To survive as a self funded arts centre Bank Street Arts depended heavily on a team of volunteers, numbering hundreds over its ten years of existence. The scheme was built into the fabric of the building and the organisation right from the start. Founder and Creative Director, John Clark, was a volunteer, as were all staff in the early stages. As a charity, we were able to tap into funding for training and employment and used this to train up volunteer managers in house in an effort to create a self generating scheme.
Centre managers in the later years of BSA’s existence, had all started as volunteers as indeed did some of the Resident artists and Studio Holders. Our volunteers and apprentices went onto work for major national arts organisations and in other cases returned to Higher Education. Documentation relating to the Volunteer Scheme can be viewed via the links below:
