Art at The Crompton and Derby's vision for the future...

Current show The Drawing Project until end of October.

With the current news that Derby's arts funding is going to be decimated over the next few years I've spent some time reflecting on this and our own small contribution to the art scene is Derby. Derby has always been a city that feels like a town and thinks like a village. The council actually seem incapable of joined up thinking - instead of seeing the big picture they concentrate on one area at a time and then move on, leaving the previous focus of attention to fend for itself. Apparently any focus on the arts has ended.
The area we are based in (which is a couple of minutes walk to the shopping centre) is blighted by an empty Duckworth Square site and the Hippodrome building (a listed building) is still in a terrible state after it's wanton demolition. The old School of Art (which housed the Metro) has been empty for years and the old Debenhams site is an eyesore (- allegedly sold to Westfields to encourage Debenhams to move to the new shopping centre leaving Westfields in charge of what happens to it -surely a conflict of interest if ever there was one). I felt that some of the buildings/ sites in our area should have been used when Quad was built or at least there should have been some plan to integrate them into the future cultural map of Derby (but better elsewhere than nowhere). Instead this area has been ignored and buildings left empty. To make matters worse we have only just become accessible again after two years of being virtually cut off by foot and road for two years. (The initial estimate was 6 months). All of this has played a part in forcing our decision to put the pub on the market.
We have been hosting exhibitions for the best part of 22 years and are, I think, the longest running non gallery art space in Derby. We have made art accessible to hundreds if not thousands of people who would never go into a gallery. We have given artists the opportunity to experiment and control what they show and how they show it (with a few obvious limitations) free of charge and without any commission on sales. There have been many times over the last 22 years when I have wondered why we do it -   to be honest the level of interest from outside our existing customers is limited, in particular ongoing support from artists is disappointing and it has certainly been a labour of love. However, when an exhibition or piece of work sparks off a lively debate between customers, empty walls prompt impatience for the next show and especially when someone loves something enough to want to buy it, I remember why. Art isn't just about aesthetics - it also stimulates, provokes and enriches people's lives. It isn't just about making money - if we always expect a financial return many exciting and experimental events will never take place and we will all only be exposed to the predictable.
Our small contribution to the arts in Derby is soon to end - but I really hope that the council rethink their current intentions to remove arts funding and see creativity as a worthwhile investment. If Derby is ever to become a city of culture we need a council who support and nurture the arts and most importantly respect and believe in it's importance and value. Unfortunately, it appears they don't.