Places features

Backlit directors: Ashley, Andrew, Beth and Tracey

The Backlit studios are housed in an old drafty factory, owned by the City Council, on Dakeyne Street in Sneinton.

It's a huge space and 25 young artists inhabit it, each working on visual and conceptual art projects. There are gallery spaces too.

Backlit directors Tracey McMaster, Ashley Gallant, Beth Shapeero, Andrew Brookfield and Matt Chesney say it's impossible to heat and are glad to get through the cold winter.

Backlit inherited the space from Moot who moved to Thoresby Street. They gutted some studio spaces and had their first show in September 2008.

Experimental

Tracey explains a bit about Backlit's ethos.

"We set it [Backlit] up as an experimental place for artists to pursue ideas that they might not be able to do in other spaces or haven't realised yet in a public space."

Private views are busy but they're hoping to attract the general public more in the future. Tracey says:

"We're going to up our efforts on publicity... we want people in the community to be able to enjoy the space as much as we do."

Currently the group keep the space and gallery going without funding.

They will be applying for grants which would allow them to be more ambitious but it's not a priority as Beth explains:

"We wanted to set up and make it so we could sustain ourselves without funding, in case we got it and then it was taken away from us."

Nottingham Contemporary

In Autumn 2009, the £19 million Nottingham Contemporary should be in business but will it help 25 young people wearing their coats to keep warm? Ashley believes it will.

"With an institution that large more of the general public will be going [there] and finding out about us.

"When they have big shows opening more critics will come up from London and they will be forwarded on to us, Moot and Tether which is going to help us out."

Let's hope so!