| Description | Stour Valley Arts was a public arts organization, directed by Sandra Drew MBE, in King’s Wood, an ancient woodland in Challock, Ashford, Kent. Operated by the Forestry Commission. It commissioned a range of public art works by high profile artists such as Richard Long and Andy Goldsworthy.
It also supported educational art projects for schools and colleges. The BA Fine Art course at Canterbury had direct links with Stour Valley Arts. Students would attend workshops and residencies regularly, and exhibit their work.
The records reflect the administration and information generated through its actives, such as proposals, publicity, educational material, funding bids, trustee minutes, business plans, photographs and documentation on the construction of exhibition.
Materials date from mid 1990s to 2015. Largely paper based. Other formats include CDs, floppy disks, cassettes and artworks. Website and social media (Twitter/Facebook) have also been offered.
Stour Valley collection reflect the legacy of arts development and cultural regeneration in East Kent and will be kept alongside the Drew Gallery Projects archive. The specificity of these collection is of relevance in the specific milieu of arts development and infrastructure within East Kent and the specific rural-urban identity of the region (exemplified regionally in distinctive approaches adopted by coastal towns in the region such as Whitstable, Margate and Folkestone).
Housed at Canterbury the collection is an inspiring primary source resource for those studying sculpture, fine art, land art, and art in the public realm.
When Stour Valley Arts was disestablished in 2015, Sandra Drew contacted Terry Perk (then Senior Fine Art Lecturer, Canterbury) offering these records and history to UCA Archives and Special Collections.
This material is in the process of being appraised and catalogued.
|
| AdminHistory | Approximately 49 boxes, between 6-12 folders in each (some half full, further weeding is required). Materials date from mid 1990s to 2015. |