the very hungry magpie. Andrew Loretto
As an artist, I’m always a hungry magpie
‘magpie’ needs of Doncaster that will
was apparent in terms of what it takes to
– picking up bits and pieces of creativity
enable our home-grown artists to build
succeed, to have faith on oneself – and
along the way, to construct a nest brighter
their own new nests to share with new
to make those occasional sacrifices in
and shinier than before, until the next
inhabitants.
personal life to achieve success.
tumbleweed in the streets. New roosts and
Right Up Our Street is part of Arts Council
Still, there are profound differences as
treetop platforms beckon, each offering
England’s Creative People and Places
well. Good art can’t exist in a vacuum
the chance to build higher, further.
national programme – whisch has a focus
of solo ambition. It is about dialogue
on developing art and participants in
with audiences, participants, spaces,
Artists are restless, inquisitive beings.
areas in England that have previously been
real life. Publicly-funded art also has a
Itchy feet are endemic to the experience of
less well served by arts activity. That’s
particular role to play in daily human
making and sharing art – the thrill is in the
not to say creativity and art isn’t already
discourse, alongside other fundamentals
challenge, the chase, the making. When the
happening in Donny. Of course it is, by the
such as health, economy, education and
art (in my case, theatre) is released into
bucketload. However, the work perhaps
employment. As with all of those other
the world, we seek the next thrill, the next
hasn’t always had a proper chance to
disciplines, it is imperative that artists are
question to explore with audiences.
be challenged, grow, sustain and reach
attuned to new influences, challenges,
its maximum potential. I write this with
world views – and, yes, what our audiences
In my role as Creative Producer for Right
one eye on the Commonwealth Games
and participants have to say.
Up Our Street (which has supported these
(from one of my favourite British cities,
pilot issues of the Doncopolitan), I have
Glasgow), always full of admiration for the
With this in mind, I felt it important to offer
engaged in dialogue with a hugely diverse
seemingly impossible determination of
as part of Right Up Our Street an element
range of artists and art forms in Doncaster
athletes. I witnessed this first-hand a few
that would respond to the training and
and beyond. Each artist or art consumer
years ago when I was Creative Director for
challenge needs of artists and art forms in
is making and engaging with their form
Extraordinary Moves, a creative strand of
Doncaster. I’ve called this the ‘inspiration
in their own unique way, and yet my task
the Cultural Olympiad in Yorkshire. The
programme’ (for obvious reasons), to shine
is to find trends, unearthing the common
parallels between sportspeople and artists
a light on the work we do and to show
scrap comes along and yesterday’s nest is
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