Unfortunately Enfield Arts Partnership has gone into liquidation. ENFIELD ARTS PARTNERSHIP PUBLIC STATEMENT JULY 3RD 2008 It is with regret that Enfield Arts Partnership has been forced into liquidation. The central cause was the non payment of grant amounts in a project that EAP was part of. The project had been delivering support to the creative sector in the area. The matter has been the subject of dispute during this year. Attempts to absorb the loss have been unsuccessful including a request for a loan from the Council. EAP was established over 10 years ago as part of an Arts Council initiative with London Boroughs that Enfield helped to shape. Its initial activity was the establishment of community Galleries. The purpose was to link schools and the community through the galleries that Enfield had very few of that were accessible. It was part of the Council’s Ovations Strategy that underpinned the Arts development in the Borough. Of the 3 established galleries, one was established at Gallery 5 in Southgate until it was re-let by the private landlord. Gallery Fore remains a Gallery and the Gallery on Palmers Green station is closed. This initial activity lasted 3 years and supported a range of schools and projects. EAP sought to develop facilities and support for the arts and related training in the Borough concentrating its efforts in Edmonton Since its formation EAP has: Enabled the creation of the ArtsZone Facility at the Green by securing over £1m of ERDF / SRB and LBE support. This turned a totally unusable space into use with a considerable amount of effort. The initiative for this came from the Council and EAP took it over as the only community organization in the Borough capable of taking up the available grants EAP has managed the ArtsZone with a recorded footfall of 70,000 per year. Paid over £400k rent and service charge since we moved in and has been working to pay the £90k p.a. rent charged on the building. EAP established the BISTRO at the ArtsZone as a separate company and it had become responsible for the hire of the Hall and gallery. As a separate company it is not directly affected by the liquidation of EAP Enabled the refurbishment of Gallery Fore and the Studios on the Claverings Industrial Estate at a cost of £250k. EAP initially had Gallery Fore rent free and after refurbishment remained unable to pay any rent as the groups that use the facility remain unable to pay sufficient rent to cover the costs of the utilities and the rent Ensured delivery of the LBE/ ERDF scheme attached to it, which then became an Artists co-operative EAP helped the co-operative to become a separate company which , now freed from the constraint of grants, has a viable artists cooperative functioning from the building. EAP hopes that this arrangement will be continued. Maintained and subsidised the operation of Salisbury House for over 8 years with a substantial usage ( 5,800 users p.a.) by local community groups. EAP has lit, heated and insured the building and managed its opening for £33k per annum by cross subsidising. Even then, EAP has absorbed a shortfall in the operating costs of approx £15k p.a. ( except for the last 2 years when the Council agreed to contribute to the costs. A major part of its work has been with the support of the creative industries. Over the last 5 years it has delivered over 2,300+ recorded beneficiaries & business support sessions The Training/business support and employment schemes have been achieved through 3 ERDF and 3 ESF programmes that EAP secured on behalf of the community. With little or no match funding EAP has contributed over £500k (cash and in kind) over the 5 years to support employment and other schemes. There has been no Arts Council support As part of the above EAP established the North London Print and Design Network (CIC, delivered events supporting over 100 printers and designers in North London and produced a website). As a separate Community interest company, it will be able to support the industry should it receive the grant that is still pending. Established the Creative Directory Website (creative search engine across North London working with training providers, Universities and Colleges) for 16-25 yr olds as part of the LSC contract. Set up an online gallery on our website and supported and put on an average of 20 events per quarter throughout the year. Held a range of exhibitions of local artists at its various sites, including a major International Paper art and sculpture Exhibition held in the summer of 2007, all without financial support. It has produced a regular news magazine for schools and regular Film and other events at the ArtsZone - EAP has been a major supporter of the work of the Leisure and Culture Partnership of the ESP. EAP has also worked with local organisations in Edmonton Green in the provision of training and employment. The most substantial being the Branching Out programme that originally had 7 partners led by EAP - Southgate College/ New Directions/Orion Pax/UKEMP/Face Front and until their demise in the Green, the Credit Union and the Law Centre. The project assisted over 260 residents and assisted over 30 in jobs and many more in basic skills training. EAP has never sought to make any major surplus and the grants system precluded this to a large extent. It has also kept charges a low as possible for the use of the ArtsZone in keeping with the needs of the area. It has supported local groups in the Green often providing lower rent / free use of the facilities. In doing so the groups have been able to provide training /education and activity to the community. These include KATRE, (who now have independent premises) Yashua Arts and Legacy Arts , both of which support the youth of Edmonton and have been substantially helped by EAP. In one respects, the generosity of EAP has led to this situation. THE FUTURE At this stage it is not clear how the established facilities will be managed and more crucially where the initiative to support the sector will emerge from. However through the establishment of the separate companies it may be possible for the ArtsZone to remain an Arts and community facility with the assistance of St Modwens although the leadership for the support of the arts and obtaining the grants is less clear. EAP hopes that the use of Gallery Fore can remain on its present footing although the costs will need to be borne somewhere. However the demise of EAP will mean that there is no independent major Arts organisation to bid for major grants nor drive the agenda for the creative industries and the Arts in the way that it has for the last 10years. NOTES EAP is a company limited by Guarantee with a Board of Directors from various Enfield organisations and individuals – none of whom are remunerated. Del Goddard July 2008 |