The document discusses priorities for artists from various cities in the West Midlands region of the UK. It includes priorities such as creating an art market in the region, providing affordable studio and incubation spaces for artists, developing professional networks both within the region and internationally, exploring how contemporary art can engage with heritage sites, and advocating for and promoting the work of regional artists.

1. A dynamic network for the visual arts
http://www.tpwestmidlands.org.uk/
@tpwestmidlands turningpoint.westmidlands

2. Priorities for Artists from Stoke
From Anna Francis, Airspace:
• Creating an art market in the West Midlands
• Surviving in a post-cuts art world: how do we support each
other better?

3. Priorities for Artists from Wolverhampton
From Elena Cassidy-Smith, Wolverhampton Contemporary Art
Forum:
• Greater connectivity between the various artist-led spaces, the arts
and heritage service and the university, through a sustainable and
ambitious programme of events. Let's create a stronger artistic
ecology for the city.
• Retention of graduates by offering more affordable studio spaces /
incubation spaces that link into existing professional development
programmes and opportunities within the city. Artists to be more
visible and feel less marginalised.

4. Priorities for Artists from Coventry
From Laura Elliott, Artspace
• Professional development for artists/curators including critical
conversation and writing
• Visibility of what’s happening in Coventry and mobility of
artists based in the city and linking to other networks

5. Priorities for Artists from Hereford
From Jaime Jackson, The Salt Road
• Developing practice links with collectives here in WM cities
with international artist collectives in other European cities,
which could result in an exchange of artists and their work -
like a twinning.

6. Priorities for Artists from Shrewsbury
From Adrian Plant, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery:
• Exploring - through the planned artists’ commissions as a core element in the
development of the new Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery - new ways that
contemporary artists can respond to, engage with and inform how heritage
sites and historic museum collections develop the confidence to work with
contemporary artists; and how the working relationships between artists and
this heritage market (which potentially includes a wide range of large and
small organisations) can be developed to the mutual benefit of both.
• The development of an artist-led experimental and supportive space to
provide studios, gallery and performance spaces, workshops and retail
possibilities – Shropshire does not have such a venue, and the new Museum
and Art Gallery - whilst a significant development – does not provide these
facilities.

7. Priorities for Artists from Birmingham
From Jo Masding, The Lombard Method
• Looking outward - how to widen our reach, get more
exposure for our artists further afield, and attracting talent to
the region.
• Advocacy – Understanding what our
artists/organisations/designers are doing so that we can
promote them.