ARTISTS TALKING

# 141 [18 December 2009]

I saw this earlier this evening, posted by Susan Jones on twitter:

http://www.skillset.org/uploads/pdf/asset_14315.pd...

A guide to Internships. Lots of really good rules about pay/minimum wage - worker issues and time limits.

So I applied this to the two internships advertised in ArtJobs today.

Grizedale: very good, no, excellent opportunity for 6 week internship with pretty decent pay and a totally immersive experience. Plus they are up for splitting the residency into two or three week blocks.

http://www.grizedale.org/about/internships

Florence Trust: Not quite as good, probably still an amazing experience at a very interesting place, but it's not paid at all, and doesn't mention any costs covered either. On the plus side - a really broad range of stuff to work on and it's only for one day a week working as an assistant to the Director/Studio manager i.e. a lot of contact with interesting people.

http://tinyurl.com/ybczsnl

The Grizedale one could be for anyone too, whereas you'd pretty much need to live in London to do the Florence Trust Internship...

Ok, exercise for the day over, will do a bit more comparing of how different internships measure up and report my findings.. now to sweep the studio floor and go home!

# 142 [9 January 2010]

This year has started quite intensely, with a project at the Grundy Art Gallery in Blackpool, which apart from a day there on Wednesday, is done.

http://www.grundyartgallery.com/programme/forthcom...

I spent last week being snowed in at home for a day, then iced-in in Blackpool. Car abandoned in my makeshift home/hotel car park there as no one could get back up the slope and out - pushed out by three of the staff yesterday. Regardless of the fact that I missed a day because of the weather, the gallery still paid me the full fee, which I was depending on for imminent car repairs and so am very grateful for their good will.

Over Christmas my husband and I also started moving house. We had an overlap of a month with both places so have been doing it in pathetic little car trips. Never move like this! Just get a big van and stuff it all in. If you have some money, pay other people to pack. We still have two weekends worth of moving and furniture dis/reassembling so I feel quite sad (and exhausted) when I think about that!

Back to Yorkshire on Monday (if the schools are open) - don't want to drive so far again, not after last week. Doesn't seem worth the risk. They've had more snow there so fingers crossed it's off...

Also must get some things ready for Lancashire zine fair on the 29th/30th Jan. I promised myself I would have a year off book fairs after this one, so let's see if I can stick to it.

So, mainly feeling very overwhelmed, but just got to get on with it and get some things out of the way... then I can have a treat, first one is doing the book layouts for the YSP project. Love love love doing those, but they can take ages, especially as I have no content yet.

I have also been doing a lot of reading around pay and things over the hols, after the BECTU ruling in Nov and going to a seminar about working for free in Manchester in Dec. I was thrilled when I met a friend who works at the Biennial last night and she said the document I emailed her about internships has been sent round the office. It seems that they are rethinking their intern/volunteer policy accordingly!! Hoorah. I really hope they do. Actually, I am at the Biennial on Tuesday talking about my time in Linz to the staff. It's nice that they are interested, but I still have talk-fear.

# 143 [11 January 2010]

Very pleased this morning; a friend told me that my blog had made her try and renegotiate two work contracts as her hours had gone up but money hadn't. I don't know how likely a pay rise is, but asking is important - after all, how will they know it's not okay if she just keeps quiet?

I realised too that my blog is nearly a year old and that I should probably get round to doing a quick summary of all the good things that it has brought.

I finally got my copy of Hans Abbing's 'Why are Artists Poor?' in the post. I have a feeling I should have read it years ago, but am quite hooked just a few pages in and feel some fresh conviction coming on...

# 144 [11 January 2010]

Also very pleased this afternoon as today was like a second chance Monday. YSP was snowed off so I had this gift of an extra day to do some catching up.

Accounts up-to-date, invoices sent, talk images ready for Biennial tomorrow, applications half finished, bills cancelled and changed address for the flat, my sister's dogs walked and all in my slippers (except the last bit!)

Also a nice tea in the oven, perhaps this is why it feels like the weekend and I am stopping myself opening a bottle of wine? Maybe just one glass, I am cooking after all....

# 145 [12 January 2010]

Another good day, firstly, I am a winner! A blog winner to be precise, which is very nice and I am looking forward to my prize - a copy of Rachel Howfield's book. Thanks very much a-n.

This morning there was some packing of things at the flat and then I went to Liverpool Biennial to give a talk to the staff there about Linz. Surprisingly (considering I was talking to a load of people), I enjoyed it. Very friendly and interested lot and it was good to go over the whole thing and think about all the things that happened this summer, also to reflect on the things I made and what it has done for my work in general. Afterwards, I met a friend for a cuppa and we talked about a piece of text she's going to write about Inhabitant for me. I feel very lucky as she has a way with words and I will get something far superior to anything I could manage.

Tonight I am staying in the Liverpool flat for the last time as I am off to Blackpool in the morning. I'm a bit sad about leaving, but sleeping on a single futon on the floor is not really inspiring me to stay. Can't wait to get moved properly on Saturday and have fewer journeys. Then I can just drive to Liverpool to go to the studio, imagine that.

Right, bed time - I'm taking Han's Abbing with me.

# 146 [14 January 2010]

I didn't think that the RSA's State of the Arts Conference would be streamed online as there was no mention of it on their website.. but the tweets (follow #sa10 on Twitter) are just a bit confusing so far. I am hoping that the audio is at least put online afterwards so i can try and make a bit more sense of it all.

I think I'd better get on with doing something more useful instead. Tea and toast springs to mind.

