Kick-art your Day.
Session 2: Studio Tour - The Royal Standard
The early session start had me flying out of bed at 11:50, ordering an Uber and running down 4 flights of stairs for the 12 o’clock tour at The Royal Standard.
But let me just say, it was worth it!
When we first arrived at The Royal Standard we were greeted by an open space café and the clamour of artists working - creating the sense of an intimate and close-knit community within the studio. Elizabeth, one of the artist leads, greeted us with her dog Lilly (big bonus) in the dedicated gallery space. She went on to describe The Royal Standard as an artist-led studio designed by artists, for artists - with its ethos being centred on providing affordable and quality spaces for new or upcoming creatives.
(Gallery Space) - Open, with plain white backgrounds ready for work. Primary Gallery Space for The Royal Standard
We then went into the communal area which was the centre for the private and shared studios - when inquiring about the pricing of the spaces, Elizabeth explained that the starting rate was £70 per month for a shared space.
(Communal Area) - Leads of to the private studio spaces, the white doors.
The overall feel of this area was interesting as it was a clash between the informal setting of the seating area, with surfaces littered with different types of mediums or books, to the private studios which seemed almost shut off. A perfect space for artists looking to focus and reflect on their work. A concept that may have come from the merging of the Bottega (workplace) and Studiolo (contemplation space) - these terms originated from ateliers in the Renaissance period and the idea of selling your art within international markets. Therefore to have the practical and entertaining spaces separate was ideal, however, this changed with the idea of art and it became a joint practice. Therefore it makes perfect sense for this area to provide a setting in which artists can showcase and relax, with their private studios just an arms reach away - allowing for the crossover of practical work and engagement of the viewer.
(Alleyway leading to The Royal Standard) - Very industrial space, despite it being a large building it was tucked away.
The location of The Royal Standard also highlighted the importance of providing a personable experience, as while it is a very large building, it was difficult to find within the Baltic Market - meaning it's imperative for its survival that the studio is so enticing. However, this isolation from public transport and other commodities, showcases how studio spaces arise within areas that are almost redundant. This is because they are cheap, with buildings that have been abandoned like factories which are easy to renovate. It's the economic pressure felt by the artistic community that means places with low rent and an unappealing nature is essential - which then, of course, is turned into a place of culture which ultimately means a rent increase…
BUT! Luckily for us, the Liverpool council has taken measures to ensure the consecration of such spaces, protecting the art spaces and their creatives from eviction.
The Royal Standard definitely set the grade in which other spaces should be held - the creators of this organisation has positioned themselves on the side of artists, allowing an opportunity to a wider range of creatives. They changed my idea of how a studio is meant to look - mainly overcrowded, dusty and just a bit naff. It clearly shows the development made within contemporary art, how the needs changed as well as the spaces themselves. This results in studios being used not only for testing out ideas but to have a space that can be used for networking - with artists needing the extra income made from these events, in order to pay for their space. In contrast to Historical artists, who had patrons to pay for and set up their creative studios, contemporary artists use temporary curating areas to produce work - with very few artists today owning their own workplace.
The visit made me realise the importance of collaborative spaces like The Royal Standard, as not only do they provide artists with affordable space in which to work, but they have created opportunities for other sectors in the art world, with their volunteering scheme. Elizabeth, our artist lead, described the process to be a 2-year process, at the end of which a new team is picked out - providing the organisation with fresh ideas, as well as keeping the turnover of participants high.
Overall I have to say I really enjoyed the visit to The Royal Standard, and would definitely recommend it to anyone - if not for the art, then for the coffee and Lilly the dog.
