Introducing Artists’ Projects Producer Paige Ofosu-Asaa
Paige Ofosu-Asaa joined the Artsadmin team in January 2021 as Artists’ Projects Producer. In this blog, she reflects on the transformative nature of art, her path in to the creative sector and broadening access to this space.
The transformative nature of art should be in reach for all, be it as an artist, in a participatory sense or as a received experience. Art should not exclude or disassociate. The arts have a unique ability to shape thought, change perspectives, heal and bridge the gap between worlds. I’ve felt this profoundly in my own lived experience.
My own journey as a young person into the world of the arts is one which I can loosely trace. I can see that the early exposures that I had to the arts were because someone had decided that it was important and had a value to my personal development.
Like many other young people, my earliest memories of the arts were school trips to theatres and galleries. Never before had the possibilities occurred to me that someone could pursue a career in the creative realm. My eyes became open to the potential of what was beyond the boundaries of what I knew. This could be a space for me.
What followed was an ambition to pursue a formal education lead by these early ideals. I studied History of Art at university, followed by the DCMS Jerwood Creative Bursaries Scheme, a talent development initiative creating new paid entry level roles in the arts. Again, another example of access being created to allow people to pursue their potential in the sector and breaking through socio-economic barriers. This was my entry into a career working in the arts for a range of organisations covering music, dance, visual arts and now multidisciplinary forms as Artists’ Projects Producer at Artsadmin.
As an organisation, Artsadmin embodies the values which drew me to the arts as a young person. I know from my own journey how transformative the arts are, but this only happens if we decide collectively that access to the arts is important. In my work I want to show people who may not have realised before, that yes, this is a space for you. A space to grow, heal, develop and play. I passionately believe in this mantra. The arts are both personal and collective. We are both local and global as a creative community. As a sector we have an amazing opportunity to inspire potential in the future. We are able to do this by ensuring that we are an open, welcoming and an inclusive space for all. The right time to engage and be engaged by the arts is always now.