Making waves at the Baltic

SOME of the main aims of the high-profile contemporary North-East arts venue Baltic have been dubbed unrealistic by its new director Stephen Snoddy, including the belief that all exhibitions can be held free of charge.

While some will agree with ending the policy of previous director Sune Nordgren, that the Gateshead building would only display works never seen in Britain before, the idea of charging around £4 admission for selected events is likely to prove more controversial.

Defending this view, Mr Snoddy says: "There might be an exhibition or two that people will have to pay to get into. That was always meant to be, but that hasn't happened yet. I don't see why, if the pricing structure is good, we can't have one day that's free. Because most of the major galleries, such as Tate Liverpool, have three charging exhibitions a year and at particular moments when exhibitions cost us a hell of a lot of money I think it is entirely reasonable to make a charge, nothing too high, to try and get some income back. It wouldn't be far off what Tate Liverpool charges (currently £4 for adults).

"If a friend's membership scheme is started (for around £20 a year) you get free admission to charging exhibitions. How can we start up a supporters' organisation and what benefits will they have? All these things have to be put through the mangle. And the only way to find out about a charging exhibition is to have one. The important thing is to make the exhibition a good one and it's something we will do in the future, but when it will happen I'm not sure."

Snoddy, who has run Milton Keynes' £30m gallery since it opened in 1998, is also critical of his predecessor's concept of an Arts Factory which would generate gallery-filling displays by major artists. Although Antony Gormley's Domain Field attracted international interest with volunteers having their bodies cast in plaster, Mr Snoddy is keener to offer future residences to a mixture of young British and foreign artists.

He explains: "There are artists I want to feature, particularly a mixture of young artists at a point in their career where they need significant support. They need the kind of profile that a residency can bring.

"Personally I don't really see the point of having somebody of extremely high profile as an artist in residence because I don't think that's the nature of the residency. There will be a mix of artists from abroad, and British artists.

"There was the idea that Baltic was the Art Factory and there was going to be commissions, but that is totally unrealistic. You can't keep filling 2,000 square metres of galleries on that concept and the reality is somewhat different. I'll be looking at the artists in residence and trying to bring a certain logic to it. I haven't thought out what that will be yet because I haven't talked to staff, but I'm hoping to bring a more logical programme.

'I hope there'll be a stronger relationship between the different floors and different levels. What I have to get my head around is the complex nature and trying to make sure that something is in the space all the time or, if we're closing for a huge exhibition, that we make sure that people know about that."

And on the Baltic's previous policy of refusing to take exhibitions which have been previously seen in London, Mr Snoddy is even more forthright. He says: "To be honest, my approach is going to be more pragmatic. What I've said is, if there's a project or exhibition that appeals and we are far enough from London and it's a project that I feel is appropriate for the Baltic and it starts in London, that will not stop me from doing it. What I will try and do within the deal is that when we have a project coming up next year will they take that in return?

"The reality is that we're bigger than everything in London and the shoe is on the other foot with regard to most London galleries."

There is certainly some commercial clout to Mr Snoddy's thinking. He's already signed up to bring the country's most important contemporary art, British Art Show Six, to Tyneside in 2005.

He says: "British Art Show Six will take over the whole of Baltic. It happens every five years and is a review of that period and I have a meeting with the Arts Council and I'll be in discussion with the whole of Newcastle-Gateshead to make sure there will be complementary events which will develop into a mini three months of visual art.

"The Baltic has the most muscle as the biggest venue but it does need to act as the catalyst to make things happen. I'm still looking at City of Culture events though it can't be Capital of Culture now.

"I'm also looking at the Tall Ships event in July 2005 so I'm looking at the programme that is happening around Baltic."

A father-of-three, who still commutes from his Manchester home to Milton Keynes, Mr Snoddy doesn't see his signature programme for the Baltic starting to take shape until autumn this year. He's not keen to name names but his previous taste include: Gilbert & George, Chris Ofili, Rachel Whiteread, Juan Munoz, Bruce McLean and Edward Allington.

He's an authority on Richard Hamilton, Jack B Yeats and Jochen Gerz and is proud of persuading a collection of Manchester galleries to bid successfully for British Art Show Four in 1995.

Refreshingly, Mr Snoddy confesses that he tries to keep his weekends clear of arts entanglements and prefers to spend time with wife Sandra and sons Jack, 13, Hugo, 12, and Theo, nine. And the former Irish club scrum-half is looking forward to watching Newcastle Falcons whenever possible.

He acknowledges that his main task is to secure the Baltic's long-term sustainable future now that the first 18 months of excitement are over.

"I know from my experience in Milton Keynes the most difficult job is to sustain something. You build up to an opening and everyone gets very excited and you run along on adrenaline and it is at about the 18-months time when suddenly you realise you've got to do this for another five or ten years. So while I agree it's quite a challenging time to come in, certain things need to be re-thought and certain things need to be done and the staff themselves will be pretty darn tired. They'll have worked solidly and will be looking for a second life and hopefully I can provide that."

But, all in all, Mr Snoddy is already walking the tightrope between being controversial and crowd-pleasing without hanging a single work on the wall.