OPEN STUDIOS (2005)

As part of the Arts Unwrapped Open Studios event, The Hut Project investigated the notion of the studio as a space of simultaneous production and exhibition. Working in consultation with an ethnographic agency (www.esro.co.uk), The Hut Project surveyed the visitors to its studio during the weekend with a view to making profiles of the audience's tastes, habits, occupations and spending power. These profiles, coupled with an earlier survey of participating artists' expectations of the event, were used to build an ad-hoc exhibition that opened at the closing of the Open Studios event: responses to the questionnaires were fly-posted in the surrounding streets and pinned around the studio complex; a large-scale map was used to build a visual profile of visitors' homes and workplaces; visitors were given disposable cameras and asked to photograph their favourite work at the event; a video was made documenting the free taxi shuttle service between participating studios; in-studio discussions with visitors and artists were broadcast to the complex and surrounding streets using FM radio. The results of our visitors' questionnaires can be read here - follow the link to download a copy for yourself. Artists' survey results to follow shortly.

read an interview with The Hut Project about the Open Studios event here