National And Regional Networking Programme

We have pioneered the National Asian Arts Networking Programme and have been offering quality input into policy issues relating to major constraints affecting Asian arts development. These include a high level of fragmentation, ineffective community organisations, culturally and personality-led arts agendas, artform bias, narrow and regional focus which favours specific artforms at the expense of others, lack of artist-led strategies and lack of access to the arts for disadvantaged groups.

Since the National Asian Arts Networking Programme was launched we have been working to create innovative combined arts productions and support programmes for arts organisations, local authorities, arts partners and collaborators through our extensive network contacts.

Our programmes:

• The National Asian Arts Networking Programme
• Regional Networking Programmes

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Developing creative collaborations

We develop creative access and outreach programmes with the aim of helping Asian and cross-cultural artists to work in mainstream and open markets, supporting non-Asian groups to access Asian arts and audiences. We promote creativity and innovation and work to dissuade Asian communities to deliver 'more of the same' events and projects.

We produce these results through :

• our practical, down to earth approach aimed at finding solutions
• our focus on arts output and projects aimed at audience development
• consultancy support to ensure that our approaches work
• our knowledge of Asian artforms, languages and cultural heritage
• our access to Asian arts experts and practitioners

Our established strengths are in dedicated Asian arts development, client and partner capacity building, audience research and development, local arts planning and development in conjunction with local authorities and regional arts boards and national arts development through dedicated productions and festivals. During the early stages of its development, Asian Arts Access also supported artists and organisations within the catchment areas covered by other arts boards namely London, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside.
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Asian Arts Audience Research & Development

Asian Arts Access was commissioned by Southern Arts and several local authorities to carry out the first ever-qualitative survey. Its results have been disseminated through a report but further analysis of an extended survey will be made available through this Website as well. We also won substantial project for extending audience research studies to British Asian film and video through the Arts Council’s New Audience Programme.
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Asian Arts Access Newsletter - creative diversity

The online newsletter is being planned as a major instrument for disseminating good practice in networking, promoting artists, highlighting achievements of the sector and creating a forum for debate. It will complement this Website.
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Research Papers

The key to good critical debate is qualitative and sustainable research. Asian Arts Access published a number of consultation papers covering networking, the development of film and video and the development of Muslim crafts. Copies of the papers are available to subscribers.
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