I didn't earn any money tonight, but we spent a long time discussing it in the pub.
The general feeling seemed to be that we artists would be happy to do shows and projects for free that had equal benefit in terms of legacy i.e. a truly meaningful experience with long-term benefits (new work, great space or genuinely useful contacts) and CV entry rather than a show for the sake of being busy/appearing popular.
It seems editing is king.
The important point of relevance came up too. What is the point of applying for things that bear no relevance to your practice?; they may pay, but you stand little chance of success as other people's deep-rooted passions will shine through where your false claims look a little transparent.
So I suppose the conclusion was: be true to your work, think about what you actually want to happen, what will get you there and, well, get on with it.
