Who are we?
Lacuna Festivals are run by a tiny team of practicing, contemporary artists Sarah-Jane Mason and Simon Turner. Sarah-Jane is a mixed media artist and creative facilitator and educator, Simon is an ephemeral land artist, upcycler and jewellery maker. The implications of the festivals being run by artists, for artists are massive - there is no profit skimming, business minded, capitalist thinking going on here! We do not see art as an elitist commodity simply to be owned and prized for its monetary value. We see art as essential to our lives and believe that it is essential in everybody's lives - perhaps more than some realise. We are passionate about what we do and we treat your artwork in exactly the same way as we treat our own - with the respect it implicitly deserves.
Why do we run Lacuna Festivals?
This has to be the question we get asked the most. It is not our job, we haven’t been asked to do it and we don’t get paid for it, so we understand why it may be difficult to understand our motivation. But really our motivation is simple and comes from our own experiences.
As artists ourselves we found that there are simply not enough spaces, opportunities, places, people or networks for creatives to do their thing. You know to get together; network both professionally and socially with likeminded people; exhibit their artworks; share their ideas, experiences, knowledge, skills and understanding or even just validate their lifestyle as a creative person.This is particularly true if you live in a remote location, have unsupportive family/friends, don’t have easy access to funding and/or are also working a full time job at the same time.
We run the festivals for you, the artists, because we are just like you. We don’t have enough money, enough time, enough space or enough resources.
What we do have is the drive and determination to find the things that we need to make creative spaces (temporary or permanent) happen. Yes, it is hard work and the week before the festivals we don’t sleep and we mainly survive on coffee and hugs from our friends (in 2020 we couldn't even have hugs!). But the thing is that doing this benefits everyone; you, us and everyone who sees the exhibitions or takes part in the events. It is because of this that running the festivals is one of our favourite things to do.
Let's get our art out there and let it speak for itself to all who encounter it. Let's share our vision of the world, our troubles, our thoughts, our ideas and whatever else we may chose to communicate. But let's share it knowing that it has an intrinsic worth that cannot be defined by a cash sum and knowing that as creatives we are living a valid way of life.
