GOOD PRACTICE

Negotiating your practice

£5.00 GOOD PRACTICE NEGOTIATING YOUR PRACTICE

Edited Gillian Nicol CONTENTS Publisher Louise Wirz Design www.axisgraphicdesign.co.uk Introduction 3 © writers, artists and a-n The Artists Information Company 2006 The Bata-ville project 4 ISBN 0 907730 72 8

Published by Public art and compromise 6 a-n The Artists Information Company Registered in England Company No 1626331 Expectations and responsibilities 8 Registered address First Floor, 7-15 Pink Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne The artist-curator dynamic 9 NE1 5DW UK +44 (0) 191 241 8000 [email protected] Public commission 10 www.a-n.co.uk

Copyright Critical context for practice 12 Individuals may copy this publication for the limited purpose of use in their business or professional Social spaces 13 practice. Organisations wishing to copy or use the publication for multiple purposes should contact the Publisher for permission. Negotiating a better rate of pay 14 a-n The Artists Information Company’s publications and programmes are enabled by artists who form Join a-n 15 our largest stakeholder group, contributing some £340K annually in subscription income, augmented by revenue funds from Arts Council England, and Publications 16 support for specific projects from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Anne Brodie, untitled, glass and white china clay, 2003.

‘Artists and Writers’ in Antarctica is a scheme that is jointly run by Arts Council England and the British Antarctic Survey. Anne Brodie will be one of two resident artists in Antarctica as part of this scheme from December 2006 – February 2007.

“My work usually involves lots of hot glass, film and photography. I’ll be building a small glass furnace at the base and melting some of the waste glass to make small-scale on-site glass installations. Through film, sound recording and photography, I’ll be exploring the movement of ice and light in the Antarctic and looking at its A pdf and text-only version of relationship to glass making and object ownership. There are some all too this publication are available obvious associations between glass and ice and the avoidance of these, along on www.a-n.co.uk with the extreme environment, will form the basic challenges of my trip.” INTRODUCTION

Research within the Future forecast enquiry in 2005/061 revealed that There is, nevertheless, the potential for excitement for the artist when offered the opportunity to operate within artists’ practices are increasingly characterised by self-determination and the ‘broader terrain’ for contemporary visual arts personalisation, the creative friction of working between public services and practice – other people, other conditions and constraints. Gavin Wade talks about creating “meeting private enterprise and through multiple engagements across networks and points as vital collisions of ideas towards new audiences, all whilst pursuing artistic development. unpredictable systems and structures…”. The key factor within this complex and shifting terrain for contemporary practice is the Manoeuvring yourself as an artist in the art world also expectation of negotiation – both in establishing terms of reference as well as within means confronting those prosaic structures through the delivery of a project or art work. Such an attitude is enshrined in The Code of which art is expected to be critiqued and authenticated: Practice for the Visual Arts2, within the principle of ‘Prepare thoroughly’ – that is to say, the art press and academic circles. But as much artists should expect, and allow time to, research all the aspects and conditions of a contemporary art is either ignored completely or given new project or relationship and through discussion, the testing of propositions and scant attention, it often falls to artists themselves to exchange of views, negotiate, and arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement. create a critical framework for their practice. Dominic Thomas highlights the resistance there can be from Wikipedia defines negotiation as: “the process where interested parties resolve artists themselves to “tackling [within their professional disputes, agree upon courses of action, bargain for individual or collective advantage, development] the issue of the actual products of an and/or attempt to craft outcomes which serve their mutual interests”3. The size of the artist’s labours”. And although artists can go some way artists’ community nowadays and the relatively small volume of artistic opportunities to helping themselves – through collective discourse available in which artists can demonstrate or exhibit their work publicly has the effect and peer critique – he urges the commissioners, of discouraging the negotiation process, usually to the detriment of the artist’s agencies, galleries and funders to ‘prepare thoroughly’ livelihood and often to their self-esteem. too, and help in developing “an intelligent critical The texts in Negotiating your practice – the fifth in our Good practice series4 launched environment in which critically engaged practices of all in 2003 – have been selected to indicate the approaches and strategies some artists kinds can flourish”. have taken to define the environment for their individual practices. The underlying Interaction, collaboration and the pursuit of mutuality, feature across them is the proactive role the artist takes in thinking through, defining then, would seem to be the characteristics we should and negotiating each context they are presented with or initiate, to ensure a project espouse when negotiating our practice and the has the best chance of delivering what they want and need for their artistic environment for it. And for some practical ideas, we development. include in this publication some advice from artists’ David Cotterrell describes his journey from a painter who was able to “abandon the adviser and mentor Rod McIntosh on how to politely rewards and temptations of mass-communications” and become one who “found the say ‘no’ to those opportunities that just aren’t equitable, public realm liberating”, albeit with its inherent compromises and multiple agendas. In whilst suggesting some techniques for achieving better effect, compromise is reaching an agreement through communication: a negotiation terms. He acknowledges that “most [artists] feel that can be applied to any and all contexts, public or commercial. As Cotterrell uncomfortable discussing money. But a successful comments: “The potential for corruption of our agendas is in every arena of art negotiation doesn’t only affect the fees you will be production from the international biennales to the collective artists’ open studios, but getting – it will impact on your self esteem and within the public realm the mediation of ideas from the artist’s vision to the practical influence your partners’ perception and value of you”. landscape of clients, contractors, and user groups can be a challenge. Artists must be constantly vigilant to ensure that they attempt to assess the integrity of their own practice.” Bata-ville, that grew from a small-scale commission for Nina Pope into complex collaborative venture alongside Karen Guthrie, enabled the duo to experiment with new kinds social interaction and presentation all at the same time as handling the logistics, raising extra funds and meeting Commissions East’s requirements. They were able to respond to the practical challenges over a two-year period not only through their own experience as a collaborative partnership, but also through their sensitivity to working with a large number of individuals with different needs, concerns and agendas. But whilst notions of ‘artistic autonomy’ may seem to conflict with the agendas of many public funders and enablers, for her situation-specific practice intended for a very broad range of audience, Sarah Cole looks to find “people with a similar ideological belief and artistic ambition [as this] is fundamentally important, as is ensuring that any commissioning organisation understands the co-dynamics between artistic practice and social need, so that one does not become subsumed by the other. Taking about his approach, Graham Fagen raises the issue of ‘professionalism’ and how it can be recognised: “It is about trust in both directions and trust as part of a 1 Future forecast was a year-long enquiry into the future practices and resources for team. Building confidence in each other opens up more and more opportunities. contemporary visual arts practice that resulted in the publications Future space, Whether I am making a show for a private gallery, public institution, museum, out door Social space, Curated space, Outer space and Outcomes and issues. See www.a-n.co.uk/future_forecast for all interviews and the key findings. commission, whatever, I try to keep the same approach. There is a job to do; I work with other people to achieve a result.” 2 The Code of Practice for the Visual Arts, with versions for artists and organisers is freely available on www.a-n.co.uk/code_of_practice Maintaining professional recognition from others is also raised by John Newling, when 3 www.wikipedia.org talking about the potential for a commissioner [or stakeholder] to limit an artist’s 4 The series comprises The Code of Practice for the Visual Arts (versions for artists intervention: “I have always found it unwise to acquiesce to others on aspects of and organisers) 2003, Establishing a charge rate for a working artist, 2004, Good approach and concepts at an initial stage; an artist's ability to influence future practice in paying artists 2004 and Good exhibition practice 2005. negotiations – and potential compromises – hinges on laying down an early marker.” See www.a-n.co.uk/good_practice.

