Recently appointed head honcho at Quay Arts in Newport, Paul Armfield shares with OnTheWight readers his hopes and aims for the Quay in the coming months. Ed
As an awkward youth, I first stumbled through The Quay’s then recently-opened doors to attend an under 18’s disco. A couple of weeks ago as ‘Quay Arts’ celebrated its 40th year, I entered those same doors as its new manager.
In the intervening years, despite more ups and downs than the tide of the Medina, that red-bricked wedge has endured as a beacon for the arts, becoming the heart and soul of Island culture.
Exciting times ahead
It’s no secret that Quay Arts now no longer receives any regular funding and that just over a year ago, it seemed its doors might close for good, but with the sterling efforts of my predecessor and a superb crew, it’s now just about afloat and pointed in the right direction, an exciting time to be taking over at the helm.
I’m sure I should be worried about the lack of funds, but in my other life as a singer-songwriter, I regularly tour the venues of Europe and have seen countless examples of unfunded venues and arts centres thriving on a canny mixture of thrift, innovation and enthusiasm.
This is heartening in itself, but what reassures me most is that the common driver behind all of these success stories is a strong sense of community and place, something we have here in abundance.
By the community for the community
As a bookstore manager at Ottakars, then Waterstones, I tapped into that community spirit and made the Newport store one of the most successful in the country, by encouraging and accommodating local authors.
Quay Arts represents an opportunity to take this one step further, to be driven BY the community FOR the community, (the last thing I wish on the Island is to have my tastes inflicted on it) and so I shall be inviting local artists, experts and enthusiasts alike to take part, to programme and curate and volunteer; if anyone has an idea I will do everything in my power to find a way to say ‘yes’.
My aim is to welcome in and to celebrate local talent in all its many brilliant colours.
From early ’til late seven days a week
At the heart of every community there needs to be a warm hearth and a kitchen table to gather round, a place to refuel in the day and to return to in the evenings to chat until the early hours.
So I’ll be looking to keep the doors open with food on the stove and tea in the pot from early ’til late every day of the week.
The aim is then to fill each and every corner with activity and to fulfil this wonderful building’s potential.
Honoured
I will refrain from detailing the countless ideas I have for Quay Arts, but instead finish by saying that I am incredibly honoured to have been entrusted with such an important legacy and I understand as much as anyone, the heft of that responsibility.
So, what can I do? Watch this incredible space.
Image: © Malc Attrill
