In a previous life Jem and I set up painting holidays in France. We followed a similar process when developing HMS and I often refer to the experience when discussing the studios… which happened on Wednesday.
First lots of research … and yes there was a demand for painting holidays. We looked at the stats which referred to the huge numbers of leisure painters and their interest in painting holidays.
We looked at preferred accomodation, which region would appeal and what others had to offer. Shared bathrooms were a no no and we settled for accomodation on the edge of Riberac, a small town in the Dordogne.
We marketed the holidays in two magazines targeted at leisure painters. I set up a website with all the details and set the ball rolling 4-5 months before our first week . Jem created a menu ( my cooking would definitely put people off) and I created an itinery. Between us we were hosts, teachers, cooks, cleaners, drivers, bookkeepers, graphic designers, gardeners, waiters etc etc. Hard work but great fun! We had a waiting list by the end of our first year!
Developing a successful business in France gave us the confidence to set up the studios.
http://www.jackieberridge.co.uk/franceweb/index.html
Tmorrow night I am meeting a group who are interested in expanding and possibly setting up studios.
I was handed a form to sign yesterday relating to funding. Harrington Mill Studio Group has been set up – steered by a number of artists in the studio. A grant application is going in for marketing the next open studios. It's great that others are taking control of this – it means I can step back and let others have a say.
Now I may have gone on a bit (in my last entry in the blog) about my imput in HMS but I failed mention the enormous support I gained on the way by HMS artists. Although I never relied on help from others, the artists have really supported me at every level. Practically they have helped with partitions and provided equipment (including the handcrafted HMS unit and fridge) and of course Kat set up Standing Room, thus establishing HMS on the map. Erewash Council and Derby Uni have also put their weight behind the studios. Thanks! Phew I'm sounding like one of those Oscar speeches but I just wanted to say thanks!
As a result of the AN blog I receive quite a few enquiries from artists interested in the process of setting up HMS and asking for tips. Here is a reply today…
"We are probably a little different to most set-ups because my husband and I have invested money in a 99 yr lease as well as financing the refurbishment.
To keep down costs we also spent holidays, bank holidays and weekends in 2007 erecting partitions and sorting the floors. Evenings were spent on the web site, business and marketing.
Many studios are set up by groups which has many advantages in terms of time and resources. One of the drawbacks is achieving consensus. We were able to act quickly and we didn't need to seek permission to move things forward – e g buying the property, choosing the name, designing the layout etc, etc, etc.
We did apply for Arts Council funding but the process is so slow and risky in terms of successful outcomes that we had to budget on going it alone. In the end we applied for a contribution of £5k towards upgrading the electrics ( the limit for grants taking less than 6 weeks to process). We were successful and v grateful for the help.
As a commercial enterprise, it wouldn't appeal to someone who isn't a practicing artist. However, that said, I don't regret investing both time and money in HMS. I am v proud of the achievement and pleased to have set up studios which are both viable and sustainable."
Setting up studios requires enormous committment, however it is achieved – but the rewards are massive. We have a great community at HMS and I've also learnt loads on the way :)
Just returned from a talk by Tom Down at the Wasp Room, Tether 'A Far Sunset'. Excellent company, critical discussion, contemporary art.