3 THE BATA-VILLE PROJECT NEGOTIATING A LARGE-SCALE PROJECT

Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie have regularly collaborated on projects that draw on their complementary experience and skills in performance, installation, digital media and film. Their unique working relationship allows space for individual projects, as well as support and development of co-authored work. This balance of mutual respect and understanding has enabled them to build up a portfolio of commissioned and self-initiated small- and large-scale work, as well as allowing them to expand their roles as artists to curators, producers and facilitators. They developed www.somewhere.org.uk in 1997, creating an online platform to expand their collaborative ideas and in 2002 developed the ambitious collaborative work TV swansong. This involved commissioning eight artists’ projects including works by Graham Fagen, Jessica Voorsanger, Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich. Broadcasting from Blackpool Ballroom to Sutton on Sea, the project culminated in a live one-day webcast. In 2003, Nina Pope was commissioned by Commissions East to make a temporary site-specific work in East Tilbury for Thurrock Council. On her initial visits, she was struck by the strong presence that Czech shoe company Bata has there, and after further research form about why they wanted to take part in the next discovered that there had been many ‘Bata villages’ not part of the project – the coach trip to Zlín. The final just across Britain but also worldwide. East Tilbury in coach party included ex-Bata staff and residents of the south east of England, and Maryport in the north Maryport and East Tilbury, and a small number of west, were influenced by a 1930s model developed by interested others. Bata in Zlín, South Moravia in the Czech Republic. As the coach trip required a large amount of The original project brief outlined a self-contained organisation and had to be filmed for stage three, Pope project with a limited timescale. Pope had more and Guthrie found Commissions East’s support ambitious ideas in mind. Through her experience in invaluable: “we had a fundraiser/budget manager, working on large-scale self-initiated projects with administrative support and lots more from their staff Guthrie, such as TV swansong, Pope had the team. We then brought in our freelance project confidence to pitch a more ambitious multi-stage manager (employed through Commissions East) as an project that included Guthrie (who lives within travelling additional ‘hands-on’ manager for the last stage. distance of Maryport) as collaborative artist. A co-production agreement was drawn up between Pope was aware that there was a limited budget for the Somewhere, Commissions East and Illumina Digital, the project, and proposed that their organisation media production company commissioned by Pope and Somewhere would help Commissions East to fundraise Guthrie for the coach trip and production of the Bata- for additional costs for the larger project, with ville film. Pope and Guthrie stress the importance of this Somewhere co-managing the project. That Pope could type of contractual arrangement as it means that the back this proposal up with a track record of successful artists and their organisational collaborators’ roles and large-scale innovative projects meant that she was in a responsibilities are clearly defined. strong position to suggest this expansion from the Pope’s principle role as artist in the Travel Agency had original brief. been as installation instigator and performer. The Travel Due to the new need to raise additional funds, Bata-ville Agency event had been orchestrated at set times and was broken down into three stages: the Travel Agency – set days. On the coach trip, Pope and Guthrie were a performance/installation by Pope in East Tilbury ‘performing’ for ten whole days, with no break from during November and December 2003; the Bata-ville their audience/collaborators. They were dressed in Coach Trip to Zlín in September 2004 choreographed by costumes and so were effectively in ‘role’ all the time. Pope and Guthrie and the Bata-ville film of the coach As Pope remarked, “the costumes helped us to inhabit a trip, that was launched in 2005. This three-stage different space. We were like mirror images of each approach allowed the installation/event Travel Agency other and we mirrored each other’s movements. It was in East Tilbury to take place under the original brief, a bit like having a type of armour”. However, in addition whilst fundraising, planning and negotiations continued to the art ‘performathon’ that they undertook, they also with Commissions East for subsequent stages. maintained their organisational roles, not only for the forty-five people, plus crew – project manager, Pope created her Travel Agency installation within the cameraman, sound man, crew assistant and Czech fixer largely disused, East Tilbury factory, recreating a – that were on the coach, but also conducted an overall strange world reminiscent of a 1950s technicolor film directorial approach to the filming which was crucial for set. Residents were encouraged to visit the agency the next stage of the project. during November and December 2003 and contribute to the installation with their own Bata materials. They The final stage of the project was the editing, could watch Bata-related films, and fill in an application production and screening of film documenting the trip

4 Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie, become film crew assistants. What is clear is that its Bata-ville: We are not afraid of success is largely due to the commitment and tenacity the future, film still, 2005. of everyone who became part of it. Bata-ville received funding from Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund, European Cultural Foundation and Thurrock Council, with in-kind support from the Czech Centre.

Jane Watt is an artist and researcher based in London. She is currently Research Associate at the Centre for Research into Creation in the Performing Arts (ResCen) at Middlesex University, Lecturer in Art History and Theory at Roehampton University and commissioned artist for a large- scale permanent site-specific work for Land Securities and Christ’s College, Cambridge.

Pope and Guthrie Since its premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Bata-ville has gone on to screen at SXSW in Texas and many UK cinemas and arts venues. Most recently a Czech-subtitled version has been shown in Zlín and Prague. Since Bata-ville, they have continued to work with film, making a short documentary Lifesize Lilliput as part of the Grizedale Arts project ‘Seven Samurai’, based in the village of Toge in Japan. They are currently editing their second feature length documentary Living with the Tudors, due for release in early 2007. www.somewhere.org.uk www.bata-ville.com from East Tilbury and Maryport to Zlín. This way of working was new for both artists. However, the shift, Edited from a feature published in 2005 on www.a-n.co.uk from a collaborative team of two, to co-producers of a much larger and more complicated process, seems to have taken place fairly naturally. However, they found challenges in their perceived role as artists who are making a film. They wished to distribute the final film to local public screening venues in East Tilbury and Maryport, as well as at film festivals, arts cinemas, and via a television broadcast. In positioning themselves as artists, they found it difficult to tap into the support network for filmmakers in the region. Bata-ville grew into a project that engaged many individuals professionally and personally, it also expanded Pope and Guthrie’s working practices as individual and collaborative artists. They were able to respond to the practical challenges over a two-year period not only through their own experience as a Related resources on www.a-n.co.uk collaborative partnership, but also through their sensitivity to working with a large number of individuals Practical guides: with different needs, concerns and agendas. Budgets – guide from Cultural Enterprise Office Scotland on how to construct and manage a simple budget. The visual arts development agency for the east of England, Commissions East facilitates and supports a Funding applications – guide by Lisa Le Feuvre introducing you range of temporary and permanent visual commissions to the main funding sources with guidelines for winning and projects, including innovative projects conceived funding applications. and developed by artists. It was appointed by Thurrock Going for grants – applying for funding? Ever wondered how Council in 2003 to facilitate a programme of public art the experts do it? A range of experienced artists, curators and commissions as part of Arts Generate – an Arts Council arts professionals share their top tips. England East initiative pioneering new approaches to Setting up an organisation – guide by David Butler and Mike regeneration through arts and creative industries. Franks on legal and management structures for artists’ groups. Commissions East admitted that the prospect of raising Setting up an event – advice from Paul Stone on how to so much money was daunting and there were successfully develop, manage and promote an artist-led challenges in dealing with a patchwork of seven funding event. bodies, each with their own criteria for funding and different application, monitoring and reporting Research: requirements. Future forecast: Social space: dynamics of artists’ practice in Bata-ville is not a typical public art commission; notions the social realm, interviews with Ricardo Basbaum, Kathrin of scale and geographical location are challenged; the Böhm, Chance Projects, Sarah Cole, Robin Deacon, Lorrice usual roles and responsibilities are blurred as the Douglas, Steven Eastwood, Functionsuite, Lubaina Himid, audience become performers, artists become film Hewitt and Jordan, Mark Hutchinson, Richard Layzell, Rebecca directors, and commissioning agents temporarily Reid, André Stitt, Una Walker and Gareth Woollam.

