Jobs and opps

Online editors of Jobs and Opps Kate Brundrett and Lauren Healey answer your questions about the environment for work and career development in the visual arts.

• As a mature student am I too old or over-qualified? Answer »
• Do you have any guidance for the ideal number of participants in a workshop? Answer »
• Could you give me some tips on writing an artist’s biography? Answer »
• How can I get a CRB check? Answer »
• How can I re-start my visual arts career? Answer »
• What should I include in my CV? Answer »
• How can I make sure that the fees I’m budgeting for artists will be right? Answer »
• Is there such a thing as an arts studio trust? Answer »
• Do you have any guides for working in the recession? Answer »
• How can I find a trust worthy web designer? Answer »
• I had a verbally agreed commission but now I'm being messed around Answer »
• Should I raise the price of works on my website to fit with gallery prices?Answer »
• Can you give me some guidance on exhibition contracts? Answer »
• How much of my income should I put aside for tax? Answer »
• When should I register as self employed? Answer »
• Should I supply my bank details in opportunities? Answer »
• Where should I advise artists to go for Public Liability Insurance? Answer »
• How do I send my art to the USA? Answer »
• How can I manage my time better?  Answer »
• How can I improve my chances of getting shortlisted? Answer »
• Is dyslexia considered a disability? Answer »

Q I would like some advice about applying for work. I am a mature student currently studying for a Masters - I want to change career and practice as an artist using photography and other media.I am trying to get some part-time work to help fund and to compliment my studies,but although I have applied for work and I'm happy to start at the bottom of the ladder I'm gettingnowhere. I don't know what to put on my CV, I'm worried that I'll not be considered because I'm tooold or overqualified.

A As a mature student with a previous qualification you will already have skills and experience to put on your CV that are relevant to your change in career path. If you worry that you are too old or overqualified, turn this to your advantage.

Show on your CV to how your past experience is important to your future aspirations – take snippets of experiences (for example, design proofs for a community project) and use them to show how you can adapt your skills to the post. Be specific. Adapt an evolving CV template to each post that you apply for, make sure everything on your CV is relevant to this position and not just a general resume. Think laterally – put yourself in the position of the employer and read the CV as if it was another artist’s - then ask does this person fit the role?

If you find there are gaps in your knowledge or skills think how best you might fill them – for example, work in a gallery or volunteering front of house. If you are not successful contact the employer and ask for feedback on your application – employers should be happy to offer feedback if your approach is polite and positive – ask which areas you might improve on or where the gaps are rather than why you did not get the post.

Think about who you're pitching to and use the right language. Andrew Skelton, Public Art Officer Read on  »

Be brave with what you are proposing - don't try and mould yourself to every situation, take a risk.  Aimee Green, Arts Development Officer for Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Read on  »

Look really carefully at what the employer is looking for, and if you’re not sure ring up and ask for more information.  Clair Aldington, Visual Arts Development Officer for Shetland Arts Development Agency Read on  »

Further reading:

How to develop proposals and present ideas to organisations and individuals: Read on »

Selling work and engaging with the art world on a commercial basis:  Read on »

Promoting your practice Read on »

The artist’s development toolkit Read on »

Writing proposals Read on »

On how artists are immersing themselves in the business culture Read on »

Q Do you have any guidance on best practice for the ratio between artist and participant for workshop delivery? I work with all sections of the community, from early years though to over 50's, so guidance on all ages would be much appreciated.

A How many participants you have in your workshops will really depend on how many you feel comfortable with, and how complex the project is. Sometimes, having a really lively, busy atmosphere can work well for a particular project, where as other times a more quiet, subdued approach may be more suitable. The approach you take can also depend on the individuals in the workshop. If you are concerned about having too many participants in a workshop, perhaps you could split one long workshop into shorter sessions, working with smaller groups. A lot of this often comes down to experience, so it may be worth discussing your concerns with other colleagues or artists who have run workshops, and finding out what works best for them.

