ABOUT US – Past and Present
COLLABORATION – NETWORKING – PARTNERSHIPS
What is SWAG?
SWAG is a charitable arts organisation comprising 80 different organisations and individuals fundamentally interested in promoting and developing the Visual and Performing Arts. Membership from individual artists are welcome and numbers continue to rise.
The main aims are to:
- Develop, sustain, promote and enhance arts activity in the region;
- Strengthen the position of arts organisations in the region through the development of joint projects and creative partnerships
- Through the promotion of Chichester as a City of the Arts, contribute to the cultural, economic and social life of the area.
Why was SWAG created?
The Duke of Richmond and Gordon initiated the development of SWAG in 2004 by inviting a number of arts organisations to join him in developing an umbrella organisation that would discuss and decide together matters of mutual interest and common concerns regarding the arts in the SWAG region.
Since 2004 SWAG has been developing and is now a Charitable organisation with an Executive Committee that meets quarterly. It has held several Symposiums and a number of networking events, seminars and meetings. Please see resources section for more information.
What SWAG has achieved so far:
Comments from members:
'I'll freely admit that I was sceptical as to the worth of SWAG when I first joined several years ago, but like anything in this world you get out of it as much as you put in and to my mind the value of meeting fellow arts practitioners in the same room is immense.
Without SWAG it would have taken a great deal longer to broaden the scope of our organisation and activities. The contacts made at SWAG meetings have been to great mutual benefit. We have forged ongoing partnerships with Chichester Festival Theatre, University of Chichester, Rox, West Dean College, Petworth Festival and Arundel Festival. In addition we've been able to impart information which has helped other organisations - the first Chichester Jazz Festival was helped to obtain funding which they wouldn't have otherwise have known about and this was vital in getting the Festival off to a secure start.
The facility of SWAG, in terms of being able to 'Network' and forge 'Partnerships' is invaluable, there's nothing like it in the region and to be able to have free membership throughout 2008 is something anyone and everyone, with a passionate interest in makings things happen, should take advantage of.
Mark Ringwood
Director of Roots Around the World |
