Plan 9 was an contemporary art initiative run by artists, curators and writers between 2005 to 2010.

Plan 9 members have included Chris Barr, Kayle Brandon, Rachel Butcher, Rob Chavasse, Nim-Jo Chung, Julian Claxton, Rachel Connelly, Karen Di Franco, Anton Goldenstein, Mark Harris, Toby Huddlestone, Tom Johnson, Ali Jones, John Lawrence, Julie MacCalden, Natasha MacVoy, Sophie Mellor, Anouk Mercier, Sarah Tulloch, Lucie Red and Zoe Williams.

History

Plan 9 was established in 2004 by Sophie Mellor and Julian Claxton, with Toby Huddlestone joining in March 2005. Taking advantage of the redevelopment of Bristol's city centre, Plan 9's first site was in an empty shop unit in Broadmead - the city's shopping precinct. With the support of Bristol City Council, Broadmead Alliance and the estate agents Hartnell, Taylor and Cook, Plan 9 secured the unit for a period of one year, rent free.

Plan 9's programme was formulated to support the careers of emerging artists and curators, with four main exhibitions curated by Plan 9 (Industry & Idleness, Gatsobyter, Generation Games and BRSLAXVAA). An open call was also sent out nationally, which resulted in another five exhibitions/events being curated/organised by artists and curators outside Plan 9.

In 2006, Plan 9 organised 'Wig Wam Bam!' as part of the British Art Show 6 in Bristol. Interested in working within a building already open to the public, Plan 9 formed a partnership with The Red Lodge, an Elizabethan house run the Bristol City Council Museums and Art Galleries as an example of a period home. The Red Lodge is owned (and leased to the city council) by The Bristol Savages, an all male artists' group started in 1904 and modeled along the lines of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. They still hold weekly meetings and an annual exhibition in the 'Wig Wam' - and outbuilding in the grounds of The Red Lodge.

Plan 9 invited British Art Show 6 artists Claire Barclay and Marcus Coates, and the president of the Bristol Savages, Geoff Molyneux to form the selection panel for 'Wig Wam Bam!'. Fourteen Bristol based artists were selected on the basis of both proposals for new work in relation to the site and existing work. Claire Barclay and Marcus Coates also attended a series of studio visits with the selected artists, furthering the links between the British Art Show 6 and providing an opportunity for discussion around the proposed work and the site.

At the end of 2006, Plan 9 invited Karen Di Franco to join the core group. In 2007, Plan 9 expanded the group inviting Chris Barr, Kayle Brandon, Nim-Jo Chung, Rachel Connelly, Anton Goldenstein, Julie McCalden, Tom Johnson, Ali Jones, John Lawrence and Sarah Tulloch to join. Taking on a unit at the back of Spike Island - Plan 9 presented one event (All our Worst Work) and two exhibitions (Utstallruum, and, Martin Kippenburger with fries and a shake) curated by Plan 9 members.

In 2008, working with Bristol City Council, Artspace Lifespace and Urban Splash, Plan 9 took on new premises - a former police station in Bristol's city centre, Bridewell Island - creating a gallery, project space and studios. In 2008/09 Plan 9's membership changed around again and comprised of Chris Barr, Rachel Butcher, Rob Chavasse, Nim-Jo Chung, Karen Di Franco, Anton Goldenstein, Mark Harris, Toby Huddlestone, Tom Johnson, Ali Jones, Natasha MacVoy, Sophie Mellor, Anouk Mercier, Lucie Red and Zoe Williams. During 2008 and 2009, Plan 9 ran a programme of exhibitions, events and international residencies initiated by Plan 9 members.

In November 2009, Plan 9 moved out of Bridewell Island and ceased its activities.

The NewBridge Project supports artists to investigate and challenge the boundaries of contemporary art practice.
The NewBridge Project is an artist-led community comprising of over 80 artist studios, an exhibition space and book shop based in a 29,000sqft former office block in Newcastle city centre.
The NewBridge Project was established in 2010 to provide exchange and support in an engaged and discursive community of artists. The shared workspace is a critical and collaborative environment that allows artists to discuss and develop new ideas and projects.
The NewBridge Project Space provides artists with the opportunity to exhibit in a supportive space that promotes an experimental and critical approach to practice. The exhibition space is dedicated to exploring new and diverse contemporary art practice through a programme of regular exhibitions, screenings and events, supported by responsive talks, publications and broadcasts.
The NewBridge Project continues to develop in response to the needs and interests of its members.

