In 2016 Addo was five years old and undertook NOW WE ARE FIVE – a business & organisational development project to review our practice to date; to identify ways in which we may continue to produce ambitious and critically relevant projects; to develop new strands of work and to extend the legacy of our projects to further benefit the communities and places within which work and the wider arts sector in Wales.

Addo was established by Sarah Pace and Tracy Simpson in 2011. Over the past 5 years we’ve built up a track record of working with and on behalf of artists, communities, voluntary organisations, and private & public sectors partners to curate and manage high quality contemporary art projects in the public realm, with budgets ranging from £5k to £300k, including permanent and temporary works, artist residencies, strategies, reports, research, events and exhibitions.

With offices in Pontypridd and Wrexham, our clients/partners include: Arts Council of Wales, Arts Regen, Betsi Cadwaldr University Health Board, Cardiff Community Housing Association, Cardiff Council, Cardiff & Vale University NHS Trust, City & County of Swansea Council, Community Foundation in Wales, Confluence, Denbighshire County Council, Glyndwr Cymru, Glyndwr University, Gwynedd Council, Helfa Gelf, Intersections, Leadbitter, Loudoun Square Partnership, Partneriath Corwen Partnership, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Torfaen County Borough Council, Ty Hafan, Wrexham County Borough Council.

And we’ve worked with a wide range of Artists & Creative Practitioners from Wales and further afield, including: Alexia Mellor, Angela Davies, Blue MacAskill, Ciara Leeming, Collaborative Design Studio, Crafted Space, Dan Rees, Eurig Salisbury, Glen Biseker, Heinrich & Palmer, Jackie Chettur, Nicky Coutts, Janet Hodgson, Assemble, Karen Heald, New British Art Group, Michael Cousin, Camp Little Hope, Michael MacMillan, Miriam Sleeman, Aberrant Architecture, Alan Goulbourne, Naomi Leake, Nicola Goff, Ruth Collins, Blue MacAskill, Freshwest, Susan Liggett, Andrew Dodds, Mair Hughes, William Dennisuk, The Cross Kings, Mo Abd-Ulla, Tom Gillepsie, Cheon Pyo Lee, Tom Groll.

Now We Are Five gave us the opportunity to reflect and develop our vision for the future.  This involved:

• Undertaking a 360 degree review our organisation and strands of work;
• Consulting with past, current and potential future partners & clients;
• Reviewing how we position ourselves internationally, nationally and locally.  This included looking at the social and cultural contexts within which our offices are based in Pontypridd and Wrexham to identify opportunities to contribute more positively and fully to them for mutual benefit.  As part of this we invited artists and creative professionals to attend ‘Creative Ponty?’ – a morning of discussions and networking around how existing, emerging and potential creative networks and hubs may positively impact on Pontypridd and the surrounding area.  Find out more about the Creative Ponty? event here;
• Producing a Strategic Plan for the future, which we’ll be implementing over the next five years so watch this space …

We’re always interested in new opportunities and collaborations so please get in touch with us at info@addocreative.com if you have an idea about how we may work together.

The project was funded through the Arts Council of Wales’ Business & Organisational Development Grant Scheme, with match funding from Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council and in-kind support and advice from Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council Arts Development Team, Artist|Producer|Researcher Victoria E. Jones, Professor Paul Haywood (Associate Dean for Academic Development and Enhancement, Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London) and Dr Sue Liggett (Head of the Media Art and Design Research Centre, Glyndwr University).