Background
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Artists in the City is Reading Borough Council's public art programme. Recognising the potential for the arts to play a greater role in creating and sustaining urban communities, Artists in the City was inaugurated in 2005 and developed from the Art at the Centre scheme launched by Southern Arts (now Arts Council England) in 2000.
The Artists in the City programme aims to create opportunities for artists to enhance the vitality of Reading, paying particular attention to new developments. Artists are drawn from the contemporary visual arts field and where appropriate embrace an interest in sound and new technology, reflecting Reading's reputation for music festivals and the high-tech skills base in the region.
Artists may be part of a multi-disciplinary team contributing to the conceptual development of a city-wide project or they may respond to a specific site or context. The programme aims to attract artists with national and international reputations as well as providing opportunities for Reading based artists. Artists are encouraged to make work that is specific to the town influencing the spirit of the place in which the people of Reading live, work and play. Artists in Context and Art Links are the two strands of the Artists in the City programme. The project is overseen by a steering group representing key figures in the fields of urban design, education, art and commerce.
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Artists in Context
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Artists in the City works collaboratively across council services and with key local organisations to create appropriate contexts for commissioning work. These projects tend to be long-term and high profile, giving artists an opportunity to make a lasting impression on the city's environment.
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| View examples |
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Art Links
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Building on the success of Reading's public art programme over recent years, Artists in the City seeks out unusual or less predictable ways of working with artists. Art Links projects forge new partnerships with local organisations, resulting in residencies, one-off commissions, installations and performances for the City Stages programme, all of which are short-term and temporary, giving regular visibility to the programme locally.
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| View examples |
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| Luke McKeown |
| Return Journeys 2002-03 |
| Reading bus ticket |
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| Luke McKeown |
| Return Journeys 2002-2003 |
| Reading bus ticket |
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