5 PUBLIC ART AND COMPROMISE THE ADVANTAGES AND PITFALLS OF WORKING IN THE PUBLIC REALM

When I elected to study painting at art school, I felt that I was making a practice. The Angel of the North has become a clichéd case study for regeneration and, despite initial press conscious decision to choose autonomy and sole authorship at the expense hostility, is now recognised as an object of desire for of reaching a broader audience. I had mused over a future as a glamorous local councils throughout the UK. Organisations that were underground and alternative have been embraced film-maker or a romantic fine artist. I felt that artists and film-makers had in by the art market and the artificial boundaries between common a desire to provide a commentary on the world they inhabit. public, museum and gallery artwork are increasingly Analysis, narrative and reflection inform a personal and perhaps blurred. idiosyncratic view of their context. So it has all ended happily ever after. Critical discourse chugs along nicely, disciplinary boundaries are As a fledgling painter, I was confident I had made a heroic choice to abandon the appearing ephemeral, ‘new media’ artists, as well as rewards and temptations of mass-communication for the philosophical and intellectual sculptors, are winning public commissions. purity of the garret-based artist. Unfortunately, by 1995, after several years of happy Development agencies are queuing up to project video melancholia, my momentum had begun to falter. The problem came to a head when I onto buildings and local councils are busy fundraising accompanied an Australian artist on a February adventure to the Queen Charlotte to invest in the next transformational artwork to act as a Islands, off the Canadian Pacific coast. Hopelessly naive and ill-equipped, we camped, catalyst for economic growth. Artists are seen as a hitch-hiked, trekked and forded north along the islands through storms, rivers, forests magic ingredient in regenerating our decayed inner and snow. We saw the Northern Lights, suffered frozen boots and experienced cities as vast sums of money are invested in the revamp incredible kindness from strangers as we stumbled across remote survivalists and of Britain’s tired and derelict urban centres. Masterplans hippies. My problem was that confronted with one of the most moving and inspiring are being developed, industrial ruins are being experiences of my life to date, I was ill-equipped to respond. Laden down with fuels converted to art-centres, and art consultants are and waterproofs, I couldn’t physically carry my canvases, oils and brushes with me. working overtime to help developers comply with the For the first time my vocabulary seemed limited and I felt that my language failed me. I requirements of culturally philanthropic clients. In this wrote notes, drew pictures with numbed fingers on scraps of paper, photographed context, it might be reasonable to suppose that the UK’s with 35mm, filmed with Super8 until the cameras succumbed to the cold and I was left civic public realm is now a curated arena representing with my thoughts and memories. Aside from being technically challenged, I realised the best of contemporary art practice. Outstanding that I had not developed the vocabulary or articulacy to respond to the experiences examples do exist of visionary temporary projects and and issues that I felt warranted commentary. seminal permanent works, however, consistently high Returning to Vancouver I had time to contemplate this experience. I resolved to allow standards are not evident, and bland, unchallenging and myself to adopt a more flexible approach and to allow my work to venture beyond the mundane solutions still contribute to the common studio and gallery. I eventually returned to my painting degree having left my paints vocabulary of public art. behind and intending to dictate the nature of my future work by the demands of the So what are the causes for failure? conceptual agendas that I might choose to engage with, rather than my aspirations to There are a number of recurring problems that can fluency within a medium or language. cause the widely varying quality of public art projects. I found the public realm liberating. Perhaps through my own ignorance of this new Clients with limited experience of commissioning art, territory, I felt unrestricted and inventive. I began to see the potential of the public and a small number of art consultants dominating realm as the intermediary between my early competing interests of filmmaking and commissioning opportunities while promoting finite fine art. Public art appeared to have the potential to contribute to a public debate – to stables of well-tried artists both damage the potential reach out from the studio and gallery and to engage with society, while retaining an for innovative, successful work. Clients want the elusive acceptable level of autonomy and independence. It was interesting to me that through prestige, awards and rewards from a successful art my own personal angst-ridden search for a set of tools to facilitate a continuing project but are still essentially nervous about the ability engagement with fine art, I found myself inadvertently wandering into the unfamiliar of artists to deliver. Many significant commission genre of public art. I had seen public art as monumental but my experiments were competitions require artists to submit proposals for increasingly not object-based. Public art had appeared to me and some of my peers as consideration at initial selection stage. While this is a compromised artform, closer to craft than the intellectual explorations of gallery- reasonable on one level as the client is considering a based work. Public art was, in my opinion, compromised by client, funding substantial investment in the artist’s work, the proposal mechanism, conservative media and uncontroversial bland attempts to crowd-please. I process does mean that many public works are defined was in an odd position of being attracted by the liberation, infinite variation and before the artist has had the opportunity to fully explore challenges of the public realm, while having no desire to be classified by the term the project’s context, understand the audience and ‘public art’. A perception (which I think has changed radically since my introduction to develop a first hand response to the site. The difficulty art education) that seemed common, saw public art along with community arts, art is that while local councils and private developers therapy and educational projects as a second tier of art-practice. In my mind, public art frequently want to replicate the success of excellent was frequently distinct from fine art. It involved different practitioners, aside from a few public projects, they are often under great pressure to omnipresent stars, who were unknown to me. There appeared to be a tacit be risk-averse. understanding that public art was frequently not subject to the same rigorous There are dual obligations to ensure that art in the intellectual peer review and criticism as gallery work. Public art was made of steel, public realm is neither an empty gravy train for artists stone and concrete. It was the decorative sculptural distractions on roundabouts, nor a tokenistic exercise for nervous developers. attractive railings, mosaic and glass-brick schools projects and the odd mural. For At times I wonder if I have lost the autonomy I sought those of us who might accidentally find ourselves in receipt of a public art as I entered art education. The temptations of scale, commission, there was a worry that, rather like rugby players who were refused re- financial backing, audience recognition and political admittance to the Union after submitting to the commercial rewards of the League, debate can be associated with public commissions. The public artists might never be allowed to return untainted to the coveted intellectual potential for corruption of our agendas is in every arena laboratory of the gallery. of art production from the international biennales to the Ten years later, the ‘artworld’ (or my perception of it) has moved on and my initial collective artists’ open studios, but within the public snobbery and ignorance has been contradicted many times. Public projects are as realm the mediation of ideas from the artist’s vision to likely to be discussed within specialist art journals as within local papers and the practical landscape of clients, contractors, and user bewildered tabloids. Established artists have successfully retained respect within the groups can be a challenge. Artists must be constantly commercial art market, while undertaking public projects which are integral to their vigilant to ensure that they attempt to assess the

6 integrity of their own practice. In the face of increased arguments that art has a role in the public realm have opportunity and support, artists must exercise been won. The issue now is not to waste the money discretion and rigorously enforce a critical evaluation of and opportunity. Town, city and regional councils now every aspect of their work. Developers, clients, have the potential to act as some the most powerful politicians and planners must refuse to accept patrons of British art. Rather than an apologetic and mediocre, standard and tested cultural components to derivative approach to engaging with this challenge by their schemes. Stock solutions, predictable shortlists understaffed cultural services teams, councils need to and unchallenging briefs should never be the product of accept the responsibility and opportunity which a consultant’s advice. accompanies this cultural role. It is no longer reasonable to be congratulated simply for My short journey from painting to public realm has incorporating artists into design teams for the been fascinating and rewarding. In recent years, I have embedding of artwork within master-planned had the opportunity to begin to view first-hand the developments or for the commissioning of artists to policy formulation and strategic planning that is develop process-based work. The caution necessary to necessitated by development and growth. I feel coax the development community into cultural passionately that artwork has a legitimate role to play investment in the 1980s and 1990s is no longer justified. within the urban environment and that an aspiration to Powerful precedents now exist and cultural investment integrate cultural activity within the fabric of our towns is often cited as a pre-requisite for economic growth. and cities is not only a philanthropic gesture, but is a Pre-Angel of the North, public audiences may have practical and necessary component in creating and sometimes been assumed to be sceptical and media supporting the soul and identity of our urban hostility was expected. Elected members were anxious environments. I believe that whether privately about the possibility of the permanent criticism of commissioned, publicly commissioned, grant-funded, wasting public money and felt ill-equipped or sold to a collector or made independently, artworks can unmotivated to argue the validity of cultural spending. be bland as well as strong. There will always be the The result has often been not an abstinence from potential for mundane, prescriptive work – in this, the commissioning, but an apologetic muting of identity. public realm is no different to the gallery – but the Town centres are offered decorative advertising stands, abundance of new artists working across a range of derivative fountains or decorative railings to prevent media to realise communicative work is making this cyclists abusing footpaths. Art projects, where they harder to justify. There now exist more opportunities exist, are neutralised from criticism by denying the within what was previously perceived as a authorship of an artist. They compensate for their ‘compromised’ arena to construct art work and projects intellectual agendas by serving another simultaneous of an uncompromised nature. The obligation is function. In a way this offers a position of retreat for the collective to facilitate a continuing meaningful role for commissioner to a less contentious endeavour. Mosaic this broad genre. New models of and frameworks for murals, glass bricks and shopping centre entrances commissioning, a questioning and confident artists’ become the new clichés of art practice. Decorative community and a respect for the society which benches, ornamental lamp-standards and the odd up-lit recognises our continued significance, should be building can be explained away by the argument ‘we rewarded with an innovative and intelligent chapter in had to replace the (insert street furniture here) anyway the history of the UK’s public fine art. and this involved local schools’. The problem is that a good schools project could be just as well achieved in David Cotterrell is a London-based artist. He is currently working on relation to a challenging public commission as in projects in Shanghai, Bologna and Amsterdam. David is a Senior Lecturer association with a functional one. The quality of the at Sheffield Hallam University and is represented by Danielle Arnaud educational component and the level of community contemporary art. involvement is not dependent on the genre of artwork but on the combined talents and skills of the school- teachers, arts officers and artists. The quality of the First published on www.a-n.co.uk in Close proximity, September 2005 artwork and its validity for the continual development of the artist’s career on the other hand can be significantly compromised by its necessity to be multifunctional. We don’t ask publishers to choose the weight of paper in Related resources on www.a-n.co.uk their novel to allow for easy levelling of table-legs or a-n Collections: playwrights to write plays which can also be used for management training exercises. The public realm as a Collaborative relationships – explores the mutuality of working legitimate arena for the exploration and advancement of relationships between artists and organisations. culture must facilitate real intellectual searching. The Artists’ profiles – including Dorothy Cross, Simon Faithfull, pluralistic nature of Britain’s artistic community allows Hayley Newman and Yinka Shonibare. for diversity, sensitivity, engagement and stimulation within public projects. Practical guides: Billions of pounds are currently being invested in Commission agreements – checklist covering many issues attempts to redress some of the failures in the urban relevant to small-scale private and public art commissions fabric of our post-industrial conurbations, the shortage Insurance – helps you to weigh up the risks to your work and of housing and the renewal of decaying infrastructure. practice. The dedication of individual consultants, planners, artists and community groups has resulted in a situation Toolkits: where art and culture will be included in some of the The artist’s development toolkit – includes opportunities to economic plans tabled and consolidated over the next review your artistic and contextual needs as part of a few years. In a sense, although not universally personalised development plan welcomed or adopted, many of the pre-requisite