Q I’m applying for a project which requires the successful application to already have an enhanced CRB check in place – how can I go about getting one of these?

A I’ve contacted the CRB about this particular issue, and this is the reply I received:

“Current legislation does not allow the self-employed or individuals to apply for a CRB check on themselves, as they cannot ask an exempted question of themselves. It is for the recruiting organisation asking the exempted question to assess an applicant's suitability. However, a self-employed person can apply for a CRB check by registering with an agency. The agency would be eligible to ask an exempted question in respect of these self-employed individuals, as the agency is making an assessment of the suitability and is deciding whether to place them on their books. In this example the agency if registered with the CRB could countersign the application form, or could ask an umbrella body to countersign on their behalf.”

Unfortunately CRB is not allowed to recommend a particular agency. However, the customer services department believes that individuals can register with any agency - it does not have to be sector / profession specific. Costs can vary though, as each Umbrella Body has different cost for their administration levy.

For further information regarding your particular circumstances, you can contact CRB customer services on 0151 676 1982. Also worth looking at is the FAQs section of the CRB website , and the Umbrella Body search. 

Q I have been searching around for suggestions on how to write a biography and would really appreciate some solid examples.

A I’ve pulled together some biographies for a-n’s freelance web editorial staff, which give a flavour of how other artists have approached writing them. They tend to be written in the third person, with the first sentence explaining what it is you do eg. ‘Kate Brundrett is Online Editor for Jobs and Opps, business advisor, visual artist and AIR member’ or ‘Jack Hutchinson is an artist, writer and educator’. Following this, are more details of particular projects or achievements of note, with the last few sentences generally covering what is most recent or current.

The most interesting biographies often have a narrative to them, rather than purely being a list of work that’s been undertaken (that’s what a CV’s for). They’re usually grouped in context rather than chronologically eg. details of different publications written for a grouped together, exhibitions of note are together, various awards are together. They are also edited version of what you’ve done, pulling out the highlights, rather than going through everything

Finally, as with all things like this, it’s a good idea to get someone to read over it before publishing, to make sure it flows well, and makes sense to an uninitiated reader.

Kate Brundrett's biography »

Rosemary Shirley's biography »

Richard Taylor's biography »

Andrew Bryant's biography »

Jack Hutchinson's biography »

Q I’m applying for a project which requires the successful application to already have an enhanced CRB check in place – how can I go about getting one of these?

A I’ve contacted the CRB about this particular issue, and this is the reply I received:

“Current legislation does not allow the self-employed or individuals to apply for a CRB check on themselves, as they cannot ask an exempted question of themselves. It is for the recruiting organisation asking the exempted question to assess an applicant's suitability. However, a self-employed person can apply for a CRB check by registering with an agency. The agency would be eligible to ask an exempted question in respect of these self-employed individuals, as the agency is making an assessment of the suitability and is deciding whether to place them on their books. In this example the agency if registered with the CRB could countersign the application form, or could ask an umbrella body to countersign on their behalf.”

Unfortunately CRB is not allowed to recommend a particular agency. However, the customer services department believes that individuals can register with any agency - it does not have to be sector / profession specific. Costs can vary though, as each Umbrella Body has different cost for their administration levy.

For further information regarding your particular circumstances, you can contact CRB customer services on 0151 676 1982. Also worth looking at is the FAQs section of the CRB website , and the Umbrella Body search. 

Q How can I re-start my visual arts career? After graduating, I had an artist residency position at a local school, but due to financial commitments, I left and took an office job. It’s now two years later, and I regret not continuing work as an artist. Is there anything you can advise about re-starting my practice, setting up a studio at my home and selling my work? I am worried I am not good enough and don’t know where to begin.

A Firstly, all of these concerns are really common, so don't feel like you are on your own in making your practice work! A high percentage of artists also have second jobs to bring in an income and support their practice.

