Why we’re better together

Meander through the streets of Liverpool’s Bluecoat Quarter right now, and you will almost certainly pause to ponder the dismembered bodies of the mannequins peering through the floor-to-ceiling gallery windows as part of the Art of the Lived Experiment exhibition at the Bluecoat. Alternatively, you might want to go to the Salisbury Arts Centre where Hoodwink Theatre Company is preparing for its next performance. Or maybe take a trip to Curve in Leicester, where Let’s Dance International Frontiers is likely to be conducting rehearsals for its fifth dance festival next year.

The locations change but the common factor is that these activities would not be possible in their current form without partnerships. Collaborative working has always been important in the arts, but now as we strive to achieve the high ambition of public policy – great art for everyone – in an economic climate that is pushed to the limit, the value partnerships can bring has never been so evident.

The most fruitful partnerships often have a longer gestation period before they really start giving

So much so, that King’s College London, in collaboration with the BBC, recently launched a Cultural Enquiry into the role that partnerships play in enabling publicly funded cultural institutions in the UK to enhance the quality and diversity of their work. The enquiry’s aim is to demonstrate both the benefits of partnership working and its potential in delivering value for money and increased public engagement. Those of us working in the arts on a daily basis can see that this value extends to artistic innovation and renewal, and is most clearly manifest in the scale, ambition and quality of the artistic work that we can incubate and bring to audiences. Crucially, too, partnerships prevent us from becoming too internally focused, allowing us new perspectives on ourselves and our work, and opening our eyes to alternative ways of thinking.

At the Bluecoat, we recognised some time ago that by working strategically with key organisations and individuals we could become more efficient, enhance our artistic programme and bring about real change in the lives of people within our wider community. We started our partnership development with simple efficiencies, partnering with organisations within Liverpool Arts Regeneration Consortium to share specialist finance and IT personnel. Next, we developed our artistic collaborations, leading in 2013 to a partnership with Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, LOOK 13 Festival, and MOUSSEM in Belgium to curate an exhibition of photography called ‘I exist (in some way)’, which provided an exceptional window on the Arab world. We plan to build on this experience to develop new partnerships, with a particular focus on supporting artists to collaborate internationally.

We also embarked on a world-first research project with the Alzheimer’s Society, which measured the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on people with dementia and their carers. Our project used visual art as a catalyst for self-expression, cognitive stimulation and developing new methods of communication for people living with dementia. Members of the art group at the Bluecoat and in community venues reported seeing a reduction in behavioural symptoms and greater communication in those participating.

We have also established relationships with higher education institutions; that with the University of Liverpool has enabled us to appoint the country’s first arts centre-based philosopher-in-residence. Our Out of the Blue programme, which delivers art to children in economically disadvantaged areas of the city and involves volunteer artists with learning disabilities, is the result of a long-standing partnership with Liverpool City Council’s Adult Services and Health department.

Partnership approaches also work on a national scale. Nowadays, large-scale artistic projects that can capture the public imagination are often dependent on the involvement of many partners. Look at 14-18 NOW, the cultural programme for the WW1 centenary commemorations. Among the many large-scale projects are Dazzle Ships: two ships painted in specially commissioned ‘dazzle’ designs in homage to the wartime contribution of artists. Partners included Chelsea College of Arts and Liverpool Biennial.

So where to begin when it comes to identifying and creating partnerships? First, you must understand how collaboration will help your organisation to meet its aims and objectives. Can you achieve a balance between the resources required and the direct benefits to your organisation? Will the time invested to ‘nurture’ the partnership result in ground-breaking new work at your venue or the ability to engage hard-to-reach target audiences? It is difficult to assess in advance the level of maintenance a partnership will require, but short pilot projects, monitored and evaluated well, can be a useful way to test the water before entering into a longer commitment.

Differing objectives are fine as long as each partner is happy that at least some of their objectives will be met by working together. Similar ethos and brand values are vital to make the partnership something of which you can both be genuinely proud. The most fruitful partnerships often have a longer gestation period before they really start giving. Learning about your partners and what makes them tick, setting clear common goals together and being clear about how you will measure progress and evaluate success will help with this. The Charity Commission’s guide to working with partners provides some useful information.

One way to measure the success of a collaboration is to identify whether there is a genuine enthusiasm for further work together. Another is to ask: “Could we have achieved this on our own?” The influence and contribution of partners can be multi-layered and long term, so it is important to appreciate contributions beyond the tangible outcomes of a single project.

Finding a way to share learning that works for all parties is crucial, whether it is disseminating the outcomes of evaluation online or hosting roundtables with key personnel. By becoming more aware and open about the various forms that partnership can take, we can enhance this emerging practice, pool skills, ideas and resources and deliver exceptional arts experiences.

Mary Cloake is Chief Executive of The Bluecoat.
www.thebluecoat.org.uk