A brief word on today's CVAF

Just got back from the Cornwall Visual Arts Forum (CVAF) and have about half an hour or so before I have to go and fetch Kim from his friend's - not enough to do any artwork (see post below), but just enough to inflict some more pain on you with my 'writing'!

The forum was excellent and gives me confidence that at last some forward thinking things may be beginning to happen in this otherwise seemingly resolutely backward-looking county. I felt a real sense of motivation from many artists to get up and do some things for ourselves, and a consensus that we need to bring more national and international contemporary art in to the county to broaden our horizons and debate. There were several very good speakers, Claire Doherty from Situations, Bristol, being one of them, SovayBerriman being another (a link to her website is in the list on the left). The overall theme was Risk, and it was addressed in a variety of ways that kept me stimulated throughout the day - stimulated enough to put my twopenneth worth in anyway...

I think I'm beginning to get a name for myself as the one that always puts her foot in it, the one that speaks her mind and gives her opinion whether you want it or not, or whether she has in fact put her brain in gear before she gives it... Today the audience were invited to put anonymous questions into a box that would be put to the panel of speakers in a 'Question Time' format at the end of the day. Naturally, I had a question I wanted answering! It was aimed at Mariam from Arts Council South West and essentially I wanted to know why for them, the South West seemed to begin and end with Bristol, and if we in Cornwall want to receive funding from ACE SW, and we need to tick the right boxes regarding audience numbers, how could we possibly compete? A reasonable enough question I thought (and it received some interesting answers too), at the end of which the person that put the question was invited to own up, if they wanted to. Mine happened to be the first question out of the box and I sheepishly put my hand up - to which I then received some uprorious and very knowing laughter!!! Need I have bothered to own up at all I wonder? After the debate someone congenially commented "you're very controversial, aren't you!" I'm marked, aren't I? Maybe I should give up being an artist (or trying to be) and just hire myself out to various meetings for guaranteed gobbiness!

For some serious comment on the Forum check out the CVAF blog over the next couple of days, hopefully people other than me will have plenty to say too!