7 EXPECTATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES APPROACHING A PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Whether selling, exhibiting, in residence or commissioned, the artist is working with others, and most of the time these will be specialists in their own area. Understanding what each expects of the other will be critical to the success of the project. Graham Fagen begins all these encounters with sessions that allow for “knocking preconceptions on the head”. “The Artistic Records Committee of the Imperial War Museum asked me if I would be interested in going to Kosovo. We then had a meeting to discuss what they wanted and what I thought I could offer. They don’t advertise for these sorts of things. I had just had an exhibition at the ICA in London and I think they thought that my approach to my subject matter (at the ICA I made a documentary about contemporary living called “Nothank”) could be translated to a situation like Kosovo.” “I think that the opportunity to be in a unique situation – being with the British military, having the kind of access that journalists don’t get – is one of the reasons I took the Imperial War Museum commission. I was also intrigued by the situation in Kosovo. Through my work I deal with things I call ‘cultural formers.’ So it was a unique opportunity to learn from conflict, to learn from a destroyed culture.” “I think the way I work as an artist helped me learn from and deal with the potential difficulties with the commission. Whether I am making a show for a private gallery, public institution, museum, out door commission, whatever, I try to keep the same approach. There is a job to do; I work with other people to achieve a result. I need professional regard from all the people I'm working with to make the job work. Professionalism is about trust in both directions and trust as part of a team. Building confidence in each other opens up more and more opportunities.” Graham Fagen’s work encompasses exhibitions, commissions and socially- “The starting point is knowing how you function as an Graham Fagen, Where the Heart Is (Hybrid Tea Rose #1), engaged practice. 'Killing Time', a commissioned collaboration between artist, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, bronze (detail), 2002. Fagen and Graham Eatough, director of Suspect Culture theatre company, knowing how you can do the job - how what you do Photo: Alan Dimmick is at Dundee Contemporary Arts until 5 November 2006. Solo show 'closer' can make sense of a particular context. If I had not had is at doggerfisher gallery, Edinburgh until 2 December 2006. a strong understanding of my practice I think I could www.suspectculture.com/newsletter/index.html#article01. have floundered with this commission. The subject www.doggerfisher.com area is huge and could be overwhelming. My ‘professional’ approach kept my feet on the ground and my head focused.” First published on www.a-n.co.uk April 2003 “It took me some time to get Kosovo out of my system. The commission was at the forefront of all my thinking for about a year and a bit. My show at the Fruitmarket in Edinburgh in 2002 saw me get rid of it. But the subject matter and of course the experience of the commission help inform what I do now. Strange things happen with your subject matter and how you represent it. ‘Theatre’ – the exhibition, which was the result of the Imperial War Museum commission - is Related resources on www.a-n.co.uk slightly aggressive. With my video work for the Scottish Pavilion for Venice in 2003, Life Study (after Good practice publications: Giorgione), I guess it’s about life and I've surprised The Code of Practice for the Visual Arts – sets out, in versions myself by how violent the work is.” for artists and for organisations, the principles that underpin good practice, illuminated by real-life experiences.

Practical guides: Proposals – guide by Judith Winter on how to develop proposals for a number of settings.

8 THE ARTIST-CURATOR DYNAMIC EXPANDING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL

I suppose I find the idea of being an artist-curator Gavin Wade, artist-curator and Research Fellow in Curating at the to be normal. Rather than being a strange hybrid University of Central England. Current projects include: ‘Support Structure Phase 1-6’, 2003-6, with architect Celine Condorelli it is a necessary expanding of the responsibilities (www.supportstructure.org); ‘Strategic Questions’, 2002-2007 of the creative individual. In one sense involving (www.strategicquestions.org); Public Structures at GuangZhou Triennial, GuangZhou and Creek Art Centre, Shanghai, China, Nov 2005; and curatorial systems within your practice as an ‘ArtSheffield05: Spectator T’ (www.artsheffield.org). artist allows you control over a larger terrain, which in turn allows you to choose to lose control First published on www.a-n.co.uk in Future forecast: Curated space within a larger terrain. November 2005 I approach working with other artists in an organic and open manner. If I am interested in their processes I will approach them to find out more and this may lead to a project together. My role within that project Future forecast: Curated space is whatever is required or desired by myself or the cover curated by Gavin Wade; other artist(s). I see these meeting points as vital a selection of images created collisions of ideas towards new unpredictable for Art Sheffield 05: Spectator T. Clockwise from top: Juneau systems and structures, which I call art. I see the role Projects, Laureana Toledo, of the artist-curator as producer, supporter, Designers Republic, Bedwyr collaborator, interrogator, interruptor and meddler in Williams, Simon & Tom Bloor. all things. The artist-curator is a position of questioning, able to choose authorial positions and choose or be chosen as collaborator towards all manner of ends. I guess then I see my position as aspiring towards that of a comprehensivist and take the long-term outlook of hoping to learn a whole lot more than I currently do in order that I can put theory into practice and meddle a whole lot more. I consider myself a professional curator. There may be some distinctions some of the time but probably not all of the time. I began to think of methodological approaches that I would not take such as chronological, interpretative, thematic or retrospective but actually they all sounded like they would be quite useful from time to time! I would be happy to curate a monographic show at the same time as collaborating with artists around the world in various sites developing artworks as publications to solve all the world’s problems. I don’t really see them as being exclusive. I would approach any project with my well-developed impulsive, idiosyncratic and intuitive processes in full flow but perhaps I am able to pursue these further than any institutional curator because it is clear that I represent myself and those that I work with whereas the institutional curator’s identity is prone to being suppressed. In my sphere of thinking many ‘external’ forces – such as funding criteria, social agendas, audience Related resources on development – exist on the inside of the sphere as www.a-n.co.uk ‘big’ ideas that are not really focused on but are a-n Collections: known, although I’m sure that some of them exist Ten two zero zero five – explores modes for dissemination of outside of the sphere as ‘small’ ideas that are too contemporary practice, essays by William Davies, Maria insignificant to include in any thinking process. Not Fusco, Adam Sutherland, Sally O’Reilly, Sacha Craddock and very many find themselves on the active shell of the Rob Wilson. sphere as they are too generalised and obvious. I The dream that kicks – explores, through action and exchange don’t see any of them being an impediment really, amongst the writers, notions and tensions within they just exist and sometimes they are useful for how transdisciplinary practice, with contributions from Clare to frame a project and sometimes they are not. Some Cumberlidge, Craig Martin, Jane Rendell, Kathy Slade and very positive funding criteria encourage good Andrew Dodds. practice, for example the late RSA Art for Architecture Award, which I was a recipient of, led me to collaborate with a very interesting architect, Celine Research: Condorelli. I have now been working with her for Future forecast: Curated space – interviews with Janine Al-Ani, more than two years. None of the work we have made David A Bailey, Anne Bean, Centre of Attention, Shezad together dwells on the funding process but rather on Dawood, Jeremy Deller, Rachel Garfield, Anthony Howell, other contexts and problems that we choose as sites Louise Short, Erika Tan, Simon Tegala, Gavin Wade and Mark of potential. Wilsher.

