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.
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.
The following checklist by Sheena Etches and Nicholas Sharp covers many of the issues that arise when artists enter an arrangement with a private gallery, dealer or agent.
Video of artists Robbie Lockwood and Stefan Szczelkun discussing sustaining their practices, the benefits and challenges of working in collectives and radical approaches to education groups.
Video of artists Katharine Meynell and Aaron Williamson discussing shared interests in their practices, identity politics and shifts in education, funding models and public perceptions of art.
Jack Hutchinson speaks to volunteers at Surface Gallery, an independent, artist-led gallery and studio complex in Nottingham. Its expansive programme involves exhibitions, talks and residencies.
Midwest was an artist’s development programme that ran from 2003 to 2008 in the West Midlands. Here we share pdf reports on Midwest’s activity that provide valuable insights into possibilities within artist-led culture.
Striving and surviving in the do it yourself art world; curating, managing members, self-publishing. Richard Taylor talks to three recently founded artists’ groups about doing it ‘DIY’, progress so far and what the future holds.
Dan Thompson from The Revolutionary Arts Group reveals how artists are once again making use of empty spaces as a means to kick-start both the cultural and economic well being of town centres, and suggests seven steps to enable this area of practice to flourish.
Curator Matt Roberts talks to Jane Watt about how and why he set up the London-based organisation Matt Roberts Arts and the importance of providing support and a platform for emerging and mid-career artists, curators and arts professionals.
Christopher Thomas considers the importance of potential failure in art-making as described in artists’ blogs.
An overview of curatorial practice, highlights profiles and other resources on this topic.
The Centre of Attention (Pierre Coinde and Gary O’Dwyer) reveal their approach to ‘participatory curating’.
Simon Tegala tells how he needs to adopt many different roles to realise the production of his curatorial projects.
Shezad Dawood discusses how he see curation as an opportunity to explore the interplay between his own work and that of other artists.
Rachel Garfield explains how a desire to critique dominant models of the mainstream informs her curatorial practice.
Mark Wilsher talks about combining the roles of artist and curator in his own practice.
Emily Druiff and Sophie Hope discuss independent practice in relation self-initiated curator and artist-led projects.
Growth of independent curators and curatorial agencies within the UK over the last decade is no accident. Generated in part as a response to inherent constraints within the traditional gallery and museum world and development of specialist curatorial courses, it has undeniably brought fresh perspectives to artist-curator relationships and, increasingly, supports those practitioners seeking to move across into curation as a natural extension of their visual arts practice.
Jananne Al-Ani describes how her experiences as an artist have informed her development of curatorial projects.
Gavin Wade talks about his role as a ‘professional curator’ working outside of an institution.
Erica Tan describes her career as requiring her to undertake different roles, of which ‘artist’ and ‘curator’ are only two of many.
