The organisation behind Site 07 and the Open Studios, Stroud Valleys Artspace (SVA), was founded in 1997 with the aim of promoting and supporting the artists working in the area. It was initiated by a small group of dedicated artists who had the vision to see the potential in the physically and culturally empty spaces in the heart of a struggling market town. Volunteers helped to convert a disused town warehouse into artists studios and created a vital and innovative organisation from scratch one that has grown and developed to the point where it is now recognised as one of the most active arts organisations in the South West. Run by artists for artists, it acts as a hub for local professional artist networks in particular Stroud Valleys Visual Artists and Stroud Musicians Collective.
SVA has just moved back into its building in John Street after completing the second phase of a £1.5m refurbishment project. The new building will be reopened to the pubic for the Site 07 festival, with an exhibition of John Street studio artists work. Sculptor Alison Cockroft, who moved to the area in 1998, was one of the first artists to take up residence in the Artspace in the early days when the studio space was a tumbledown, musty old room. A former teacher, she gave up the stability of a teaching salary to pursue her own work: When I was teaching I was making my work in the spare bedroom, but it was difficult to make that next step to reaching out to a wider audience. It took the move to Stroud, and the availability of studio space in the fledgling Stroud Valleys Artspace to enable her to develop as a sculptor. The renovation of this building will now enable SVA to fulfil its vision of providing a multi-dimensional space for artists, including good quality workspace and facilities, exhibition space, web and publishing spaces, and a support network for artists and the community.
Stroud Valleys Artspace t: 01453 751440; e: site@sva.org.uk;
w: http://www.sva.org.uk
Site07 festival runs from 1 to 30 June, when a selected show of open studio artists work will be on display at The Open Studios Exhibition at Subscription Rooms, Stroud. Artists will be opening their studios for the weekends of 9/10 June and 16/17 June, and by appointment during the week.