9 PUBLIC COMMISSION REALISING A MAJOR PUBLIC ART WORK

In terms of the original brief, Birmingham City Council had stipulated that a The model was presented to the commissioning panel and the architects took forward the process of obtaining new building for the Birmingham Mail Centre had to include an art feature planning permission from Birmingham City Council. that would be accessible to the public at all times. The work was to be jointly Obtaining planning permission from any local authority can be problematic; in this case a proposal to position a funded by Royal Mail and Enterprise PLC, and the commission managed by large structure containing a digital screen near to an Public Art Commissions Agency (PACA). As well as a commissioned artist, the expressway and in full view of nearby communities was process would involve the architects PCPT, Birmingham city planning always going to be a challenge. Nevertheless, representatives of the planning department came to a department and engineers and fabricators. presentation I gave and were helpful in negotiating In July 98 PACA sent me information on the commission, asking if I wanted to be through the process. For example, a condition considered for the project. Once shortlisted, I made the first of several site visits, stipulated by the council was that Royal Mail was not meeting with Alison Deely (appointed by PACA as Project Manager for the allowed to advertise its services via my project. This commission). Designed as a major sorting centre for Royal Mail, the building, had yet was both a useful safeguard and valuable to me as an to make its function manifest. Whilst satisfying in its proportions and detailing – a huge artist, as it gave me some protection to the way low-lying silver shed located adjacent to the A34 Newton Row – I started to think about Aperture could be used subsequently, given that my what would actually be happening inside: this silver machine would house people intention was that the workers and processes within the performing functions about which I knew little at that stage. building would generate much of the text over a twenty- year period. I devised a proposal in which I sought to respond both to the building and the processes happening within it. I wanted a project that had the artwork as a conduit More problematic was a disturbing disclosure made at between the building, its function and the public passing by. My original proposal was this point, when it was discovered that the building was peppered with short statements that indicated my initial ideas: “The letter-box not owned by Royal Mail but only leased from a functions as a dominant channel to link us to the greater world outside. It is a reminder company called Hermes, who had not been represented of our ‘Being in the world with others’. It is a conduit between the private and the at any of the meetings. Hermes were understandably public. As with all things as familiar as the letter-box we tend not to recognise the concerned that their investment building was about to almost miraculous process that feeds the aperture. The hole in the wall can be a place be punctuated by a giant letterbox and immediately where the hidden becomes visible and the private coalesces with the public,” and placed a condition on the project that any work that “Acknowledging this continuous process of sorting and distributing items of mail is intervened with their building must be seen to “add part of the function of the proposed project. It makes visible the unseen and perhaps value”. At this point everything could have been unacknowledged work that takes place in order for me and many others to enjoy the abandoned. However, in the subsequent meeting morning ritual of post landing on the floor”. Hermes was enthusiastic and gave its backing to the project. Such moments are typical in the evolution of The artwork was to be a mechanical letterbox, six-metres long and nearly two-metres any large project. One of the skills involved in high, which would open twice at pre-set times during a twenty-four-hour period, at negotiating and mediating difficult works in the public pre-set times, to reveal an illuminated display of statistics and information about Royal domain is being able to present a clear view of the Mail’s activities within the building (eg the night shift has sorted ‘x’ thousand letters). proposal. Over a year after the first meeting a contract Although Aperture was to have a physical presence, it would also essentially act as a was finally written, agreed and signed. With contracts conduit, carrying text from the inside to the outside of the building. The large digital signed, work could proceed with technical engineering screen would have a computer dedicated to generating the text. My proposal would drawings: putting the construction and concepts of the allow for the people working within to contribute to the forming of the text. project into technical language. Here we discovered Shortlisted artists were invited to make presentations of their proposals in late July 98, that the full weight of building regulations were to be with representatives for Royal Mail, PACA and the architects present. Each of these applied to the artwork. The project was subjected to people brought different expertise, all of which would prove necessary. I knew from exactly the same scrutiny as the building itself. having attended many such meetings in the past that they require clarity from the Communication became difficult. Every step forward artist. I explained the background and my approach to the commission, was extremely slow. Sheetfabs displayed enormous communicating the over-arching structure of my thoughts so that the conceptual patience as did other agencies involved. Many meetings framework could be understood. In my experience panels are pre-disposed to listen were held and a huge amount of paperwork generated. with imagination if they are given an outline of the possible outcomes. Each panel It is important for the artist – as well as the other parties member needs to feel included and needs to know from the outset what the real involved – to remember that a project can simply fall possibilities can be, so honesty is essential. through at any stage. Aperture nearly reached this point I have always found it unwise to acquiesce to others on aspects of approach and numerous times. One negotiation was followed by concepts at this initial stage; an artist’s ability to influence future negotiations – and another, and whilst each meeting could be dealt with on potential compromises – hinges on laying down an early marker. It is not the time to an individual basis, it was essential that everyone negotiate fine detail, but to open discussions which will lead to the realisation of the understood that if the cumulative distortion of project at a later date. negotiations resulted in a work that no longer The presentation resulted in an invitation to engage on the project and to submit more resembled my proposal then I would withdraw. The real detailed specifications of the work and how it would be constructed. This immediately problem, as always, was that within a multi-million increased the number of people involved in the project. Aperture needed to be made pound building the art project is a tiny element. Very by a company which had mechanical and electrical expertise. Sheetfabs was able to busy people could not, understandably, make this single supply both which led after many discussions to my ideas being realised in a fully element their first priority. Patience during the six working model – invaluable both in communicating the overall idea and refining the months before fabrication could begin was a necessary form and construction. virtue. When Aperture (literally) opened, the fixation with building regulations and the technical specs of the maintenance platform will have been resolved and replaced with the experience of the artwork itself. Whilst Royal Mail has editorial control of what appears, it is proposed that I have regular – even bi-monthly – editorial meetings to define future content. Over the

10 years this may include: workers within the building being able to go to a dedicated computer within an office and type in their own messages; statistics from the huge counter and logging systems being randomly displayed; text poetry by Yates and Elliot; the creation of a methodology that facilitates local community access (thereby reversing the usual flow of the aperture). A project like this means working alongside a large number of people. Sometimes this can be difficult. It has often meant working with people who have great skill in processes that are rarely used for the making of art. I have found that my enthusiasm for my own artwork is matched by the enthusiasm I feel on discovering how something is done. This proved to be the case with Aperture.

John Newling is an artist and writer and is currently Professor of Installation Art at Nottingham Trent University. Current projects include 'A Sacred Laboratory' for Polish Museum of Contemporary Art, 'Preston Market Mystery' for Here and Now, and 'Uncertainty' for Grace Cathedral, San Francisco.

First published in a-n Magazine December 2000 and on www.a-n.co.uk

Related resources on www.a-n.co.uk Practical guides: John Newling, Aperture, commissioned by PACA on behalf of Post Agreeing a contract – outlines issues and practicalities of Office Holdings and the Developers PLC. negotiating contractual arrangements. Commission agreements – checklist covering many issues relevant to small-scale private and public art commissions. What is a contract? – describes conditions for a legally- binding agreement between two or more people.

Toolkits: The artist’s contracts toolkit – an introduction to the contractual process, enabling artists to assess contracts and build their own.

