Journey to NPO status

Mediale is a non-building based, artform agnostic, media art organisation. That means you could find us working on a National Gallery exhibition partnership, a working-class history project with Historic England or developing training programmes with a Danish university. At the core is a passion for supporting exceptional artists whose practice explores the blurred edges of media art. 

Over the past two years we’ve been working closely with local authorities with a focus on how, through better collaboration, we can help grow the cultural ecology of a place. This has led to significant development and learning across our team. 

Building a relationship

Many arts organisations work with local authorities, often to access funding or align their work to local strategies. But following a decade of cuts to council budgets and staff, there has been a breakdown in these relationships in some parts of the country. 

When no longer funded by their local authority, what is the driver for arts organisations to sustain a dialogue? Or indeed where is the capacity to do so, when arts organisations must service an increasingly broad range of funders and agendas? For Mediale, our journey began with a conversation. While still based in York, we spoke with the culture manager at Selby District Council about taking an artwork to her area. Although this didn’t come to fruition initially, we kept the dialogue going. 

We talked about Selby’s growing creative sector and some of the exciting arts and heritage initiatives being championed by the council. We shared our experiences and aspirations in combining participatory, placed-based work with artistically ambitious, artist-led programmes. A relationship was built. 

Fast forward 18 months and, as we re-designed our business model post-pandemic, we got in touch with our local authority colleagues in Selby to see how everyone was faring. It quickly became clear there was an opportunity to collaborate – not just on a project, but around the wider creative ecology the council was trying to nurture. 

Add into the mix a new place-based strategy from Arts Council England (in 2021, Selby was selected as one of the funder’s priority places for investment) and a shift in our own growth towards an even more dynamic producing company, and the die was cast. 

The benefits of collaboration

Mediale, now based in Selby, gained national portfolio status in November – the first and only national portfolio organisation in the district. Our reasons to move to Selby were a mix of economic factors, such as the cost of offices and workspaces, and the access to funding that will give us the ability to best achieve our charitable objectives. 

But it was also a decision based on conversations with creatives and partners in the district. We had heard about the ideas bubbling away, the barriers to these ideas, and the need to build on existing momentum. In response, we ran networking events, offered advice, and a listening ear and we were met with fantastic energy and positivity from local partners: “Brilliant! Let us know what you need!’’

Helping us to navigate this journey was the culture manager at Selby District Council. Our relationship continued to evolve as our understanding of what we each needed and could offer one another grew. In particular, we appreciated the crucial advocacy work the local authority did when making a case for Mediale to stakeholders and funders. We also developed understanding of how we could help to share key local authority information and encourage ambition. 

There have of course been challenges. For a small arts charity, the need to generate new income is a constant pressure. Local authority officers face other constraints, such as a level of accountability to both elected councillors and communities, which may feel incomprehensible to arts organisations, and the inevitable cycle of public sector restructure and reform. 

There were moments when Mediale rushed, without taking the time to understand the wider context and its impact on our local partners, but with openness and generosity on all sides, the relationship has continued to grow. 

A new way of working

Looking back on Mediale’s journey and how we’ve developed a relationship with the local council, three reflections stand out:

•    It’s everyone’s job to find the money. The period ahead will require ambitious, cross-sectoral partnerships, often led by a local authority, to secure highly competitive national funding pots. When relationships across a place are solid, these quick-turnaround opportunities become more accessible.
•    We all work best when doing what we love. Agendas can align but we shouldn’t seek (or encourage partners) to operate outside our strengths. There will be others better placed to do that work, bringing fresh ideas into the sector. 
•    Generosity increases capacity. We all have skills, insights and ways of operating which are useful to colleagues in other parts of the sector. With significantly reduced local arts budgets, this non-cash ecology becomes key. 

Mediale starts the new year with a fantastic slate of projects and workshops in Selby that will deepen existing connections and establish new ones. We’re excited about sharing exceptional art works with local audiences and seeing what appetites emerge. 

Most importantly, we’re looking forward to being a good neighbour. This will include building on our partnership with our local authority colleagues, so that we’re making the most of each other’s skills, perspectives, and assets. As the cultural sector explores new ways of working, perhaps we all need to keep our focus on the quality of our relationships with people who care about art, regardless of where they work. 

Tom Northey is Development Lead at media arts agency Mediale.
mediale.org.uk/
@tomnorthey | @mediale_uk | @SelbyCreates | @SelbyDC

Early next month, we launch Selby Creates, a winter festival of digital creativity featuring workshops, participatory installations, and live performance in our new home, Selby which will take place from 11 February to 11 March.