Play again: reflections from Axis 2024

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HARLAN WHITTINGHAM (Artist Development + Commissions Producer)

There are so many aspects of my job at Axis that I feel grateful for. It's a huge privilege to work with brilliant artists each day, and to get such generous insight into their practices. Each conversation feels valuable, and more often than not I learn something about myself, or my own practice in the process.

This makes choosing a 'highlight' of the year really difficult! However, if you twisted my arm, I'd probably choose the Axis Graduate Programme Exhibition held at Umbrella in Cardiff.

Almost everything that we do at Axis takes place online, so it's especially exciting when we manage to bring people together in person. Seeing a new generation of early career artists develop over the year is really inspiring and I'm already looking forward to next year's version!

Keep your eyes peeled for updates, and if you can make it to Cardiff, come visit us in early February!

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EMMA COPLEY (Community Producer)

In yesterday’s Member Meet-up—hosted in the Axis online Community—we spoke about using virtual reality as a tool to paint immersive landscapes, witches and women we dreamed we could be, and the power of childhood toys. One member even brought her horses along! Sounds fascinating right? It is!

Meeting Axis members, facilitating group critiques and encouraging artists to build supportive networks around themselves is definitely the highlight of my job and a unique position where I bring my own experience as an artist and professional work history in the arts together—to support members and learn something new myself—every time.

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JULIAN LISTER (Directory Coordinator + Membership Producer)

One of the joys of working at Axis is getting out and meeting our members. Filming for our 'What Do Axis Artists Do All Day' series allows us to get a behind the scenes view of an artist's creative process and find out what motivates them. You can watch our most recent WDAADAD here. 

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PAISLEY RANDELL SHILLABEER (Communications Producer)

As a creative, the highlight of my year has undoubtedly been our incredible experience occupying the largest property hosted to date by Axis’s Vacant Space scheme, which provides artists with temporary access to unused properties to advance their practice. We were fortunate to secure a previously council-owned property on the outskirts of the city, and over the course of just six months, we transformed it into an active hub of creativity and counsel. The space became home to a thriving community that included tactileBOSCH, SHIFT, and Umbrella. Together, we achieved so much in such a short time—hosting a sound and performance festival, several open days, numerous workshops, and collaborative projects. The space served as a testbed for innovation and authentic connection, showcasing the huge potential of initiatives like this to energise and empower local art communities. Although we lost the space unexpectedly due to the landlord selling, our collective organisations remain close-knit and determined to carry this success into future vacant spaces. 

On a personal note, another standout moment of the year was joining the Axis team—a group of truly inspirational creatives dedicated to championing artists and shaping a brighter future for the arts. I look forward to what lies ahead.

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FIONA GRADY (Co-chair of Trustees) 

I'm really proud of the Axis Fellowships which artist-trustee Holly Slingsby and I helped to spearhead. We were keen to share feedback from our own experiences of applying for and being part of similar schemes to help the Axis team to offer a meaningful budget and support system for the selected artists. Axis has worked with fantastic selection panels to review applications and choose a cohort of really exciting artists for the scheme.

At the same time, the new mentoring programme, 'Critical Conversations' is a great opportunity for Axis members to speak with trustees and members of staff at Axis, as well as invited guests. It's a really valuable added bonus to the membership. Often artists can feel quite lonely or disconnected so it's a nice way to share ideas without any agenda. I enjoyed taking part and meeting new artists in 2024 and will look forward to my next meet-ups in the New Year. 

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MARK SMITH (Executive Director)

I'd like to highlight two pieces of writing that stood out to me this year, both deeply connected to the realities artists face today.

The first is the Curated Selection by Zinzi Minott.

I’ve chosen these works because they make me want to keep making art. That is the thread. There are many real reasons that make me want to exit my practice in a giant ejector seat, projected upwards to a 9-5, holiday pay, respect (possibly), a pension, and never having to be infantilised by an institution again. Alas, I have now seen these works, and I am again reminded of the deep joy of making work, and so I will put my coin in the slot, and play again.

— Zinzi Minott

Zinzi’s words capture the perseverance and joy that art-making can bring, even in the face of challenges.

