7.2 Aim Two: Improve the creative economy

We aim to improve the local creative economy and support creative practitioners navigate the post-COVID

world.

OutPost Arts was formed from a meeting of creative practitioners in late 2017 who wanted to use their collective voice to source more opportunities for support and development. As such, it has been an integral part of our mission, and even more so given the current economic crisis looming because of COVID-19. We have been working to promote opportunities for local artists, whether through our own commissioning process or by creating strong links across the creative sector in south Scotland. For example, our Mural Stories project provided commissions for four D&G-based artists in 2019.

Key issues surrounding this aim will be identifying where to begin and which priorities are most important for local artists, securing the necessary funding for training and development, understanding the true impact COVID has had on the sector locally and fighting for support for arts and culture while many other, traditionally ‘more important’ industries are struggling.

Success for us would be the launch of a range of support networks aimed at linking together creatives to share experiences, collaborate and develop new contacts to help propel their practice forward in a post-COVID age. Our networks would feed into policy responses from agencies like SOSE and Scottish Government, and we will be able to influence future decision making with a real understanding of the rural arts scene. We will have improved opportunities for artists, particularly young artists, through creating lasting change and mentorship.

In order to achieve this, we will develop a range of in-person and online events aimed at building networks and opportunities for artists including exhibitions, guest speakers, cultural trips, collaborations and ‘take overs’. We will use our partnerships to highlight the importance of the creative sector and work with key partners who are already influencing regional and national policy. By developing commissioning opportunities, we hope to kickstart the local creative economy and opportunities for training and development, as well as a mentorship scheme to offer young creatives the opportunity to improve their practice, skills, and business potential.