Plymouth Visual Arts Consortium

Plymouth Visual Arts Consortium

Constituted in June 2009 Plymouth Visual Arts Consortium (PVAC) is managed by a board of directors consisting of the primary visual arts providers in the city. The following organisations are represented; Architecture Centre Devon and Cornwall, Groundwork South West, i-DAT, KURATOR, Peninsula Arts Gallery University of Plymouth, Plymouth Arts Centre, the Faculty of Arts University of Plymouth, Plymouth College of Art, and Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery. The individuals represented on the PVAC board bring a wide range of expertise, experience and resources to the consortium. They represent all the organisations responsible for the public provision of the visual arts in Plymouth, with locally, nationally and internationally recognised profiles. PVAC's ambition is to develop the capacity and quality of the visual arts infrastructure in Plymouth so that the city becomes a leading centre of excellence in the visual arts.

Plymouth City Council and Arts Council England fully support the Plymouth Visual Arts Consortium.

Architecture Centre Devon and Cornwall

The Architecture Centre Devon and Cornwall was established in June 2006 with support from CABE - the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and Creating Excellence, the regional Centre for Sustainable Communities, to promote quality in the design of the built environment. It is an independent, not for profit organisation which has its administrative base in Plymouth.

The centre is part of the Architecture Centre Network, works within national frameworks and works in partnership on training and event and exhibition delivery across the South West region with the Architecture Centre, Bristol.

Groundwork

Groundwork is a federation of Trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, each working with their partners to improve the quality of the local environment, the lives of local people and the success of local businesses in areas in need of investment and support.

Groundwork South West commissions contemporary artists and organisations who engage with their own organisation's ethos and ideals and who therefore have a critical engagement with some or all of the following; public space (both urban and rural), environmental regeneration and sustainability, individual and community empowerment and participation.

i-DAT

i-DAT is a catalyst for creative research and innovation across the fields of Art, Science and Technology, making regional, national and international collaborations and cultural projects possible. As a networked organisation and cultural broker i-DAT's trans-disciplinary agenda fosters open innovation and knowledge transfer providing a test bed for emergent and future art forms. i-DAT is developing new tools for production, dissemination and participation and is committed to exploring the transformative potential of digital art and technology.

KURATOR

KURATOR is a combined curatorial agency and research platform at the intersection of contemporary art and technology. It has a particular interest in the discourse and practice that links curating with programming, software and networks. KURATOR promotes work through a programme of public events, exhibitions, conferences, talks and publications. KURATOR works in collaboration with a range of venues and partners across the UK and internationally. KURATOR's core aim is to foster interdisciplinary research within the field of art and technology, and to provide a higher level of visibility and new contexts, opportunities and platforms for the artists, curators and researchers working innovatively with technology. KURATOR was founded by Joasia Krysa in 2004.

Plymouth Arts Centre

Plymouth Arts Centre occupies a group of historic buildings close to the city centre and the Barbican and was founded in 1948. The centre's local and international contemporary visual art exhibitions achieve national recognition; it is home to Plymouth's only independent cinema and with its thriving café bar it occupies a key place in the cultural life of the city. Plymouth Arts Centre is supported by Plymouth City Council and Arts Council England.

Plymouth College of Art - Gallery

Founded in 1856, Plymouth College of Art is one of the few remaining independent specialist Art Colleges in the UK and, as such represents a distinctive, innovative and supportive learning community. The College provides an extensive range of postgraduate, undergraduate, further and 14 to 19 programmes in the contemporary fine arts, the applied arts, design and media. Its quality of provision is evidenced through excellent levels of student retention, achievement and successful progression to further study and professional practice. The College also supports the practitioner community through a strong continuing professional development network, 'ArtsMatrix', and its Creative Business Services Unit.

Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery

Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery (PCMAG) is a purpose-built listed building which celebrated its centenary in 2010. Around 100,000 people use its services every year.

PCMAG offers inspirational, multi-disciplinary exhibitions and collections, and extensive public, educational and community programmes.

A lead partner in the South West Museums Hub, PCMAG is supported by Plymouth City Council and Renaissance in the Regions. In 2010, PCMAG headed a new regional scheme, Working with Artists, which allows South West Museums to commission contemporary art work for their collections and diversify their audiences.

Peninsula Arts Gallery - University of Plymouth

Peninsula Arts operates from within the Faculty of Arts and serves as the arts and culture public programming organisation for the University of Plymouth. The year-round programme includes exhibitions, music, film, public lectures, and theatre and dance performance. Working within the context of arts delivery across the city, its aim is to provide access to a programme of wide-ranging yet highest quality arts and cultural experience, informed by the expertise, research and scholarship of the university and its partners, to the communities of Plymouth and the South West and visitors to the region.

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