Secondly, there are some key questions you should consider - how do you want to position your work? What kind of work will you look to make and ultimately for who / which audience – will it be commercial galleries for example? Which part of the industry?

Whether or not you know the answer to this already, exploring your direction will armour you with a clearer vision of where you want to be – you can then research appropriate markets, galleries, outlets, and position yourself and your work to a specific area.

Try to allocate space and time for your practice – this sounds straight forward but we all know it’s easier said than done. Allocating a psychological space as much as physical space and time slot for your practice will allow you the room to sit down and concentrate on making, experimenting, researching and exploring.

A difficult part of practice is setting expectations for yourself. Make sure you keep your goals achievable, this way you will avoid the feeling of not achieving as much you’d hoped. Look at where you want to be and then break this down into small steps.

There are numerous resources online that you may find helpful - the practical guides, toolkits and tips in Knowledge Bank are a good place to start:

Q What should I include in my CV? I am a freelance artist and have always got work through personal recommendations. There is an opportunity I would like to apply for and it asks for a CV... I don’t know where to start... do you have any information to help me get started please?

A Your CV should be an ongoing document that is updated regularly according to what opportunities you are applying for – and you might find that updating an existing CV is also easier to do than starting afresh once you get into the swing of it. CV’s will differ depending on the opportunity, but whatever information it holds it should be concise, relevant to the position, and clear to read. A common mistake on CV’s is not including clear contact details.

A standard CV will usually include sections on: Contact details, Employment, Qualifications, Experience and Skills, Interests. For a freelance artist the sections will not always follow standard job application CV’s but will vary according to the area the artist works in / is applying for. For example, rather than a list of employed posts, the following sections may be more relevant to you: Solo Exhibitions, Group Exhibitions, Projects / Curated Projects, Commissions, Residencies, Awards, Competitions, Publications, Professional Memberships etc. If you have obtained work through personal recommendation then list the projects/commissions you have worked on – the scale, value, and location where relevant.

Essentially, an employer or commissioner will want to know what you have been doing and how it is relevant to the opportunity, so make sure that everything you include supports the notion that you are the candidate they are looking for.

When you have completed your CV remember to ask another person to look over it for you, and don’t forget to do a spell check!

You might also find The Artists Development Toolkit a useful resource.

Q When budgeting for next year's projects, how can I make sure that the fees I’m including for artists will be right?

A The best starting point is the sample rates of pay – see FAQ page 10 – or the Sample rates update published on www.a-n.co.uk/publications/document/381668. If you use the Person specification on page 8 to decide on the level of experience you’re needing and assume the artist has the highest overheads costs your budget won’t be far off. For a project taking place more than six months ahead, add a percentage for inflation – equivalent to the cost of living rise for employees. It’s advisable to also add this percentage to other direct costs in your budget. Whilst preparing an artist’s brief and budget, you’ll find it useful to consult with artists on your patch. Would they interested in a project like yours? What time-scale would they need to realise it? What are the travel and accommodation expenses for, say two days a week over six months, actually likely to be? Is studio space required for fabrication/administration/’thinking time’? Does the materials budget reflect contemporary practices? Where would they suggest advertising it to get the right kind of applications?

Q I have been asked to pay a lot more on my studio rent and need some advice. Is there such a thing as an artist’s studio trust I can contact?

A The National Federation of Artists’ Studio Providers (www.nfasp.org.uk) may be able to advise you on studio pricing and help on the issue. This is an organisation for groups and organisations providing affordable artists’ studios in the UK. You may need to build up a case for negotiation here based on factual reasoning. What are the reasons for the rent increase and how does your rent and the service provided compare with other studio spaces in your area? Are there local artists networks that you can tap into to enquire on other rents?

There is a host of information on studios on a-n’s website resources, from setting up a studio group and alternative methods to run them, to managing a large scale new build. Use the search tool to find specific key words, or take a look at the Knowledge Bank for updated articles, toolkits and guides. 