# 147 [15 January 2010]

After leaving the State of the Arts conference tweets alone yesterday, I came back and had a read through them all in the evening. It was interesting stuff, but although full of good soundbites and kindly distilled by the tweeting sudience, I got the impression I was missing a fair bit. In summary though, it seemed that: the wifi was rubbish; people felt artists were under-represented in the audience; people were (too?) easily impressed by Jeremy Hunt; although not perfect, it was a good coming together and discussion; artists are valuable to the economy and mood of the nation; it was an exhausting day. Anyway, I shall look forward to it going online...

Found out I have a group of 12 sixth-formers for a whole week next week as part of the YSP thing. I am very excited as the age groups have mainly been under 10 so far. The project will be based around turning their research papers into artists' books. Joy. 

Moving house tomorrow, which makes me want to cry a bit, but thinking of when I am back here at the new place with fire on and wine/takeaway on the go. It will be very good to have it done and be rid of the other place.

Waiting to hear about a lot of things, applications, projects and possible trips abroad. It's frustrating as it is putting me off applying for other things (if I get certain chances, they will clash and applying will be a waste of time). It's always like that though, and usually you end up with the thing you were least keen on and you have plenty of free, unpaid time.

I am also waiting for a delivery of soapstone. Although I haven't carved anything since 1997, the latest work seems to warrant it, so I have yellow and grey tones ordered and will do my best! Next on my list - re-learning to weld.

# 148 [15 January 2010]

In other news: I am sick of the TV picture. Here are some images from the Collaborate and Make exhibition I have on at the Grundy Art Gallery in Blackpool,. It opened last week and was made with school groups from the area.

http://www.grundyartgallery.com/programme/

# 149 [16 January 2010]

Happy Birthday blog.

Blog is one! It's been a very exciting and progressive year, which I have to credit in part to 'Getting Paid'. This is mainly because it forced a change in the way I approach my career/practice. I think the blog has been particularly responsible for making me analyse what it is I do with my time and what skills I have, which in turn has made me see new ways I can apply those skills. I started writing down things such as achievements and aims – something that I often think about but never do and this made me realise how hard I was working. These are things that we all know about ourselves, but often just have floating about our brains in a grey woolly confusion. The blog has also raised my profile and led to a few opportunities (directly and probably indirectly too) including: talking at an AIR event in Manchester, Talking at Chapter in Cardiff, writing news items for a-n, not to mention the fact that my increased presence on the blogs has meant ongoing conversations with lots of fellow bloggers and artists.

So good developments in 2009 include:

Finding out in January that I had got the Feiweles Bursary at Yorkshire Sculpture Park and starting that in September.
More work doing talks/lecturing rather than minimum wage work
Being commissioned by Artland in April
Being nominated by Liverpool Biennial for the Linz residency (and being chosen by Linz of course!)
Getting three stockists for my artists’ books
Being offered more opportunities and work than I applied for (just!)
Being commissioned by the Grundy in Blackpool to do their January exhibtion.
Transforming from a ¾ time artist with a part time job, to a full-time artist with a lot more options for making a living.

To look forward to in 2010.

Finishing YSP with a book and closing event
Teaching a drawing course in Cape Cod in the summer
Showreel project in Milan
Going back to Linz to launch the new book I am making
Solo Show prep for YSP in 2011

And………????

Aims and objectives for Emily this year

Less guilt.
More regular (and more efficient!) accounting and admin.
Curating one exhibition/event (and no more).
More writing and research
An ambitious new body of work well underway
More books and drawing
Less compromising.
Kittens & good times in the new house.
A long (i.e. more than a week) holiday with my husband.

Right, I'm off for some cake. Or to Liverpool to move house. Or both.

# 150 [21 January 2010]

Awesome news this afternoon: I got a phone call offering me a place on A Foundation's A Curriculum studio residency, starting in March for 2 months. It magically falls in the two months I have off YSP and as my exhibition in Milan has been moved back to September (Curator has a baby on the way) it is perfect. I am very very very very very pleased as I am dying to work hard in the studio during that time away from YSP, but also feel a need for some research/pressure/discussion/engaged peers/big kicks along with it. It also comes with a £500/month bursary so it takes off a huge amount of bill-related stress.

Tonight (in my travelodge room near Doncaster somewere..) I have been watching video footage from the State of the Arts Conference.

1. Observations on Jeremy Hunt's speech:

Liz and Matthew seem to be keen tories.
He was incredibly nervous (who wouldn't be!?).
Points for their plans to cut admin costs.
In my horribly cynical way of reading things - he seems to be saying he will cut funding for the arts upon Tories getting into power, and attempt to maintain levels through other sources, He mainly cites US philanthropy and endowments as a model; this seems like passing the buck? I don't know if I have this all right, but it's worrying anyway.
His chat about the UK having loads of money (comparative to the US) may be true, but surely that money is split between a tiny percentage of the population. Are we to depend on their generosity?

He made a confusing critisicm of targets in funding agencies, whilst stressing the need for more engagement as a result of funded projects. I would like to see less ticking boxes/more independent choice making, but would have been nice to hear how he plans to go about it.

Is it just me being too bloody northern, or does his comment about holding the event outside London next time - to step back and get perspective - imply that they are mainly stepping back from and therefore talking about London?

Bacially at this point I am suspicious.

Everyone who asks questions is a director of something. Generally the twitching audience is very enjoyable to watch, especially the staring woman at 25.40 ish.

Lastly, what are Liz and Matthew whispering about?