Islington Mill is a leading independent UK arts organisation based in Salford, in the NW England. Structured around an organic network of independent artists, Islington Mill runs innovative inter-disciplinary public arts programmes and artist residencies alongside studio spaces and an artists’ B&B. Drawing on the radical and subversive creative energy running through its arts activities, Islington Mill also has a reputation for putting on legendary experimental gatherings, events and parties.

Based in the evocative buildings and courtyard of a former Victorian mill, Islington Mill is a unique and inspiring environment where the architecture of industrial Britain is fused with the creative energy of industrious artists at work and at play.

Founded by Bill Campbell in 2000, who bought it after spending four years developing the project and raising the initial finance, Islington Mill is the product of a singular dream to form a network of artists around the shared goal of living and working as freely and creatively as possible.

Like the Hacienda before it, Islington Mill is organised along similar principles inspired by the Situationist movement, an avant-garde European art movement formed in the fifties and sixties that became a prototype of punk. Picking up where the former left off, Islington Mill has a similar focus of creating an open-source environment outside of conventional structures and art traditions that can act as a catalyst for “the creative act” in all its many forms and unlock the inner artist in almost anyone.

Currently run by designer Bill Campbell, musician Mark Carlin and visual artist Maurice Carlin, Islington Mill is a non-hierarchical organisation that makes no distinction between work and play, outcome and process, chaos and control. Operating outside a commercial, profit-led agenda, it is a genuinely independent arts organisation that puts nurturing, supporting and inspiring creativity, especially new and emerging talent, at the heart of everything it does.

Forged in the spirit of D-I-Y, it recognises risk-taking and experimentalism in a non-judgmental, non-pressured environment as integral to art practice and is able to offer artists an unusual level of creative freedom in an increasingly market-led cultural landscape.

Although Islington Mill is predominantly focussed around the physical space in Salford, it recently organised its first “mass residency” with thirty artists in Ibiza and now plans to take the spirit of Islington Mill on tour elsewhere, building on existing links starting this October with an exchange with Flux Factory NYC.

Not content with stopping at these achievements, Islington Mill is continuously seeking to progress in its mission to inspire, educate and develop artists in their careers in an ever-changing social and cultural landscape.

Islington Mill was very pleased to have recieved its first ever ACE programme funding in the history of its organisation earlier in 2013, which will be used towards testing new strategies for residencies and developing its marketing and organisational structure.

As part of this forward-looking strategy, Islington Mill is excited about the opportunity to develop it's 6th floor space into further B&B style bedrooms and its 5th floor space into a dedicated artist residency space.

However further funding is still needed for Islington Mill to realise its full potential and so it is constantly exploring funding sources and income streams that will allow it to maintain its unique vision for the arts into the future.

To this end, Islington Mill has also secured Arts Council Catalyst funding, in consortium with the Chinese Arts Centre, this fund helps arts organisations access private funding by exploring how relationships can be formed with patrons and other independent sources.

Islington Mill is now to an exciting future that is global and ambitious. With the right funding in place, it hopes to be responsible for sending local artists out onto international residencies, while receiving incoming international artists in order to realise its full potential as a dynamic international arts hub and creative interchange.

made the north sea a radical project space
by installing a group show in it (collaboration with Embassy Gallery)
commemorative mousemats now change hands on ebay for £200

Generator is a Dundee-based organisation established in 1996. The aims of the organisation are to generate creative practices across Dundee through providing sustained support towards creativity in all its diversity and a varied programme of exhibitions and events.

Alongside the primary aim of being collectively held by those who wish to engage and support the continuation of the organisation, Generator hosts a project and exhibition space better known as Generator Projects. This space was established to allow creative practitioners, developing experimental, critical and autonomous work, the opportunity to exhibit. It is facilitated by the Generator committee, a rolling collective of volunteers, who dedicate two years of their time to ensure the continuation of this programmed space and the broader aspects of the organisation.

Generator Projects is also home to the developing Member Space. Initiated during the 2013 Member Show, this hospitable space is being created for dedicated member-led activity. The space will continue to be developed over the coming year in response to the voiced needs of Generator members. This could include access to resources and a neutral space for peer-learning and critical discourse through the programming of responsive talks, events and artworks to the Generator programme and wider interests and concerns of the Generator members.