11 CRITICAL CONTEXTS FOR PRACTICE THE IMPORTANCE OF A CRITICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ARTISTS’ PRACTICE

For artists whose work strives to be critically specific. It may involve live or performative elements and more often than not, direct interaction with engaged with ideas and issues beyond the four audiences. The fact that these practices often fall into walls of the studio, what does it mean to place the categories of community or public art, with their one’s practice in a critical context? Is it necessary attendant negative connotations, goes someway to explain their critical invisibility. that one’s work be subject to external critical Many artists working in this way survive and even responses? And for artists whose work, for flourish almost entirely independently of the gallery whatever reason, falls outside the primary system, through a particular market niche. Though many have criticised the Government’s (and in turn Arts channels of critical engagement what, if any, are Council England’s) insistence that audiences and social the alternatives? benefit should be at the core of arts funding, these changes in funding policy have given many artists Much has been made of the apparent increase in working in the area of expanded practice the column inches and airtime being given to new art since opportunity to develop work which, social agendas the early 1990s. Most of this was driven, of course, by aside, is genuinely exploring new territory. The fact that the fortuitous combination of Blair’s Cool Britannia, the so little of this kind of work receives critical yBas phenomenon, Tate Modern and the Turner Prize, acknowledgement just goes to show how much art not to mention some well paid PR companies. But, as criticism in this country is still principally dependent on Patricia Bickers pointed out in an editorial (in 2005) in the market-led gallery sector. Art Monthly, the almost universal glee with which the media greeted the destruction of many yBa-generation So where else can artists turn for critical support? The works in the Momart warehouse fire showed that idea of professional development has taken off in the although coverage may have increased, the story – last few years with organisations, schemes, funding and personality/celebrity, titillation and manufactured support coming from many different quarters; Arts outrage – remains the same. Regardless of the level of Matrix and the ALIAS (Artist Led Initiatives Advisory engagement, which is, with a few exceptions, generally Scheme) in South West England, the national APD negligible, the number of artists whose work is Network, plus many other local and regional schemes, discussed at all in the mainstream media is rarely more not to mention a-n’s own contribution to this area than can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The through the NAN initiative. Whilst accepting that there is fact that it seems almost perverse to imagine that the a need for artists to develop their skills and knowledge media could provide any kind of critical support for in relation to career development, many of these contemporary visual art is a sign of how deep rooted schemes seem unable or unwilling to tackle the issue of the anti-intellectual and anti-art culture is in this country. the actual products of an artist’s labours. Questions about what, why and for whom, are often strangely So what of the dedicated art press? Does it provide a absent. There’s no denying these are complex critical context for artists? Well, yes and no. There are a questions, involving many different issues like artists’ number of fine publications whose editors and writers intentions, presentation, contexts, audiences and strive to engage with contemporary practice and who markets, not to mention the history of art. But without seek to develop contextual frameworks for the confronting these issues how can artists expect their production and distribution of new art. For many artists work, as opposed to their career, to develop? working on the periphery, critical journals and art magazines do provide a basis for critical context. These Of course the tried and tested route that many artists publications can be vital not least in providing access to now follow when faced with a lack of opportunity or a wider variety of work than the geographically isolated support is to make their own. As your professional artist might otherwise encounter. Also, through a kind development officer will tell you, the days of sitting in of parallel reading of the ideas and issues raised your studio waiting to be discovered are now, if they elsewhere, one can construct a virtual or surrogate ever existed, definitely over. The mode l of the artist-led context in which to test one’s own practice. But the initiative is now a given. Don’t have a place to work? tendency of these publications to focus on the same Then set up your own studio group. No gallery to show familiar players with occasional forays out to lesser- in? Find an empty warehouse or shop and start your known but generally well publicised ‘provincial’ events, own. No commissioning opportunities? Put in an still leaves whole swathes of artistic activity application to an arts council and commission yourself. unaccounted for in published art writing. It is a model I continue to happily subscribe to myself, and one that has reaped many rewards. But if artists are It is obvious that if your work does not appear in venues working in a critical vacuum can they simply create their frequented by critics and writers, it is unlikely to be own critical contexts? written about. But does this mean all the work of artists on the cultural or geographical periphery is doomed to The avoidance of the core subject is not confined to be critically provincial and irrelevant? funders and professional development schemes. In my experience, artists themselves can be equally prone to There are the simple economics of supply and demand this kind of selective amnesia. Often amongst artists that will guarantee that the majority of practising artists groups and networks I have found a reticence about will not feature within the pages of the art press. But raising issues relating directly to members’ work. A kind there is a particular body of artists whose work remains of unspoken rule which, in the interests of support and almost entirely invisible in terms of critical responses, solidarity, goes either, ‘I won’t say anything difficult even though in many other ways they can view their about your work if you don’t say anything difficult about practice as successful through winning commissions, mine’ or alternatively, ‘We are all professionals here, we exhibiting in public galleries and working internationally. know what we are doing, what is there to talk about?’ I’m talking here about artists who have developed an The biggest problem with avoiding this subject is that, expanded practice, whose work is usually project- or through a lack of practice, artists do not acquire the process-based and often site-, context- and/or time-

12 SOCIAL SPACES EXAMINING STRUCTURES FOR WORK IN COMPLEX SITUATIONS

skills necessary to talk about their own and others’ My work is situation specific, depending on where and/or with whom I am work. It should be pointed out that explaining or justifying your work through critical dialogue is not the working. I am motivated by wanting to examine the areas of friction, same as writing a statement that uses the correct pleasure, conceit and conformity that social spaces have to offer. How do we terminology and name checks the right behave, why do we behave, and should we behave? artists/curators/cultural theorists. There are artists, groups and networks who are tackling I mostly work to commission – working in complex social situations demands a well- these issues. Although not a new one, the model of the structured support system and an emphasis on process, if there is to be a responsive, peer critique is an idea that seems to be gaining favour. responsible and critically ambitious product. My process could be considered a form These monthly events expect a certain level of of psychosocial archaeology. Work is mostly presented in the space in which it is made commitment from participants who have to actively with the people who helped to make it, such as in a prison, hospital, launderette, youth attend a given number of sessions and give a centre, schools, leisure centres, toilets in a nightclub. presentation of some aspect of their own practice. My audience is participant, collaborator, agitator, spectator, viewer, critic, subject, victim New artist-initiated activities like these may begin to go and conspirator. Each situation offers a new model of co-authorship, and makes me some way toward filling the critical vacuum that exists evaluate my own integrity as an artist and facilitator. The work is mostly disseminated for many artists, but this alone is unlikely to affect the through a public event or screening, a small (free) publication and via lectures, talks to larger national picture. It must also be the responsibility other groups and students. I am not overly interested in the work’s validation within the of those promoters, commissioner, funders and artistic community – if it is able to stand up to scrutiny by a non-art going public then that commentators, whose job it is to support the arts, to is my intention and reward. ask themselves what they can do to help develop an Networks are essential but I have never negotiated them consciously or with intelligent critical environment in which critically deliberation. I meet people in a wide range of places, not necessarily within the engaged practices of all kinds can flourish. conventional circuits of the art world, and the potential for collaboration may initially be sparked by something as simple as a shared sense of humour. Finding people with a similar ideological belief and artistic ambition is fundamentally important, as is Dominic Thomas is an artist looking for a context. He is currently artist in ensuring that any commissioning organisation understands the co-dynamics between residence on a compost heap in Gloucestershire. www.mundusloci.org artistic practice and social need, so that one does not become subsumed by the other. Edited from a feature in Quo vadis www.a-n.co.uk/quo_vadis

Sarah Cole is currently exploring the Lie of the Land at a Basildon primary school. She also lectures on social First published in a-n Magazine February 2005 context at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London.

First published in Future forecast: Social space August 2005 and on www.a-n.co.uk

Related resources on www.a-n.co.uk Related resources on www.a-n.co.uk Networking: a-n Collections: Artists’ networks listings – continually updated listing of a Shifting practice – focused on artist-led initiatives includes writing by Ruth Claxton, Springhill diverse range of artists’ networks and organisations across the Institute, Deborah Jackson, Peter Suchin and Susannah Thompson. UK. Practical guides: a-n Collections: Working with people – Rosemary Shirley’s guide for new artists wanting to gain experience and Reflections on networking – collation of evidence and develop their practice through community, outreach and educational projects. feedback from artists on the NAN initiative includes contributions from Stephen Beddoe, Catherine Bertola, Chris Research: Brown, Juliana Capes, Tony Charles, Graham Dolphin, Christine Future forecast: Social space: dynamics of practice in the social realm, interviews with Ricardo Duff, Michael Forbes, Mark Gubb, Kwong Lee, Aaron Basbaum, Kathrin Böhm, Chance Projects, Sarah Cole, Robin Deacon, Lorrice Douglas, Steven McCloskey, Guyan Porter, Marjolaine Ryley, Louise Short, Eastwood, Functionsuite, Lubaina Himid, Hewitt and Jordan, Mark Hutchinson, Richard Layzell, Susannah Silver, Emilia Telese, Hilary Thorn, Jonathan Waring, Rebecca Reid, André Stitt, Una Walker and Gareth Woollam. Miranda Whall, Caroline Wright and Alison Unsworth.

