IMPACT Engaging with other groups & organisations

Impact

Engaging with other groups and organisations.

Coventry/Dresden Art Exchange exhibitions and events have attracted broader audiences and interest due to its relevance to Coventry’s history and commitment to ‘peace and reconciliation’ and international friendship. Coventry/Dresden Arts Exchange has been working with peace organisations in the both cities to ‘reach out’, aid audience development and broaden our support. The ambition would be to turn our audience into stakeholders. This shift from spectator to developing a relationship has already begun to happen with some organisations and individuals. Our activities resonate in society beyond a traditional art or aficionado audience and the Exchange has developed an important civic profile in both Dresden and Coventry.

With our exhibitions, residents showcases, open studios and by hosting talks and workshops, our projects have the real potential to engage a wide range of audience interest. The exhibitions have served in the past as an introduction to art for those people who would not normally go to an art gallery or art exhibition but have attended our exhibitions though an interest in international friendship, understanding, peace and reconciliation, an interest in Germany or the Coventry-Dresden relationship. This is true in both cities.

The Exchange has developed strong links, partnerships and informal working relationships with art and non-art organisations: Coventry Lord Mayors Office, Coventry Cathedral, Coventry Peace Committee, Coventry Peace Festival, Coventry German Circle, Coventry Association for International Friendship, the Dresden Trust, Cardinal Newman Catholic School, Henry 8th School, Hereward College, Coventry University: Art and Humanities and Centre for Trust Peace and Social Relations. Coventry Pride, Art Appreciation Group of University of the Third Age Coventry Branch, Eight Days a Week (Liverpool/Cologne Exchange). Spires Music, Class Room Gallery, Coventry Biennial for Contemporary Art, Coventry2021, Coventry Photo Archive Miners, Coventry Music Museum, Tin Angel Arts Centre, Coventry Artspace Partnerships, Mead Gallery Warwick Arts Centre, Holyhead Studios, Meter Rooms, Canal Basin Warehouse Studios.

The originator of the Coventry/Dresden Arts Exchange is John Yeadon. John is a ‘pioneer’ artist involved in the original refurbishment of the Canal Basin Warehouse Studios and is a Director on the Canal Basin Trust. He is also a member of Coventry Arts Forum and as a tutor in Fine Art at Coventry University – Polytechnic as was – he has many academic and cultural connections in the city. John has a particular perspective on the visual arts in Coventry. Hundreds of art students have been through his hands, many of whom still live and work in Coventry. John has worked and lived in Coventry for over 45 years since he left the Royal College of Art in 1972 and began lecturing at the Lanchester Poly. Jerry Dammers, Horace Panter, Russel Haswell, (musicians), George Shaw, Jonathan Waller, James Lloyd and James Jessop, (painters), Keith Piper and Eddie Chambers (Blk Art Group), John Riddy, (photographer), Paul Smith, (photographer) are amongst the ex-students that he is still in touch with. He taught for 30 years in the city, ultimately running the MA Fine Art course and retiring from full time education in 2002, though he has continued some part time teaching and visiting lecturing. Over the years he has been a visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art, the Slade, Goldsmiths, Chelsea, Glasgow and many other Post Graduate centres and art schools around the country. John Yeadon has had almost 40 one person exhibitions across British and abroad. This experience is unique in the city and places him in a special position to have an overview of the visual arts and artists in Coventry.

Coventry/Dresden Arts Exchange also aims to develop and consolidate relationships in Dresden, with the European and International Affairs of the Dresden Mayor’s Office, Anglo German Association (Duetsch-Britische Gesellschaft), specifically their support in the form of interpreting and translating particularly is appreciated), Dresden Academy, Grafikwerkstatt (Dresden’s Printmakers Workshop), Kunstlermesse Dresden, (Dresden’s Arts Fair). Interkulture International Kulturausch, the Kuenstlerbund Dresden (Dresden Artist Federation), Dresden Technical University, Office of European Capital Of Culture 2025 (as was) and the Culture and Monument Preservation Office of the City Council of Dresden.

John Yeadon has given talks in Coventry on Dresden, promoting the activities of the Exchange to  inform and encourage support at:  Artspace Partnership, Class Room, Emerge Artists Network (which no longer exists), Coventry Art Guild, University of the Third Age, (the largest Art Appreciation, U of the 3A group in the Midlands). Coventry Pride, Coventry Association for International Friendship and Cardinal Newman Catholic School. The Exchange has also organised lectures and forums at Class Room and Coventry Cathedral. John will continue to promote the Exchange with talks and lectures at diverse venues. We seek and continue to develop relationships with facilitators, such as teachers and lecturers in Coventry Schools and both Universities. Our Exchange is also always looking for ‘non art’ venues for our exhibitions such as Dresden’s Rathaus, Pilnitz Castle, Kreuzkirche and Coventry Cathedral, where we have exhibited in the past, spaces where location can drive audience development.

There have been a number of spin-off activities which the Exchange has enabled and supported essentially through networking, notably the Spires Music and Nuer Chor’s (Dresden choir) concert in Coventry Cathedral for the 60th anniversary of Coventry and Dresden’s twinning. Yellow Cap, a Dresden ska band played at Tin Angel with our help and in partnership with Coventry Association for International Friendship we helped organised the TUDOR theatre group from Dresden Technical University to performed in Coventry at Henry VIII School. 

A useful ally has been Nikolai Press, Alumni Regional Ambassador in the UK for Technische Universität Dresden, in encouraging and facilitating broader activities and the dissemination of information. A regular contributor to our Facebook page, Nikolai also runs our Twitter account. In collaborating with Coventry Association for International Friendship and Nikolai we hope to set up ‘Coventry Dresden Events’ to look at organising other activities as well as the visual arts, specifically looking towards 2021 Coventry City of Culture and a Friendship Festival.

Coventry/Dresden Art Exchange documents its events and publicising on social media, hopefully attracting a younger audience. Coventry 2021, Curating Coventry, Enjoy Coventry, Coventry Arts Collective, Positive Images Festival and Private View 11  online, have also promoted our activities. Recently the Exchange targeted disabled groups, also Colleges and schools in the area who specialised in disability for Lisa Gunn’s lecture on her work ‘the Disabled Artist’ at Coventry Cathedral during our recent Condition Humaine exhibition at the Cathedral. Flyers and posters on the residencies, talks and exhibitions have been and will be distributed to Coventry libraries, Coventry City Council, the Herbert Art Gallery, Artspace, Class Room, Coventry University, City College, Hereward College, Coventry2021, Belgrade Cafe, Drapers Bar etc. 

The Coventry/Dresden Arts Exchange will continue to develop and consolidate their relationships with the many organisations listed above to ensure a growing and diverse audience and interest in our activities.