Knowledge bank

A new professional development programme from a-n The Artists Information Company.

Designed especially for artists and visual arts freelancers, Granted aims to give you the confidence and know-how to move your practice and projects forward.

What is the programme?
Granted combines access to specialist workshops and seminars with online resources and toolkits and tailored advice, intended to put you in the driving seat as regards defining and managing your own professional development. You learn how to improve your pitching and fundraising capacity by attracting the collaborators that can make new projects happen and identify how you can harness social media for self-promotion and professional visibility and widen participation in, and audiences for, your work.

Costs and charges across the programme are kept as low as possible whilst some elements are fully subsidised through partners or sponsorship. Sponsors and partners already include A+ (a-n and Artquest), AIR and Artworks Navigator. Participation in certain seminars and workshops is through application.

Who is it aimed at?
This programme is designed for visual artists who are members of a-n + AIR, who have been practising for five years or more and who have established their professional networks, already shown work in a public setting or undertaken paid-for commissions, residencies or similar projects.

It is also intended for individuals working in the visual arts who have an established freelance practice and are looking for opportunities to create collaborative projects with artists and within their networks.

It is essential that you’re comfortable with using your computer and the internet for your communications, personal research and for taking part in self-determined learning, as this programme including all communications and follow-ups will rely on these.

Seminar and workshop topics include

• How to develop audiences through crowdfunding - WeDidThis founder Hen Norton

• Dodge the shredder - Emilia Telese’s principles for financing your practice

• Working collaboratively - Chris Fremantle’s interactive workshop

• A personal guide to applying for Grants for the Arts

• Deconstructing the art market - Contemporary Art Society

• Negotiating and planning new projects

Alongside the seminar programme, you’ll be encouraged to use our interactive toolkits on professional development, fees and charges and on negotiating visual arts contracts to learn more about professional practices and apply them to your work.

We’ll alert you to related events, to business advice and expert resources in your area and encourage other providers to give you discount on any paid-for services. We’ll signpost a range of quality key online resources as available from our partners and collaborators in the Granted programme.

Where possible, we’ll provide you with access to informal follow-up e-mentoring to improve your applications and proposals. We’re planning to create a small bursaries fund in support of this programme, to enable equality of opportunity and reduce barriers to gaining professional development.

When will it happen?
The  programme was piloted and evaluated during 2012, with 83% of those who took part finding the interactive format extremely or very useful and 90% stating a preference for follow-up on line resources.  Through partnerships, these events are now on offer in different parts of theUK. You will be notified by email of any opportunities in your location.

How to tap into the Granted programme
If you are already an a-n+AIR member, you’ll be notified about event bookings, bursaries and other Granted resources via your email. So you need to make sure we always have your correct/up-to-date email – you can easily change your email or other personal information by logging in and going to My Account at www.a-n.co.uk/join_in. To ensure our emails don’t go into your junk/spam, put edit@a-n.co.uk, subs@a-n.co.uk; air.secretariat@a-n.co.uk and info@a-n.co.uk into your ‘safe senders’ list.

If you’re not already an a-n member, you first need to sign up and pay online at www.a-n.co.uk/subscribe so you hear about Granted programme and its opportunities. Select either Artist (a-n + AIR) or Individual (a-n) to ensure your benefits are tailored to your needs.

Sponsored and supported by a-n, AIR, Artquest, A+, and ArtWorks.

First published: a-n.co.uk September 2012