Graphical version

London Metropolitan Archives

BARBICAN ARTS TRUST


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0074 LMA/4470

Held at: London Metropolitan Archives

Title: BARBICAN ARTS TRUST

Date(s): 1973-2004

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 1.95 linear metres

Name of creator(s): Barbican Arts Group x Hertford Road Studios

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Barbican Arts Group (BAG, now renamed Hertford Road Studios) was established in 1972 as a self-managed artists' collective. The group consists of around 19 to 22 members including painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, ceramicists and mosaicists. In addition to artists' own work, the group has been involved with a number of community projects, notably educational work carried out by members in their local boroughs.

Hertford Road Studios is administered by the Barbican Arts Trust. The Trust became a registered charity in 1984 and oversaw both the management of artists' studios and co-ordination of the Groups community outreach programme, the Art Works Project. This was in keeping with the Trusts aims of developing and increasing an understanding of the visual arts outside the studio space and providing the greatest opportunity to the largest number of people to explore their creative potential. The Trust's status as a registered charity was a real strength providing a number of tax concessions and allowing it to remain almost entirely self-financed.

The Barbican Arts Group was originally housed in studios at number 2 Sycamore Street but in 1989 this building was officially reclassified from light industrial to offices and the Group was forced out. A media campaign was embarked upon with the result that a suitable building was found elsewhere. A company was identified that wished to sub-let the first floor of their premises in Hertford Road and the Group moved to these new studios in 1989 with a 15 year lease. To enable the move the Group received financial support from the then Greater London Arts. However the cost of converting the space, some 7,000 sq. ft. into 22 studio units was shared by the artists themselves. The studios varied in size from 150 to 400 sq. ft. with rent costing somewhere between £70 and £120 per month. The Barbican Arts Group, now renamed Hertford Road Studios, continued with the full range of their activities from their new location.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

The collection contains the administrative papers of the Barbican Arts Group Trust including policy documents; minutes of meetings; financial records; property records; and artists' details. In addition, the collection includes a range of visual material showing artists and their work as well as printed publicity material for exhibitions. The Trust's outreach work is represented through a number of school packs and booklets.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

The material is arranged as follows: administrative papers; finance papers; papers relating to the Trusts' property; printed material; and audio-visual material. Where possible, original reference numbers have been noted however this does not appear to refer to an organised filing system.

Conditions governing access:

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright to these records is retained by the Trustees of the Barbican Arts Trust.

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Records deposited in 2004.

ALLIED MATERIALS

DESCRIPTION NOTES Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: June to August 2010.


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Arts administration | Cultural administration
Charities administration | Charities | Charitable organisations | Associations | Organizations
Charity records | Documents | Information sources
Cultural centres | Cultural facilities | Cultural resources
Cultural exhibitions | Exhibitions
Artists
Nonprofit organizations

Personal names

Corporate names
Barbican Arts Group x Hertford Road Studios
Barbican Arts Trust

Places
Barbican | London | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe
City of London