Introduction
Some Vacant Accommodation was a two and a half day collaborative event held at the newly refurbished, but still mostly unoccupied SVA buildings in Stroud on the 26/27/28 of January 2007. The event encompassed a range of site-specific works, performances, critical responses, interventions, ideas, and dialogues by invited artists and curators from across the UK.
Some Vacant Accommodation is not be an official launch of a building. It is a critical challenge - an opportunity grabbed, through the temporary annexation of an on-going process at a particular moment in the developing story of an artist run project.
Background
Over the last ten years SVA has been developing an organisational ethos that has at times been described as idiosyncratic, anarchic, accommodating, collaborative, embracing strategic chaos and determinedly professional.
This unique working model, built on a dedicatedly artist-centred approach, has led to the realisation of a one million pound redevelopment of the 7000 sq ft warehouse building in Stroud town centre. Renowned architects Tony Fretton (Lisson Gallery, Camden Arts Centre) have reinvented the once dilapidated former gas lighting workshops as a stylish beacon of artistic and civic pride.
Well, nearly
Having been exiled from the building for the last year and a half the organisation basically carried on as before. Developing local and international projects, co-ordinating the Site festival in June and facilitating production, presentation and debate around a wide range of contemporary art practices.
One of the key projects over this period has been the commissioning of artist Richard Layzell to develop new work that responded to and commented on the whole process of redevelopment in the context of the artist led organisation. This included the Beddin project with studio artist in September 2005.Then at the beginning of October this year, with the second phase of building work nearing completion, SVA brought together a group of sixteen artists and professionals from across the UK for a collective critical look at the organisation and it’s programming strategy, past, present and future. Conclusions from this event focused on SVA’s strengths - its idiosyncratic, anarchic and accommodating nature, its strategic chaos and determined professionalism.
This ongoing process of continued activity, combined with a self-reflective and critical approach led to a realisation, or rather a confirmation that as an organisation SVA just might have something unique to offer.So, the final works of phase two of the development are underway, and the pressure is on to move studio artists back in. But the money for phase three is still being sorted and the architectural vision is incomplete. After 10 years of strategic chaos, of keeping things fluid and experimental, of embracing process, production and the notion of work in progress, how perfect is the imperfect building!?
Here was an ideal opportunity to make visible the on-going working ethos of SVA as we move into a new phase of activity. And in the true spirit of SVA, Some Vacant Accommodation is an ambitiously expansive project developed and produced with next to no budget and in very little time
