Places features

Rob Smith is the Project Manager of the Art Organisation on Station Road, Nottingham. His vision for art in Nottingham is exciting.

He's turned the old Hopkins Hardware building into a place where artists can rent studio space; take part in workshops with the community; learn new skills and exhibit work on a regular basis.

Rob Smith

The public can share in this experience too by enjoying a beverage in the tea bar and buzzing around the art in the exhibition space. Rob says:

"Our constitution states that our members are concerned for the regeneration of disused property and the introduction of arts to the community.

"We take the properties over temporarily. We fill the gap whilst the property is awaiting development, rather than see them rotting we make use of them."

Not for profit

The Art Organisation is a non-profit group and Rob feels this is probably part of the reason they can't get public funding.

"We have struggled with the uniqueness of our projects. We're not eligible for public funding… no one seems to like the idea that we regenerate using recyclable materials.

Money is tight and Rob isn't able to pay himself a wage. He’s using his overdraft and is making use of working tax credits.

"The projects do not pay us, there's no revenue to pay us. Part of what Nottingham is about is trying to create a method to create revenue that can pay us a wage.

"It would be nice not to be relying on the government, it would be nice to be sustainable and it would be nice to buy some new clothes!"

Interview first conducted in January 2007.