Toolkits: The artist’s development toolkit – includes opportunities to review your artistic and contextual needs as part of a personalised development plan.

13 NEGOTIATING A BETTER RATE OF PAY

Getting paid a fair fee is not suggestive of a revolution. So why does it Value for money sometimes incur resistance, both from those who pay and from ourselves? A further motivating force for you in making a case for a Working towards asking a higher fee should not curtail, but encourage you. higher fee is to appreciate and value what your worth is. This can come from a close examination of self. It may require some changes to your thinking and doing (behaviour). Indeed Alongside knowing and positioning amongst peers and this uncertainty might be fearful. But the returns outweigh the inertia. This colleagues. Undertaking a skills audit on a regular basis is good practice. It assesses your current position, provides some ideas towards supporting this change and getting paid what identifies your strengths and weaknesses and provides you want and indeed deserve. It is simple. It is knowing you are worth it, and a framework to look at developmental needs. From asking for it. doing so grows confidence. Recognise what you have in your tool kit, from past experiences and acquired wisdom, in addition to what is required. Something is better than nothing To start with, look at: The artist’s career path often goes along the route of: working voluntarily to then • number of years experience becoming an intern, to getting paid something (for all the hard work that you do), • number of projects worked on, exhibitions, through to at some point asking for a fee. You have been gracious in accepting some residencies, commissions money, any money, for your time and labour. Hoping you would not lose the job to • number of groups worked with, types of groups another willing to work for less. Although in other professions unions tend to advise members on rates of pay, most UK artists must take on this responsibility for Next, list your hard skills: the ones that you have themselves. However with a-n’s framework for artists’ fees and payments you are learned through training, or have picked up on the job. provided with the resources to champion your rights. You are worth every penny. It is They are skills that you can demonstrate. For example; their responsibility to find the money to pay you if they want you. Not yours to plaster casting, teaching life drawing, word processing, subsidise them from a loss of earnings. budgeting and planning. Lastly, identify your softer skills or qualities. These are ones you are less likely to be able to qualify with formal Your rates learning. They are an invaluable asset to you and It is critical to any business (large or small) to understand the bottom line costs of implied through CVs or supporting letters. Name and running that business. It is the same for you. What are your fixed costs and claim them. Such as facilitation skills, listening, expenditures and what is the minimum required to meet these outgoings? responsive to needs, flexibility. Knowledge of your expenses incurred day-to-day will give you a base line cost of your Whilst looking at this recognise the transfer of skills time and services. Once known it is possible to see where you are not valuing yourself from previous or parallel professions and other aspects at a break-even rate. Establishing a Charge Rate for a Working Artist and the of your life where appropriate. Sum up your skills and accompanying interactive The artist’s fees toolkit clearly explain and provide a calculus experiences in short statements. Do not story-tell. In for this. marketing terms it begins to define what differentiates There are many costs for you in ignoring this financial detail. Knowing a daily charge you – your Unique Selling Point (USP). In this instance it rate and what you need on a monthly and annual basis, to pay your bills and eat, can qualifies your cost with value for money. often be a sharp awakening. And a strong driving force to encourage you to seek more work or ask for more money from the jobs you have. Saying no An experience of raising your fees is going to be saying Is it worth it? ‘no’ to previously agreeable rates of pay. What might be You may have worked and will continue to work for less than you are worth, seeing the preventing you from saying ‘no’ is fear: other benefits as adding value on top of the fees or expenses: • Fear of losing that income • To gain experience • Fear of not being asked for work again • To work for that particular profiled organisation • Fear of getting a bad reputation • To network and make contacts • Fear of annoying the contact asking you to work • To see what more work it can bring The list of reasons indeed can go on! But they are fears A time does come around to stop this. The indefinite ability to accept work for less and not necessarily the truth. Saying no and surviving than what your costs are will do two things: gets easier with practice. Qualifying your rejection with a reason has multiple outcomes and vanquishes several 1. You will lose money, unless you are subsidising your art practice and career with of your fears. other income/jobs. • Saying ‘no’ to the rate of pay and not the work. If you 2. You run the risk of undermining yourself and your profession. communicate that it is the fee you are not happy Surely the message it sends to yourself and your partners in accepting work for less accepting, there is opportunity to negotiate. You are pay is that you are worth exactly that and no more. not saying an outright ‘no’ to the work: they can see you are interested but not at the level of remuneration offered. • Saying ‘no’ to the rate of pay and not the person. You are not rejecting the contact offering the opportunity, therefore keeping this relationship open and professional. When you say no to something you do not want to do, you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself and your own importance.

14 Don’t ask, don’t get Related resources on www.a-n.co.uk The opportunities you seek or partners you work with tend not to be mind readers and do not know the price you have in mind. Think about it. Ask for it; manage the discussion Good practice publications: and your response. Establishing a charge rate for a working artist – practical • Appreciate you are worth more than you are currently being paid, and why. framework for artists to calculate freelance rates of pay based on comparator professions, taking into account their specific • Decide your new fee. overheads and experience level. • Acknowledge your lowest acceptable rate. Good practice in paying artists – aimed at employers, includes • Ask what their ability to pay is (mindful that they might tell you a mid-range figure and sample fees, job description and person spec for community not the limit). based projects and FAQs. • Ask them to qualify what they feel your skills and experiences are worth, relative to the opportunity. Practical guides: • Pitch your new fee and await an answer. Gallery, dealer and agent checklists – addresses issues that can arise when artists enter an arrangement with a private • Do not price yourself out of the market. gallery. • Emphasise your skills and experiences. Quality on a budget – Rod McIntosh explains how to cut costs • Be prepared to negotiate. Careful not to backtrack to accept what you initially said ‘no’ to. without reducing quality. Asking for what you want does not guarantee that you will get it, but you are more likely Planning – Libby Anson’s guide suggests progressive to than if you do not ask. processes for planning your career, developing your business and managing individual projects. Asserting yourself Toolkits: Take time to plan your negotiations. Go armed with facts and clear statements. You will The artist’s development toolkit – self-reflective material for stand a better chance of success if you make your case thoughtfully and confidently. Be artists at all career stages and for art and design students, an equal. Make your request or state your position in a manner that is friendly not enables them to review their position and explore ways of confrontational. developing themselves and their practice. • Be specific. This involves deciding exactly what it is you want and communicating this. The artist’s fees toolkit – practical framework based on the It is important to be as simple and brief as possible. Establishing a charge rate for a working artist publication, • Do your research. Know your worth at the market value and what other like demonstrates how artists can calculate their own rates of pay opportunities are paying. See a-n’s Opportunities section to contextualise yourself. against comparator professionals, their specific freelance • Use a-n’s Establishing a charge rate for a working artist or The artist’s fees toolkit – costs and their experience level. and review your charges annually to ensure they don’t slip behind. • Draw comparisons to the salaries and skills and responsibilities of like professions. When appropriate, the daily rate for a plumber might cloud judgement for your case. • Define yourself to them within their frame of reference and value system. JOIN • Assert and own your experiences. But tread the line of justifying too early. • Demonstrate your expertise and mastery of your art practice. Tell of awards, exhibitions Through advocacy and information and from the or projects of outstanding achievement and your unique role in facilitating the success. perspective of artists, a-n’s mission is to • Answer for them why they want you, and should pay you more. Create the desire stimulate and support contemporary visual arts from what you are telling them about yourself and the quality of your work. practice and affirm the value of artists in society. Outstanding work does not go unnoticed. a-n’s publications, resources and programmes are Negotiating a win:win outcome relevant to practising artists, art and design students, arts employers, trainers, advisers, cultural planners and If your requests initially get refused, do not threaten to leave or have an adverse reaction, all others whose work interfaces with contemporary it is unprofessional. There may be a further workable compromise worth exploring. Head artists and their practice. for a ‘win:win’ result. One person does not need to win or lose if you negotiate from an equal position and take both needs into consideration. Each person should get enough • Artist subscription with AIR membership – of what they want in order to give up something without feeling resentful. practising artists only, special benefits including interaction with artists and personalised Options to negotiate with are: information, plus cash benefits. UK £30 An incremental increase in your fee over a set period of time. (£28 Direct debit), Europe £38/€55 Overseas £51; • Pro-rata – what can they buy of your time with the money available? • Individual subscription – arts professionals • Barter – what value of services or facilities can they provide or procure for you at no including independent curators, project organisers cost? and consultants. UK £42 (£40 Direct Debit) Europe • Manage the budget. Review costs elsewhere to release money available for fees. £48/€69 Overseas £60; Most people feel uncomfortable discussing money. But a successful negotiation does not • Organisation subscription – arts organisations, only affect the fees you will be getting – it will impact on your self esteem and influence galleries, agencies, information services, libraries. your partners’ perception and value of you. Good luck. UK, Europe, Overseas £60. Artists and individuals can subscribe immediately on Rod McIntosh is an artist consultant currently working with Commissions East and the University of Hertfordshire. www.a-n.co.uk or contact [email protected] +44 (0) 191 241 8000 28-day password enabling access to all resources only £5 online. First published on www.a-n.co.uk 2005 Prices valid until October 2007.

