Producing shopfront artist residencies

The shopfront artist residency programme brought artists into local business spaces to develop work in response to their surroundings. This development and coordination fed into Window Shopping, where the works were encountered across the neighbourhood.

As producer, Alisha brought together the artists, local hosts and shopfront spaces, creating the relationships and practical structure through which the programme could develop. Producing involved understanding how each site operated, supporting artists to negotiate their work with hosts, and connecting creative development with installation and exhibition delivery.

The artists worked with the features and routines already present: salon furnishings, shop shelves, window blinds, studio thresholds and community noticeboards. Development began with the character of each site and conversation with the people who used it.

Before the exhibition, the artists came together at Fern Smith’s studio on 28 August 2017 for a session facilitated by Gill and Paul. They shared the intent of their individual works, developed group agreements and explored connections between the ideas. Alisha brought this facilitated session into the programme’s development, supporting shared direction across the artists’ individual works.

The planning records brought site arrangements, installation and deinstallation dates, artist information and access considerations into a shared process. This helped connect the development of individual works with the practical coordination of the public exhibition.

Producing across artists and local hosts required relationship building, shared direction, clear responsibilities and practical follow-through. These skills inform Soft Infrastructure’s work in engagement, facilitation, partnerships and programme delivery.