Places

During the 1980's I worked as an arts administrator for East Midlands Arts, the then independent Arts agency for that region, and now the sub-regional office of the Arts Council England. When I joined, the regional arts associations were in their ascendancy, by the time I left, ten years later, they were being emaciated preparatory to being turned back into regional offices. I guess I was lucky to be part of a network that was expanding and developing for much of the time I was involved in it. For most of the time we were able to determine our own priorities and policies and pretty much our own way of implementing them. One of the best bits of the job was the instruction to 'get out there and find out what's going on'. I took this up with alacrity and covered many many miles over the years seeking out art and artists and discovering many of the region's nooks and crannies over the decade. This picture was taken down in the cellars of Rufford Abbey.