They are individuals with the skills and expertise to contribute to identifying talent, and supporting selection and decision making processes. With their specific art form and discipline knowledge, they represent our ears and eyes across the UK providing a current perspective on artists, artistic groups and arts organisations, and helping us to deepen our impact. They are a key part of our push for greater openness, increased national reach and broadening of our taste. Over the next year, we will continue to grow this pool which speaks to the diversity of practice, place and people we support.
In selecting our Artist Advisers we prioritise independent artists, curators and producers who work outside institutional contexts and are largely beyond our funding focus on the first 10 years of establishing a professional practice. We look for people who are actively engaged in wider debates and contexts around their practice.
The most recent round of Artist Advisers were appointed in March 2020 and are:
Adam Buick; Selma Dimitrijevic; Jessica Harrison; Ashley Holmes; Alissa Kleist; Sabrina Mahfouz; Jade Montserrat; Harold Offeh; Chris Sonnex; Emily Speed; and Robbie Synge.
See them in pictures here.
Our initial appointments focused on those who already had a connection to our work to support us with piloting this new way of working. In growing the pool of Artist Advisers we are keen to move beyond those we know to fill the gaps and ensure we achieve what we have set out to do over the coming years.
We are not currently looking to expand our pool of Artist Advisers as we undertake a period of review.
What they do
- Provide specific art form and discipline expertise;
- Participate in assessing, shortlisting and panel decision making across our work;
- Help promote our funding opportunities, enabling us to reach and encourage applications including from those who may not have previously considered applying to us;
- Challenge us to think differently and question our assumptions.
Being an Artist Adviser is an honorary role. However in line with Our Approach we will pay them on a case by case basis for their participation in assessment, shortlisting and panel decision making work. Artist Advisers do not have privileged access to our funding and do not receive specialist application advice. We also operate a conflict of interest policy for Artist Advisers.