AIR

Outlining the free £5m AIR Public and products insurance for visual and applied artists with AIR membership.

AIR members’ public and products liability insurance

Since launch in 2006 of AIR – Artists’ Interaction & Representation – the AIR Artists’ Advisory Group has been working to bring AIR members some of the practical benefits that other professional associations provide. Detailed discussions with carefully selected specialist insurance brokers have resulted in development of a new public liability insurance scheme, arranged by a-n The Artists Information Company exclusively for AIR members.

This is specifically tailored to meet the needs of practising visual or applied artists who require insurance against their legal liabilities to pay compensation arising out of injury to third parties and damage to third party property, which result from their activities as artists. a-n believes this policy provides equivalent or better cover than many other public liability policies which artists may to be offered, and which our research shows are commonly only available at a high individual annual cost.

This article introduces the key areas of AIR members’ Public and Products insurance, provided as an automatic benefit for all UK-based AIR members from 1 November 2007, including eligibility, duration, kinds of activity covered and principal exclusions.

About the policy
This insurance is underwritten by the International Insurance Company of Hannover Ltd from 1 November 2009 and provided through an arrangement made by a-n The Artists Information Company on behalf of AIR members with Hencilla Canworth Limited.

Eligibility
Provided their AIR subscription is current, all UK-based members of a-n The Artists Information Company’s AIR (Artists’ Interaction and Representation) scheme are automatically covered by the new policy.

Duration
This policy is issued to a-n The Artists Information Company for an annual period commencing 01/11/2009 and is intended to be renewed annually thereafter.

Activities
This policy is only operative while you are undertaking the following activities:
(a) the making, designing, creating, preparing, installing, selecting, exhibiting and display of any works of visual or applied art (including works not created by yourself).
(b) the lecturing, teaching or demonstrating of visual or applied art including (but not limited to) workshops, residencies and community projects.

‘Visual or applied art’ includes but is not limited to painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, digital or time-based media, sculpture, ceramics, community arts, glassmaking, textiles, jewellery, mixed media, interactive arts, crafts, live art and physical performances.

Geographical scope
AIR members who normally practice in the UK will be covered, including while temporarily engaged in work visits outside the UK (other than within USA or Canada).

Cover
The policy provides insurance cover against legal liability for damages (including claimant legal costs) for accidental Injury to any person, and accidental loss or damage to third party property. The limit of indemnity provided is £5,000,000 any one claim (any one period in respect of Product liability); additional cover can be taken out if necessary.

What is not covered
Main policy exclusions include:
• Bodily injury to any employees (this includes freelance, volunteer or self- employed persons working under your control)
• Any use of applied heat, fire or pyrotechnics away from your studio or normal workspace other than the use of domestic appliances, pottery ovens, kilns, flash paper, flash cotton or flash string
• Any activity undertaken more than ten metres above ground or floor level
• Any liability arising out of the creation and installation of public artworks after the point of handover of the work to the commissioner
• Damage to property in the custody or control of the AIR Member
• Pollution or contamination unless from sudden and accidental causes
• Costs of repair, recall or replacement of defective products
• Liability for breach of professional duty or inadequate advice
• The first £250 of any claim for damage to third-party property arising from work undertaken on third-party premises

AIR members can download the policy summary and documents from the AIR-only section of this site using their a-n+AIR login.

Practising visual and applied artists who wish to join AIR can do this on www.a-n.co.uk/subscribe

Credits
Realisation of the AIR Members’ Public and Products Liability Insurance would not have been possible without active participation of the AIR Artists’ Advisory Group – David Cotterrell, Elpida Hadzi Vasileva, Rob Kesseler, Mitra Memarzia, Stephen Palmer, Claudia Pilsl, Paul Scott, Sally Sheinman, Erika Tan, Helen Thomas, Caroline Wright – the additional support and expertise of Nicholas Sharp, Consultant, Swan Turton solicitors and a-n Board member, and Simon Zimmerman, Artists’ Insights Coordinator, Arts Council England informed by the research study by Platform3, supported by Arts Council England..

About Hencilla Canworth
Hencilla Canworth has many years experience in arranging public liability insurance schemes for members organisations, including Equity (the actors union), Musicians Union and Scottish Artists Union. It also has a long history of providing bespoke insurance solutions in the arts sector.

www.hencilla.co.uk

First published: a-n.co.uk October 2009