Q I am reviewing my practice and trying to look at ways to get more work and promote myself. I know we're in recession - do you have any advice or guidelines that would help?

A There are lots of articles and research on 'what to do in a recession' for artists and other businesses, and general guides online. For specific advice read my 'top tips'  for artists, and also take a look at Abigail Branagan's 5 points to promoting and marketing your practice. Read on »

Q I have asked in the past a student to update my website and because she changed the programme I could never update it later. Recently I asked someone I thought was a professional web designer whom I thought was part of a company to design me a website that I could update myself. He messed me about and I've lost a lot of time and money. Please where can I go to make sure the same thing won't happen again? I'm paranoid now and I really need to go somewhere where I have a guarantee, that I can trust and where I won't lose more money all over again.

A Researching web designers thoroughly before you embark on any sort of agreement, will give you a better idea of their projects to date, quality of design, scope of client, and ability to develop the content you are looking for. Look on the web at other artists websites, and find ones that both function as you wish your own to, and are designed in an appropriate way. Who are the designers? If you find recommendations from friends, make sure you look at their work. Collate a list of web designers you are satisfied with. Before you contact them for a quote, do you know what you want? As with any kind of design contract if you don’t have a brief your are opening yourself up to all sorts of problems, delays, confusions and cost implications. Type up or sketch exactly what functions you need (e.g. a ‘contact’ page) and the style that you want (use other sites as examples), and if you wish to update the site yourself, list which sections need this function. You will then be able to see on the quotations the cost of designing the site, and be able to judge for yourself how professional the response is. You could also look into blogging sites, such as wordpress and blogger that are easy to update with images and text. Many artists also use Artists Talking to present work to a specific art audience and direct potential employers and curators to look at their work. Andrew Bryant's article Why blogging is good for you offers an insight as to how artists use blogs and why it could be an integral part of practice .

Q  Firstly I was given, informally, a commission by a hospital in Belfast. I asked for this to be made formal but nothing happened, they always have some excuse to delay it, it now has to be advertised. The hospital already has some of my work, apart from asking them to organise insurance is there anything else formally that would be wise to do?

A This is a common trap that artists fall into on the big learning curve to commission work – and many artist/client relationships are initially built on trust, and are informal. Always get a contract or some kind of written confirmation from any client upon agreeing any kind of work. An email of confirmation is a good step following a conversation or verbal agreement - ask them to confirm details in writing, or in response to your email to them. Tie them down. For a useful Commission Agreement guide read on.

Publicly funded art commissions, including hospital commissions, usually go through formalities such as being advertised because of transparency. Keep in touch with them but don't waste your time if you are being messed around.

As far as your existing artworks in the hospital  - how long are they there for? Who owns them? Are they on loan or have the hospital bought them? Establish this kind of thing before you hand over artworks in the future.

The hospital should be insured for artworks inside the building, however you should also have your own insurance as an artist anyway (particularly public liability, should the art fall off and injure someone for example). You can get a good insurance offer by subscribing as an AIR member of a-n.

Q I have my own website but have now made sales through a gallery where the gallery have put the price of my work up far more than the price on my own site, should I raise the price on my site or will this put people off?

A I’ve just had an interesting chat with a commercial gallery about this. Apparently it’s a ‘much discussed’ issue. The gallery advises using the same prices on own site as in the gallery. There are a number of reasons for this, the main one being maintaining a good relationship with the gallery. From the gallery’s point of view if you lower the price on your own site you risk souring the gallery relationship if sales drop because customers visit the gallery, note artists' names and then go direct to the artist to get a cheaper price. This is obviously not going to find favour with the gallery, who are promoting your work at their expense. The sales commission charged by galleries is 40-60% and artists are expected to work with this when pricing work. You could implement a standard retail / wholesale price for your work as with other market products. Printmakers generally have a fixed sale price regardless of the level of gallery commission, as copies of an edition may be in different galleries at the same time. Building up a relationship with a gallery that represents your work is a vital part of selling work and gaining your reputation as an artist .To lower costs significantly on your own site when your work is selling at a higher price could also be detrimental to your professional standing with buyers who may feel aggrieved if they've bought work through the gallery at a higher price.

