Now a Contemporary Art Organisation with a growing reputation for commissioning new interdisciplinary work, Media Art Bath was established in 1999 by the Arts Council England South West and the Bath and North East Somerset Council under the name of Statement Media Arts with an aim to promote photography, video and digital arts in the Bath and North East Somerset area.
Statement Media Arts initiated projects and exhibitions in local communities by working with young or disadvantaged people and using artists as a creative resource to enable these underrepresented communities to have a voice. By working with The Black Families Education Support Group, Suited and Booted, Eshoda Arts and many other groups, Statement set up exhibitions, offered education, training and networking opportunities and provided access to media arts facilities and equipment.
Statement Media Arts/Media Art Bath has had three directors:
Dawn Giles 1999 – 2004
As Statement’s first director, Dawn sought to develop media art activity in the Bath and North East Somerset area, working with disadvantaged groups to present exhibitions and projects whilst providing media facilities for artists working in the region. Whilst developing clubs and workshops such as the Media Arts Club for 13-16 year olds, Dawn also developed interdisciplinary projects, such as Five Seconds Remaining in 2002.
Sally Shaw 2004 – 2006
With a particular interest in commissioning work for unconventional exhibition contexts, Sally reinvented Statement Media Arts into Media Art Bath. Sally’s projects included the ambitious Thunder commission with Artist Hannah Rickards in 2006, comprising an installation, performance and 12” vinyl record publication.
Bridget Crone 2006 – present
Since 2006, Bridget has led Media Art Bath to strength its role in producing cutting-edge interdisciplinary and performative new work, including Sewn to the Sky with juneau/projects/ and The Sensible Stage performances in 2007. Bridget is leading the organisational development of Media Art Bath as it undergoes a Trust Transfer and becomes legally constituted as an independent agency from April 2008.
In 2004, Statement was reinvented as Media Art Bath in response to an increased need for a more practice-based initiative, working with a small number of artists to develop their practice through collaboration or through working with the specificities of site.
Future - to view Media Art Bath's business plan 2009-12, please click here (to download a pdf).
Past - to see the Media Art Bath projects archive please visit the Projects section of the website.
Past - some highlights from the Statement archive are shown below:
reel.eyes, 2002
reel.eyes is a CD ROM that presents innovative short films made by the vulnerably housed, including young people in temporary accommodation, Big Issue vendors and rough sleepers in the B&NES area. Participants worked closely with professional media artists to produce their own films.
With funding from South West Arts New Audiences Programme and Bath and North East Somerset Adult and Community Education Service, with support from Suited and Booted and The Big Issue Magazine.
Five Seconds Remaining, 2002
A multi-media performance incorporating contemporary dance with video, text and sound which is based around a conversation between two childhood friends who are reunited through email, text messaging and spoken word.
Five Seconds Remaining was created by Eshoda Arts and Statement in collaboration with visual artist and composer, Kathy Hinde.
Waiting Rooms, 2001
Commissioned photographs by Karen Brett of waiting rooms in the Royal United Hospital, Bath,Temple House Surgery, Keynsham and the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Bath. She interacted with people waiting for their appointments, providing a distraction for bored and anxious patients as they waited. The photographs were exhibited in health centres throughout B&NES.
The Waiting Rooms commission is a collaboration between Statement, The Royal Photographic Society and Bath Area Network for Artists.
MAC Media Art Club, 2001
An after-school media club for young people aged 13-16 years old in the B&NES area plus summer workshops in photography, video and web design.