AIR

AIR is open to all practising visual and applied artists. Practising artists tend to be carrying out activities such as seeking to exhibit or sell their work in galleries and fairs, seeking or accepting commissions, selling to collectors, undertaking artists' residencies and community projects and receiving artistic coverage through reviews, features and critical writing.

AIR doesn't formally 'vet' artists' applications, and expects prospective members to be honest and truthful when signing up for AIR membership and its associated services. Using the following definitions of "practising artist" if you can say 'yes' to at least 3 you would be considered eligible for AIR membership and all its professional benefits, including PPL insurance cover.

• You hold a degree (or equivalent qualification) in a visual arts practice.
• You've held at least one public exhibition, installation or live art performance (other than a degree show) in the recent period.
• You have carried out on a paid-for basis at least one artist's residency or community project in the recent period.
• You have sold art or craft work through a gallery, exhibition space or retail outlet in the recent period.
• Your work has been reviewed, featured or profiled in an arts magazine or website or other relevant publication.
• You are a current member of another professional body for artists such as Contemporary Glass Society, DACS, Royal Society of British Sculptors, etc.
• Your work has been commissioned on paid-for basis on at least one occasion by a public or private client.
• You have received at least one prize, grant, award or bursary in your capacity as a practising artist.
• You have had at least one work purchased for a public or a private collection.

If you aren't able to affirm at least 3 from the above, you would not be eligible at this point for AIR membership nor its professional services including PPL insurance. AIR is committed to reviewing its membership processes and activities annually and will launch an Associate Membership option in due course. 

As an integral part of the a-n Artist + AIR subscription you become a member of AIR – Artists’ Interaction & Representation and get immediate access to a portfolio of benefits:

INSURANCE – free £5m Public and products liability cover for UK-based artists + low-cost cover options for studio, equipment, art work etc

EVENTS – debates, networking and development throughout the year

REPRESENTATION– Elected AIR Council listening to and working for you

e-BULLETINS– invites, research, consultation, campaigns

DACS PAYBACK – automatic alerts to annual application for copyright payments

ARTEL-I-ER - sign up to Artquest’s free platform facilitating international studio swaps

Password to www.a-n.co.uk with 24/7 access to all online resources including:

NEWS FEEDS AND E-ALERTS – personalised alerts when new entries are posted on the daily updated Opportunities and jobs on www.a-n.co.uk/job_and_opps

KNOWLEDGE BANK – online research resource on artists’ strategies for Making a living, Profile and promotion, Time and space and Professional practice, includes practical guidance on self-employment matters including interactive toolkits on contracts, fees and professional development

PUBLICATIONS – all new and back titles in downloadable formats.

AIR members automatically get access to the rolling programme of new benefits as they become available.

You can be in a-n+AIR as an artist and use AIR benefits in that capacity. It’s important AIR is an environment where issues can be freely discussed and knowledge shared amongst artists.

We also offer dual membership if you work as both an artist and arts organiser, and require both the artist's PPL insurance and the arts organiser's PPL and Professional Indemnity. Dual membership is £46, or if you already have an exisiting Artist+AIR or Arts organiser subscription then the extra subscription is £10. Please click here» for further details about the new low-cost Professional Indemnity and PPL insurance for Arts organisers. To apply for dual membership please contact us on 0300 330 0706.

*Please note that the PPL insurance is included with the Artist+AIR subscription. The Professional Indeminity and PPL insurance for Arts organisers is an additional paid-for benefit.

A refund on the remaining term of a 12-month a-n subscription + AIR membership will be provided on request to anyone who has joined AIR in error or whose practice is not eligible for membership or the professional services provided such as PPL insurance cover.

Contact subs@a-n.co.uk with 'Refund due to ineligibility' in the title with your AIR reference details and joining date. Your PPL insurance document should then be destroyed. See Q Does my kind of practice make me eligible for AIR membership and PPL insurance cover? for definitions of eligibility. 

In the event of a-n The Artists Information Company winding up, you will be liable for the sum of £5. 

AIR has undertaken a survey of its members to find out whether there is sufficient demand for providing CRB checks as a new paid-for service for AIR members. Watch out for further information in the AIR e-bulletin in due course, as this is the primary route for communications with members.

Payback is applicable against a claim to visual artists whose work has been reproduced in UK books or magazines or on certain television channels. DACS is the organisation to contact to provide information on what is eligible for claiming.

AIR is committed to good practice and improving the economic and social conditions of all artists. As part of this, it will actively seek the views of members on whether there should be advice for members on rates of pay.

A summary of AIR's Development plan for 2010/11 is available at www.a-n.co.uk/air/article/473226

The eligibility criteria for AIR membership published on the website are designed to provide artists and potential members with guidance to make their own assessment, based on their particular practice and professional circumstances. AIR cannot provide personal advice in this respect.

Membership cards are no longer issued. However, you can find your membership number (under AIR ref:) and expiry date at the top of the grey user panel on most pages - you must first log in. Your PPL insurance policy including your membership data can also be printed out from "Join in > My account > My PPL Insurance" if you need to verify your cover.

The criteria for AIR membership are published on the website. As a rule of thumb, undergraduate students are unlikely to meet AIR’s membership criteria until they have graduated and commenced their practice. Post-graduate students with an existing practice, however, would be more likely to meet the eligibility criteria.

AIR membership is open to visual and applied artists who meet the AIR criteria stated within the 'Who can join AIR?' section of the Artist+AIR subscription page on our website. It is the artist's responsibility to determine whether the nature and scope of their artistic practice reflects the intention and spirit of these criteria. Visual and applied artists who are AIR members tend to hold exhibitions in galleries and exhibition spaces. Examples of these can be found by referring to the listings of exhibition opportunities on www.a-n.co.uk/jobs_and_opps.Neither AIR nor a-n whose services form part of the AIR membership package of benefits can give personal guidance on whether an artist is eligible or comment on whether their personal circumstances would make them eligible. There is a specific public liability insurance scheme for face painters see http://www.facepaintersinsurance.co.uk/ for details.