Q Can you give me some guidance on exhibition contracts? Is it standard for the gallery to provide insurance and promotion

A Galleries will vary in their approach to exhibiting, and the type of exhibition contract will depend on what level the gallery operates. A gallery will usually have insurance that will cover art work within a building, however you should also have your own cover as a professional artist / maker (see www.a-n.co.uk/air or more info on insurance). Most galleries / exhibition spaces will have their own promotional methods and mailing lists or private view invitation lists, an you will more than likely be asked to combine your own mail list with theirs. The extent of promotion will depend on budgets of course. There is a useful guide to contracts on the Agreeing a contract Agreeing a contract. article in Knowledge Base, and a detailed checklist for exhibition contracts in a-n's guide Good Exhibition Practice.

Q I've miscalculated my tax in previous years - how much of my income should I be putting aside for this?

A A good way of ensuring you have enough money for the tax man is to put aside 18% of everything you invoice for / income you receive. Income tax will generally be due for payment in January and July.  However, income tax will be one of many annual lump sum payments that could catch an unprepared artist by surprise, (such as insurance, car costs, accountant's bills, etc.) and so if you can afford to, aim towards putting 30% of income aside to cover extras. A good idea is to put 'tax' money in a separate bank account whenever you pay money that you earn into your usual account - it's easier to keep tabs on and you will be reassured that you can cover your costs.

For more information take a look at the very useful  publication 'Making a living as an artist' which features ten case studies on artist's careers, incomes, rates and future plans, and the 'Self-employment' article in Knowledge Bank (do note that figures will have changed).

Q I've started to pick up commissions and paid work, but at what point do I need to register as self employed?

A You are required to register as with the Inland Revenue either when you have started trading - i.e. exchanging money for goods or services, or when you start advertising. As an individual artist you can register as a sole trader and pay tax through the Self Assessment system, you will also pay National Insurance contributions. You can register online and find useful information at www.hmrc.gov.uk

Q An opportunity I've seen asks me to supply my bank details when applying? Should I do this?

A As with all material published or sold on the internet, the user should always satisfy themselves that an offer is genuine before taking any action, including sending off work, money or other financial information. The Practical guide Assessing Opportunitiesthat was compiled by artists suggests various ways to do this, including asking other artists, arts organisers or similar organisations whether they know or would recommend the organisation or person offering an opportunity. You can also ring up an organisation yourself and ask them for more information on who they're showing, audience size etc. If they are unwilling to give you info, you may prefer not to work with them. If you're thinking of applying for something outside your home country, this is particularly important as you can't call round yourself. It's common sense not to send your bank details to a stranger in an email.

Q The projects I'm offering artists require them to have Public Liability Insurance, but artists often say they don't know where to buy this.

A Practising visual and applied artists based in the UK who buy an a-n Artist subscription with AIR membership automatically get £5m Public and Products Liability insurance cover.- details of the cover and exclusions is on www.a-n.co.uk/air_insurance If a group or artist-duo require cover, the brokers who supply this can provide a quotation .

Q Has anyone recently sent some artwork to the USA and can you advise on which company to use?

A I've had a chat with some colleagues on this issue and it seems the main thing to keep in mind when shipping or transporting artwork anywhere is packaging. Make sure the company you use know's what they are doing, what packaging they use and the environmental conditions of transportation. Pack your artwork yourself for peace of mind. British Council and Visiting Arts have very useful information on this matter - have a look at their websites for more info about this and other related topics. In general I have been recommended the following companies for transporting work: Momart, Constantine and Martinspeed.

