employability - a-n The Artists Information Company

Within UK universities, visual artists are working across university departments in many different ways ranging from arts and health initiatives, residencies and cultural heritage projects to commissions, teaching and PhD research. Artist Steve Pool identifies some key ways artists are working within HE and considers the value of such relationships to both artists and institutions.

a-n’s Exhibition Payment Guide says artists should make sure they provide clear evidence of their work and experience when approaching a gallery with a proposal. This quick guide offers advice on the main areas to consider when developing a proposal, and includes tips on what to include when responding to an approach from a gallery or making a speculative pitch.

Artists and advisers identify key questions to ask to help sift the good opportunities from the mediocre, and the downright mendacious.

Consultant and curator Mark Doyle offers advice on how to generate sales and develop a market for your work, through building relationships with clients and collectors.

In the second part to ‘Selling your work: building relationships with clients and collectors’, consultant and curator Mark Doyle provides further recommendations for sales, aftercare, and maintaining relationships with clients and collectors.

Artists, collectors, gallery directors, curators and dealers offer tips and guidance on selling your work and maintaining relationships with clients and collectors.

Contemporary Arts Programme Manager at the National Trust Grace Davies explores the benefits to non-arts organisations of commissioning artists outside of traditional gallery spaces, and offers some top tips for artists to consider when making an application.

Hannah Pierce, who has held curatorial and programming roles with organisations including The National Trust and Jerwood Visual Arts, offers advice and explores the key issues to consider when applying for a residency with non-arts organisations.

Juan Bolivar, an artist and curator, explores the history and practice of curating, and provides ten key questions for independent curators and artists to help guide you in developing your first exhibitions. Bolivar’s painting practice runs parallel to his curating practice; first initiating TRAILER (2001-05) – an artist collective utilising temporary locations to stage exhibitions – and since, going on to curate over 40 exhibitions as an independent curator.

Hen Norton explores the use of fundraising platforms online and offers her top ten tips to help you build a sustainable creative business or project, and reach a wider and more engaged network of supporters through crowdfunding. 

a-n/AIR’s Exhibition Payment Guide calls for written confirmation of exhibition and financial details in the form of a contract or letter of agreement. This quick guide offers 12 key points an agreement should cover.

Negotiation is one of the four core principles of a-n/AIR’s Exhibition Payment Guide. This quick guide offers 10 tips for better negotiation.

Sectoral guidance and framework, produced by a-n and AIR as an outcome of the Paying Artists Campaign, providing specific advice on payments within the context of exhibitions or other visual arts presentation to the public.

Proactively seeking out opportunities to realise exhibitions and projects is an important strategy in the arts. Adam Smythe, Curator at the Bluecoat in Liverpool, gives some advice on the best methods of approaching galleries with exhibition proposals for your own work or for curatorial projects.

For this follow up to her Approaching galleries guide, Jennie Syson asked artists, arts managers, curators and gallery directors to share their top tips, and dos and don’ts advice.

Jennie Syson offers some advice on approaching galleries, through setting out the different research routes and methods you might use.

a-n Blogs is a great place to share the process of your practice or the progress of a residency or project you’re working on. We’ve pulled together a few tips on blogging on www.a-n.co.uk to help you get started.

Tips on negotiating and agreeing contracts in line with a-n’s Exhibition Payment Guide.

Artists, gallerists and curators offer tips and guidance on how to price work when exhibiting in group shows, selling at open studios, or applying for open competitions.