Review by June Heap, a visual artist who regularly works on art projects within the community.
(Slough Borough Council, 2003, ISBN 0904 164071 £12 [£14.88 inc p&p*])
I found the first edition of Art & People to be impressive, but this thoughtfully revised successor, exceeds all my expectations. To paraphrase a current advert for outdoor paints ?it does what it says on the cover?, providing a step-by-step resource for setting up and running an art project (in any artform) within the community. It is chock-a-block with sound and essential information for people involved in this process. This information is organised into manageable sections, with clear and to the point headings such as ?Foundations ? Getting Focused?, and clear introductions which are developed into in depth explanations and suggestions. As one who finds it difficult to use only one word when ten will do, I am full of admiration for this writing team, who managed to stuff this guide to the brim with so much pertinent detail and still produce a coherent text which is easy to read and follows logical and accessible paths. The layout is colourful and easy on the eye and includes many full-page photographs from local projects. In addition, the Appendix includes a horde of very useful templates/forms/project proposals, which can be used or adapted for any stage of a project. I would buy it for these alone!
I would recommend Art and People to anyone who wants to, or is currently working in this area and needs a reliable and reassuring method of checking that none of the eggs they have tossed into the air during a project, hit the floor.
*For further information and invoicing, contact SAM?s Books, Chaldon Court, Church Lane, Chaldon, Caterham, CR3 5AL t/f: 01883 345011 e: books@sam-arts.co.uk;
w: http://www.sam-arts.co.uk