Arts-START
Maintaining a career as an artist can be a complex and nuanced affair that requires a lot more than simply making good work. This programme of curated presentations by artists and industry professionals examined and demystified key areas aside from their practice that artists need to consider to forge their careers.
Artquest provides everything a visual artist needs to know by encouraging critical engagement and providing practical support.
Run by artists, for artists, we build a bridge from student experience to sustainable working life, and throughout your professional career.
First steps after graduation
10 - 11.15am, Saturday
After the intense activity and buzz of your degree shows the period after can feel like a strange limbo or an abrupt stop. This period is actually vital in getting your practice going, it can be tempting to just pack your bags for a holiday, however, this session explored what you could do to keep the momentum going and take the first steps to building your career.
Artists’ promotional tool kit
11.30 - 12.45pm, Saturday
This session looked at the significant role that promoting your work has on your wider career. Good promotion makes getting funding, commissions and exhibitions easier. This talk identified the essential tools that artists need to succeed from artists’ statements and CVs to the importance of an online presence and more.
Understanding networks
1.45 - 2.45pm, Saturday
The term networks and networking can be off-putting to many, but in the arts your relationships with your peers have more bearing on your career than in many other sectors. This talk dispelled many of the myths around networking and gave a clear insight into the practical role that working relationships play in an artist’s career.
Showing your work
3 - 4pm, Saturday
Exhibitions are highly prized opportunities for artists. They give you the chance to promote yourself, sell your work, meet gallerists and other people who can help you move your career forward. But how do you get an exhibition at a gallery and what can you do yourself to make an exhibition happen? This session examined and explored these and other important questions.
Your rights as an artist
4.15 - 5.15, Saturday
In pretty much any professional situation it’s vital for artists to understand their legal rights and what they need to do to protect themselves. This presentation guided the audience through the key issues to consider from contracts to copyright and obligations when operating in the world as a professional arts practitioner.