Q How can I manage my time better? I seem to be spinning lots of plates all the time and not getting where I want to be - I respond to lots of different sorts of opportunities to get work.

A Spinning plates is a skill in itself, but if you find you are constantly doing this then you need to take a step back from your practice. Look at where you are now and where you want to be going in the future. Where do you see yourself and how are you going to get to that point? Are you applying for work that is helping you move forward, or just because it is something you can do? Jot down a criteria for applying for work that is relevant to your needs and progress - and stick to it. Write down a timeline (start with 12 months) if it helps you visualise where you want to be going and the steps you need to take to get there.

Q I keep applying for opportunities but never get shortlisted. How can I improve my chances?

A I’d advise you first to use your network of artists to get their views. Have you got the right level of experience for the work offered? Are your applications too wordy? Have you responded to all the areas of the brief? There are a number of Practical guides on this site you should look at, such as Going for grants, Making proposals and Assessing opportunities. Artists’ stories and Projects unedited blogs on Artists talking also provide invaluable insights into how other artists are navigating the complex world of the visual arts

Q Is dyslexia considered a disability?

A Dyslexia is a permanent issue affecting the brain that makes it highly difficult for the person to deal with the written word and thus makes life difficult. Some 14% of artists have dyslexia, this being a higher than average number than in the population as a whole. It’s thus important that those offering freelance and salaried work to an artist with dyslexia takes all reasonable steps to help him or her.

Q Last year an art dealer came to a show and bought one of my sculptures. He then asked me to make another six for his clients which I this and delivered them to him on time. (I have email of this quoting a price of £4000). He now claims he can not sell them in the near future and has asked me to collect my work from his storage facility. What are my rights and what actions can i take?

A This is a situation that perhaps might resonate with many artists along their professional journeys. The 'blurry line', here, and a common mistake for artists is in the fact there is no legally binding contract with the buyer, to state the terms, conditions and clauses on commissioning and purchasing your art work. It is possible that the email documentation may be classed as a 'contractual' agreement as far as a legal case is concerned, however you will need to get advice on this from a legal professional. 

Nicholas Sharp and Sheena Etches offer sound advice in their Professional practice guides. In When a contract goes wrong http://www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/article/92640/77173 they state that 'if telephone calls have failed to work, you should write a letter as soon as possible clearly pointing out the failure [of the agreement] and requesting that it be remedied by a certain stated time'. 

But they warn about activating legal proceedings unless absolutely necessary 'In appropriate cases you might directly threaten to issue legal proceedings. However, as a general rule it is never wise to threaten something if you are not prepared to carry it through.'

In Getting paid http://www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/article/81211/77173 Alison Branagan warns that legal proceedings can be costly, however 'having clear records of invoices, reminders, warnings, etc, could be key to winning your case.'

Getting legal advice http://www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/article/83332/77173 and Selecting a solicitor http://www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/article/81211/77173 may be useful articles if you want to pursue this line of enquiry.

In Commissioning agreements http://www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/article/91121/77173 it is usual in contracts that 'ownership of the installed work will be transferred to the commissioner on payment of the final installment of the fee.' Because the dealer is advising to return the works here and no fee has been paid, it appears to be that you retain ownership of the works.  

For any professional relationship based on purchasing and commissioning work it is strongly advised that artists have a written contract, either generated by the commissioner or by the artist themselves. a-n members can generate their own contracts using the The artist's contracts toolkit http://www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/article/179129/77174, a step by step and easy to use toolkit that is adaptable to many different situations. 

For more useful articles and practical guides surrounding the issues of contracts:

Agreeing a contract http://www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/article/92014/77173

Gallery, dealer and agent agreements http://www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/article/91424/77173

What is a contract? http://www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/article/92627/77173

Why use a written contract? http://www.a-n.co.uk/knowledge_bank/article/92031/77173

First published: a-n.co.uk July 2011