I also found that the piece, 'On Mining' by Adam York Gregory, commissioned as part of the Artist Exploitation strand particularly powerful. Growing up in a mining community, my dad working as a miner for 20 years, so the piece struck a deeply personal chord:

It is our politicians, the same that failed to regulate the banks, the same that profited during a crash that left people homeless. As they try to patch up the failing fabric of communities destroyed by successively punitive policies, relying on this notion of Big Society, the shifting of responsibility but without the shifting of financial power.

And so the politicians have exploited arts funding, which in turn exploits artist, who in turn exploit the communities that they work in.

And that exploitation is frequently hidden behind a language, a language of inclusiveness.

— Adam York Gregory

Adam’s words cut through the surface to expose the systemic challenges many artists—and the communities they work in—continue to face.

Finally, I wanted to highlight our Vacant Space artists in Wilcox House and Cardiff and the way the community rallied around to support them—almost restoring my faith in people. I wrote a piece about this experience in 'Artists Deserve More Than Just Stop-Gaps’, reflecting on the opportunities and challenges artists face when transforming empty spaces into vibrant places for creativity.

It’s a reminder of just how important artists and the act of making art are to our communities, our culture, and to each of us.

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LUCY WRIGHT (Social Producer)

We've had so many brilliant 'Axis Wednesdays' this year in the events programme it's almost impossible to pick just one! I'm incredibly proud of our Mental Health for Artists season, still going strong into its fifth year this coming January, which offers a warmer, more authentic alternative to the somewhat toxic messaging that often goes around each new year about resolutions and better selves. We also had some really thoughtful conversations during the 'Costume | Performance | Identity' season, with presentations from Eelyn Lee, Zinzi Minott, Hanna Tuulikki and Paul Kindersley. However, I've also got to shout out the contributors to our 'Back to School' season in October...such generous sharing of wisdom and fascinating discussions on artist writing with Roy Claire Potter, Roo Dhissou and Madinah Farhannah Thompson; whether artist PhDs are worth it (with Sophie Hope, Nathan Walker and Jade de Montserrat) and what exactly it is that curators want(!) with Damon Jackson Waldock from The Art House and Sunshine Wong from Bloc Projects.

I've also absolutely loved running mentoring sessions with our Pro Members, shooting the breeze and sharing knowledge peer-to-peer. It's such a rare opportunity to talk to an interested somebody about your practice, one-on-one, for an hour and it's FREE OF CHARGE if you're a Pro Member. We also have some fantastic guest mentors most months, so do keep an eye out and sign up quickly if you'd like to grab one...places get booked up FAST!

Finally, it's been a pleasure commissioning some really fabulous bits of artist writing this past year. There are too few paid opportunities to write and we've been able to support a really wonderful roster of artist writers in 2024. There'll be more in 2025 so watch this space! A special favourite is 'We can't afford to work for love' by Lauren McLaughlin as part of the Artist Exploitation strand. 

the arts sector is a place where only the most privileged can exist, and with all the love in the world, those that can’t afford to be there are pushed to the margins, or out altogether.

—Lauren McLaughlin

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DANIELA LIBERATI (Axis Coordinator)

The Member’s Meet-Ups are a great place for artists to connect, share their successes or vulnerabilities and learn from each other in a safe and friendly environment.

It’s refreshing to see a group of artists that have never met before and are geographically apart coming together in a supportive and nurturing way, encouraging each other’s work and practices.

I feel privileged to have been facilitating these spaces, getting to know Axis’s artists as well as their stories and processes that lead to the creation of their works and most of all seeing a community take shape and grow bigger each time.

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JC CANDANEDO (Co-chair of Trustees)

My 2024 highlight has been being appointed co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of Axis alongside Fiona Grady. In this new capacity, I will continue supporting Axis's mission to support contemporary visual arts in the UK, providing artists with resources, opportunities, and a community to support and showcase their work. A life of service is a life worth living, and I'm proud of the commitment of the staff and the trustees of Axis to nurturing talent and advocating for artists' visibility and success.

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What was your highlight of 2024? 

• Let us know in the Community!

Thank you to all the artists, members, and partners who made 2024 such an inspiring year. We can’t wait to see what 2025 brings!