Gavin Wade
Total Breakthrough Fund support: £360,000
Gavin is Director of Eastside Projects, an artist-led space founded by Gavin and five other artist collaborators in 2008 in response to an invitation from Birmingham City University and Arts Council England to form an artist-led space of this kind in Birmingham. Gavin’s Breakthrough grant was awarded in 2010, and over five years it has provided core funding to allow Eastside Projects co-founder artist Ruth Claxton to take on the new role of Associate Director, the development of three gallery assistant posts, and to support an expanded exhibitions programme.
Together, Gavin and Ruth have strongly developed the exhibitions programme and the distinctive artist development initiative Extra Special People, and made a lively contribution to the city’s wider cultural life, instigating initiatives such as the Birmingham Art Map, and recently initiating a wider curatorial involvement for Eastside Projects with other institutions in the city as well. Gavin’s Breakthrough Fund grant concluded in 2014.
