Alastair upton, Chief Executive at the Bluecoat.We had our auction on Tuesday night at Leaf. It was an excellent night, with Simon O’Brien playing auctioneer. The artists had been hugely generous and we had about 50 art works and the bidding was at times fierce. I’m still quietly annoyed at not getting the two works I’d set my heart on but was too tight fisted to buy.

The idea was to contact many of the artists who had been associated with the Bluecoat in the past and ask them to donate a work of art. We then asked the past audience of the Bluecoat to bid for the work. The money raised would go on the final fit out items. This seemed to mark the start of the ending of the exile of artists and audience from the building and give everyone a chance to contribute to the re-opening of the Bluecoat.

As well as the re-engagement of artists and audience we are searching for new staff for opening. There are a whole bunch of adverts out at the moment and more go up at the weekend. Recruitment will be finished in January after a mass recruitment open day  all ready for the opening on…….

This will be a really interesting time and one that I’m excited about but I’m also wary. There are hardly any staff left from pre-closure. A small group negotiated the early development and this has grown slowly ‘til now. It’s a group of very committed and very supportive people. The trick now will be for this group to welcome new people and the change that brings while keeping hold of the great strength that has already been built through tackling the development and a clearly understood sense of what we are trying to do. The new staff will need to want to join the group, be a part of what is happening and be brave enough to try to change it too.

Talking of bravery I was at a meeting today to discuss the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival. The festival while a partnership between members of the Liverpool Arabic community and some of the City’s arts organisations is actually run by the Bluecoat. By that I mean having been part of setting it up all the funding was given to us so we now employ the staff and manage the budget etc.

After 6 years the time seems right to look at the festival flying the nest and becoming an independent organisation though one in which I hope the Bluecoat is allowed to be a major part. This will take sometime as the Bluecoat’s contribution of money, time and support is significant and won’t be easily replaced.

As a first step to doing this we have looked at the challenges the festival faces. These include the most complex politics in the most troubled parts of the world, the strains within the Arabic community around gender, religion and between-generations and of course the perceptions of the community by those outside which are often very hostile. Setting up a festival to tackle these issues was a really brave move and something I truly admire.

Alastair Upton, Cheif Executive at the Bluecoat.