ixia - New Research for 2009
ixia are working on a number of research projects looking at the different contexts in which artists engage with the public realm. These include:
- Arts Council England: ixia is advising ACE on its emerging art, architecture and the built environment policy, which will include a re-think of the application of Percent for Art;
- Education: ixia has been collating information about public art and the education sector and is now preparing guidance about the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) process and good practice guidelines for commissioners and artists. This will be accompanied by a number of essays investigating the relationship between the public art and education sectors. Andrew Siddall, from Civic Architects and The British Council for School Environments (BCSE), will be assisting ixia with the production of this guidance;
- Health: ixia has appointed Willis Newson to prepare up-to-date advice regarding the commissioning of artists within the context of different types of health initiatives. The development of this research will be supported by an Advisory Group and a series of essays investigating current practice within the health system. Willis Newson is an arts consultancy specialising in healthcare which has extensive experience of working with the Department of Health and other organisations and stakeholders on the commissioning of public art within different types of health facilities;
- Planning: ixia is currently working alongside legal service providers DLA Piper UK LLP to further investigate the relationship between public art and the planning system. The Planning Bill, introduced in 2007, has now been enacted as the Planning Act 2008 and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) has become a reality. ixia will issue further information regarding CIL, the arts and public art once the Government releases detailed guidance about the Levy later this year. For ixia’s current views on CIL, click here;
- Public Art and the Economic Downturn: The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has recently published a report analysing the impact of the credit crunch on regeneration initiatives across the UK. The Credit Crunch and Regeneration: Impact and Implications asserts that the current economic crisis is impacting on a financial model that has underpinned regeneration in recent years and pressure on the sector is likely to get more intense. It provides important contextual information for those working in the public art sector.
