included securing funding for an URBED feasibility study into a city centre arts and cultural quarter which took into account the opinions of local arts practitioners.
In November 2001, the steering group of the Arts Forum voted to constitute the organisation as a registered, charitable trust limited by guarantee. In this form, Swansea Arts exists to support and develop the arts and encourage greater collaboration and co-operation between the various agencies and individuals involved in the consumption or production of the arts in Swansea. The organisation’s principal aim has been condensed into the mission statement:
‘ To educate the public, in the City and County of Swansea, in the practice and appreciation of the arts’
In pursuit of this aim the following objectives were identified:
• To establish and maintain a representative and consultative focus for the arts in Swansea.
• To raise the profile of the arts in Swansea.
• To represent the needs of the sector.
• To enable debate and development in the arts in Swansea and the surrounding area.
• Assist with the improvement of the accessibility of, and further encourage further participation in, the arts in Swansea.
• Encourage and develop excellence in the arts.
• Facilitate networking amongst artists and arts organisations to produce a cohesive and collaborative approach to developing the arts, whilst ensuring its diversity and vitality are maintained.
• Provide a mechanism for liaison between the public, private, community and voluntary sectors.
• Develop effective partnerships for the strategic development of the arts in Swansea.
• Identify needs and develop initiatives to meet those needs, either directly or in partnership with other organisations.
• Support and encourage existing initiatives and assist where relevant in their further development. Ensure that new initiatives are additional to existing provision.
• Promote good practice in the arts.
Swansea Arts Forum Trust is a proactive body responsible for supporting existing initiatives through representation, advocacy, help and advice and for the development of new initiatives in line with the City and County of Swansea 's strategic aims. The organisation is working towards becoming a truly representative body for the arts in Swansea achieving representation across the public, private, community and voluntary sectors.
Swansea Arts Forum Trust will identify and project manage a small number of specific projects each year in addition to undertaking core functions such as producing an Arts Magazine called 'Platform' , updating the local arts mapping project and organising public seminars. Swansea Arts Forum Trust is to act as a facilitator bringing disparate groups to undertake large scale projects and act as an incubator for the early stages of capital project development. However, it is not the organisation's intention to project manage the development of large scale projects directly.
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