Forgan Arts Centre
Details
Name
Forgan Arts Centre
About
Forgan Arts Centre is a rural art centre in North East Fife. It is a home for contemporary art and craft, community activity, artist studios, and allotments, all set within three acres of grounds.
The centre was established by local-residents in the early 1970s and we remain community-led to this day, with representation from local people at all levels of the organisation. In April 2022, thanks to a successful Community Asset Transfer, we purchased a new premises. We moved from a small three-room schoolhouse to a large estate called the Leng Home. The estate comprises three buildings and nearly three acres of grounds with mature woodland, lawns, and allotments. This move has allowed us to expand our programme to respond to broad societal issues, from the local to the global, through art, craft, and creativity, both indoors and out.
The programme at Forgan Arts Centre is in a period of development. Whilst continuing to deliver classes and workshops in various art and craft forms, we are piloting new projects, commissions, and artist residencies. There are five threads:
- Classes & workshops
- Events
- Special projects
- Commissions
- Residencies
Regular art and craft classes and workshops include ceramics & pottery, textiles, upholstery, stained glass, print, drawing, painting, basketry, and jewellery. All classes and workshops are artist led. These classes run as ten week blocks over four seasonal terms with additional weekend masterclasses and workshops throughout the year. All classes and workshops suit a mix of abilities, from beginners to those with an established artistic practice. During the seasonal school holidays we host a Children’s Art Club and Young Artist Club. The quality of experience for children and young people equals that which we offer adults. The school break clubs include a mix of art forms, are artist led, and utilise the full facilities of the centre.
Events respond to the seasons and themes that lie within the work of resident artists and community. We participate in Fife’s long tradition of open studios at the end of Spring, host events at the start and end of harvest such as Lughnasadh, a bonfire night for Halloween and Samhain, ending the year with a festive market or party.
Special projects respond to community need and are artist led. We are especially interested in undertaking projects with young people excluded from main stream education, rurally isolated people, and carers, parents and women returners.
We intend to undertake at least one commissions and residency per year. These are across art forms and open call. Resident and commissioned artists have use of a studio space on site, as well as accommodation.
Our vision is to sustain a uniquely open, welcoming space, to serve the needs of the community through creative practice, and directly enhance arts culture in all its forms.
Our mission is to draw people together, to provide arts-based learning and opportunities from early to advanced stages of practice. Through our empowering and transformative ambition, we will create a grassroots artistic ecology, which is a safe place to take risks, challenge assumptions, and meet other people with a shared interest in the arts. Core to this are our facilities and expertise, that offer classes, professional facilities, and studio based learning, alongside residencies and events programme
Region
Fife
Website
http://www.forganartscentre.co.uk