ART for ALL Inspiring, Learning and Transforming
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ART FOR ALL Inspiring, Learning and Transforming a report by Dr Helen Bowcock on the social impact of Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village We selected this painting by Dena from HMP An underlying theme of this report is time Send for the cover of this report because it and the way in which the staf at Watts it is so striking and conveys messages about Gallery - Artists’ Village skilfully reconcile journeys, about time and ultimately about the requirements of a twenty-first century hope. During the many interviews conducted organisation with the ideals and legacy of during the research for this report, I have nineteenth-century philanthropy. Without observed the role that Watts Gallery - Artists’ the great gift from G F and Mary Watts and Village has played in helping diferent people the commitment of its Director and staf to on their journeys through life and in giving upholding their mission of Art for All, many them hope. But it was only after we had people would miss out on the transformative selected Dena’s painting that its significance capacity of art. So for many reasons, Dena’s as a metaphor for the Artists’ Village became painting seems a most appropriate starting apparent. point for the report, and we are grateful to her as the artist for providing it. Dena has painted the beautiful St Pancras Station in ruins but reminds us through the ‘We all journey, the building was rebuilt after contemporary street scene that it has been it was hit during World War 2; the bus is on restored to its full architectural splendour. its journey past the recently modernised St Having been bombed during the Second Pancras Station. The young couple are also World War, the station building was at risk on a journey or returning from a journey; it’s again during the 1970s when there were plans exciting, what journey are you on?’ to demolish it. Similarly, by the late twentieth century, Watts Gallery, housing the collection Dena from HMP Send, The Journey, 2016. Water-based of paintings by one of the greatest nineteenth- oil on canvas. century artists, was decaying and at great risk of closure. With a combination of hope, ambition and determination, the management of Watts Gallery Trust embarked upon a challenging journey to restore the Gallery and to revive the spirit of the Artists’ Village. Dr Helen Bowcock April 2017 Helen is cofounder of The Hazelhurst Trust and a donor to Watts Gallery Trust. She completed a PhD in Sociology in 2006 and subsequently authored a report entitled Hidden Surrey to make the case for local giving. In 2013/14 she served as High Sherif of Surrey, during which time she had the opportunity to observe diferent aspects of the criminal justice system, including visits to prisons, courts and the police service. She also visited many charities including Watts Gallery Trust and saw first hand the significance of its social impact. During recent years The Hazelhurst Trust has had an increased focus upon research, and in 2016 the Trust provided most of the funding for an evaluation of the economic impact of Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village. ART FOR ALL Inspiring, Learning and Transforming Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village a report by Dr Helen Bowcock on the social impact of Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village FOREWORD On my first visit to Surrey’s Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village last year I was most taken, as many are, by G F Watts’ so-called ‘social protest’ canvases. Indeed, I tweeted a hurriedly grabbed image of Under the Dry Arch. It memorably depicts a homeless woman huddled under a vault on the south bank of the Thames. In silhouette in the background is St Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of the City of London. This hapless figure has clearly been abandoned by both God and Mammon. I also learnt about how Mary Watts shared her husband’s strong commitment to public works and how arts and culture can fuel them. Rolling forward more than a century, we now see the restored Watts Gallery – Artists Village once more delivering on that original vision. This revealing report chronicles how. I have just stepped down from chairing Arts Council England. During my tenure, the arts sector did an excellent job of capturing all the benefits of investing in arts and culture, so it was better understood by government, trusts and private donors. We now talk about ‘the holistic case for investment’: the intrinsic, such as insight and empathy; the social, evidenced every day in prisons and hospitals; the educational (of course) and also the economic, particularly in relation to our important creative industries. The stimulating thing about this report by Helen Bowcock is that it will give you inspiring examples of all the above, delivered by just one institution. Another important theme of the past four years has been that arts organisations should diversify their revenues, not only to make themselves more robust but also to enable them to bring these holistic benefits to many more people. Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village has succeeded in greatly enhancing its philanthropic revenues, and Dr Bowcock has played a great part in that. This has meant, as you will read, a genuine execution of Mary Watts’ abiding principle and rallying cry: Art for All. It all starts with great art, but its transformative power is now being demonstrated by Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village with vulnerable young people, youth and adult ofenders, the disabled, those with poor mental health and addictions, the homeless, the socially isolated and families on low incomes. Lest you think Surrey is an afuent place, the county has all these challenges on its doorstep. And in our data-led society it’s also important that the value of good works such as these is evidenced. This is what this report sets out to do. In the early years of the twentieth century, Mary Watts sought out young people she judged to be at risk of falling into a life of crime. She invited them in to her home and gave them craft skills. You could say she invented the ‘social enterprise’. How wonderful that history is repeating itself. Sir Peter Bazalgette April 2017 CONTENTS 3 Executive Summary 4 1. Introduction 6 Context 9 2. The Big Issues Programme 18 3. Schools 21 4. Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village and the criminal justice system 29 5. Apprenticeships 32 6. Volunteers 34 7. How and why does Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village have a positive impact? 37 Appendix 1: Activities, what they do, why they matter and number of participants EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village provides an following the Wattses’ example. Participants environment for learning and for transforming are encouraged not only to exhibit but also lives through art. It honours the values and to sell their work in the annual Big Issues legacy of its founders G F and Mary Watts, Exhibition and, ideally, to donate a small interpreting them in a twenty-first century contribution back. way to fulfil its mission of Art for All. The organisation delivers considerable economic An overriding conclusion of this report is that and social value, and this report identifies and many people would miss out on participating describes the diferent dimensions of social in the arts were it not for the commitment value and why they matter. of the Artists’ Village in its mission of Art for All. As the organisation enters a new phase Art is at the heart of everything that the of its development, it seems essential that it Artists’ Village does to engage a very diverse continues to invest in delivering social value, range of people and bring positive change to in partnerships and in the development of their lives. The work of G F and Mary Watts staf and volunteers who uphold its impressive provides a powerful frame of reference to mission. guide and inspire participants in the Learning Programme, as well as members of staf, • The Artists’ Village reaches freelance artists and volunteers. The mission communities and individuals who may of Art for All is interpreted today to make the otherwise miss out on access to the collections and other assets accessible and arts; it is located within four miles of an meaningful to visitors. area ranked within the 17% most deprived in England and within the 6% The Artists’ Village is located in an area of the most deprived for Education; country which is characterised by profound • It serves three prisons located within contrasts, and its staf strive to engage with a twenty-five mile radius; 424 prisoners those who are most marginalised and most and young ofenders participated in in need. Particular investment is made in workshops during the year 2015/16; it working with vulnerable young people, young has provided an artist in residence to ofenders, prisoners, the disabled, those HMP Send for over ten years; with poor mental health and addictions, the • 2,387 primary and secondary school homeless, the socially isolated and families pupils attended workshops during on low incomes. In an area of significant 2015/16 including sixty-two from a educational contrasts, the Artists’ Village special school; so far this year ofers the opportunity to visit a gallery and 105 pupils have attended from STAR contributes to arts education for those who Project, a collaboration between four would otherwise miss out. Considerable value local secondary schools for pupils who is delivered too through both volunteering and are struggling with mainstream apprenticeship programmes, which, in their education; own ways, have transformed lives. • 235 pupils have participated this year in an immersive arts experience at the Over recent years, members of the Learning Artists’ Village from one of Surrey’s Team have learnt a great deal about the most primary schools with the highest efective way to engage diferent groups of proportion of pupils eligible for participants and to optimise the value gained Pupil Premium; from involvement in the Artists’ Village.