15 PUBLICATIONS a-n Collections KNOWLEDGE BANK PUBLICATIONS Ongoing series of anthologies selected from the a-n Also available on www.a-n.co.uk archives and new themed texts examining the ‘why, what Unique to www.a-n.co.uk and how’ of artists’ practice. a-n Magazine Artist’s toolkits Monthly UK exhibition and projects previews and reviews, • Collaborative relationships – Edited Rohini Malik Innovative interactive resources, supported by Arts Comment, News, Networking features and listings, Okon,interviews with Juan delGado, Keiko Mukaide, Council England, researched and written by experts, Opportunities, What’s on and Directory. Faisal Abdu’Allah, Alia Syed, Mah Rana and Johannes designed to improve artists’ professional skills and Phokela. working relationships. Code of practice for the visual arts Researched and compiled by arts consultant Lee Corner, • Shifting practice – Edited John Beagles and Paul Stone, • The artist’s contracts toolkit – written by solicitor Nicholas sets out, in versions for artists and for organisations, the focused on artist-led initiatives includes writing by Sharp and arts consultant Sheena Etches, intended to principles that underpin good practice, illuminated by the Ruth Claxton, Springhill Institute, Deborah Jackson, create a thinking and learning process around professional real-life experiences. Supported by Arts Council England. Peter Suchin and Susannah Thompson. arrangements including commissions, exhibiting, licencing reproductions, residencies and selling. Establishing a charge rate for a working artist • Ten two zero zero five – Edited Deborah Smith, explores Written by chartered accountant Richard Murphy and modes for dissemination of contemporary practice, • The artist’s development toolkit – written by arts and annually updated, offers a practical framework for artists essays by William Davies, Maria Fusco, Adam education consultant Linda Ball, this self-reflective to calculate freelance rates of pay based on comparator Sutherland, Sally O’Reilly, Sacha Craddock and Rob material for artists at all career stages and for art and professions, taking into account their specific overheads Wilson. design students, enables them to review their position and and experience level. Supported by Arts Council England. explore ways of developing themselves and their practice. • Beyond the UK Good practice in paying artists Edited Chris Brown, addresses notions of being an • The artist’s fees toolkit – written by chartered accountant Digest of research, advice and practical resources around international artist includes Neeta Madahar, Graham Richard Murphy, this practical framework is based on the artists’ fees. Includes texts by Susan Baines (University of Parker, Alan Rogers, Graham Taylor, Jen Southern and Establishing a charge rate for a working artist publication Newcastle) and Richard Murphy plus sample fees, job Jen Hamilton, Joanne Lee and Paul Glinkowski. and demonstrates how artists can calculate their own description and person spec for community-based rates of pay against comparator professionals, their projects and FAQs, featuring collaborative duo Neil • Perspectives on practice – Edited Tom Burtonwood, specific freelance costs and their experience level. Bromwich and Zoe Walker’s site-specific projects. republishes key texts from a-n in the 90s from Nina Supported by Arts Council England. Edge, Susan Jones, Susannah Silver, John Kippin, • The studios toolkit – written by arts consultant David Butler Malcolm Miles, Brian McAvera, Mike Stubbs, Rosie and architect-planner Mike Franks, provides a step-by- Good exhibition practice Millard, David Briers, Sunil Gupta, Simon Herbert, Simon step guide to thinking through and developing group Case studies and research-based advice on strategies and Grennan, Godfrey Worsdale, David Butler, Jenny Saville, studios. Ideal for groups of artists starting out and aids approaches to mutuality between artists and exhibition Francis McKee, Grayson Perry and David Mackintosh. negotiations with architects, consultants and developers. organisers, including contracts checklist and framework for negotiating. Supported by Arts Council England. • Reflections on networking – Edited Jane Watt, collation Making a living of evidence and feedback from artists on the NAN Edited: Brigid Howarth, Rebecca Farley, writers including Future forecast: enquiry into the future practice and initiative includes contributions from Stephen Beddoe, Linda Ball, Tim Birch and Hilary Williams explore issues resourcing for artists Catherine Bertola, Chris Brown, Juliana Capes, Tony around self-employment, identifying and utilising Conducted through interviews and think-tanks 2005/06, Charles, Graham Dolphin, Christine Duff, Michael transferable skills, art markets and attitudes to buying. publications are Future Space – addressing future roles Forbes, Mark Gubb, Kwong Lee, Aaron McCloskey, Includes profiles of Comme Ca PR, Contemporary Art and functions of artists’ workspace (researched Paul Guyan Porter, Marjolaine Ryley, Louise Short, Susannah Society, Ben Coode-Adams Deutsche Bank Collection, Glinkowski), Social space – dynamics of artists’ practice Silver, Emilia Telese, Hilary Thorn, Jonathan Waring, Johanne Mills, Muf, Kate Schuricht and Joshua Sofaer. in the social realm (edited Becky Shaw), Curated space – Miranda Whall, Caroline Wright and Alison Unsworth. artists’ strategies and interventions (edited Manick Profile and promotion Govinda), Outer space – the environment for artists’ • Impact of networking – Edited Jane Watt, commentary Edited: Deborah Smith and Catherine Bertola, writers practice (edited Esther Salamon) and Outcomes and and analysis on the benefits and value of NAN and Michael Stanley and Sally O’Reilly examine curatorial issues – an appetite for change in the visual arts. arguments for greater support for artist-led approaches, Chris Hammonds covers the commercial professional development with writing by Charlie Fox sector and Chris Brown discusses artist-run spaces, Compass and Jane Watt. alongside profiles including Blast Theory, Nils Norman, Developed in collaboration with specialists and experts. Hayley Newman, Scott Myles and Transmission. Contributions from Linda Ball, David Butler, Gwen Heeney, • Artists’ profiles – Edited and introduced by Edith Marie Lisa Le Feuvre, Liz Lemon, Paul Stone and Gavin Wade Pasquier with profiles of, Zarina Bhimji, Samantha Time and space cover Approaching galleries, Funding applications, Clarke, David Clarke and Simone ten Hompel, Dorothy Edited: Manick Govinda and Stephen Palmer, covers the artists’ Making site-specific work and Organising an exhibition, Cross, Simon Faithful, Douglas Gordon, Vineta Kaulaca, strategies including Zarina Bhimji, Anna Best, Graham Fagen, includes teaching resources for student modules and Hayley Newman, Vanda Playford, Katie Pratt, Kevin Shelley Goldsmith and Carey Young and looks at approaches to signpost to UK organisations providing information and Reid, Damien Robinson, Yinka Shonibare, Joshua charitable trusts, practice-based academic research, prizes advice for students making the transition to professional Sofaer, Richard Wentworth and Dan Willson. and awards for artists and practicalities of taking on a studio. artist. • The dream that kicks – Maria Fusco’s innovative Signpost: new graduates’ guide to being an artist publication explores, through action and exchange Compilation of 32 artists’ career profiles covering ceramics, amongst the writers, the notions and tensions within design, digital art, engaged practice, film & video, fine art, transdisciplinary practice, contributions from Clare illustration, interdisciplinary, jewellery, painting, Cumberlidge, Craig Martin, Jane Rendell, Kathy Slade photography, public art, sculpture, textiles and time-based and Andrew Dodds. art, with introduction by artist and lecturer Mark Gubb and fun quiz for students to rate their networking skills.

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