Making Creativity Pay

About

This workshop is designed to invite an open discussion on making a living from creative practice, by bringing together practitioners and professionals working in film, illustration and contemporary art. The focus will be on commissioning art (or artistic research) and working with agents. This will be discussed from both institutional and individual perspectives. This workshop is aimed at industry professionals and organisations wishing to learn more about commissioning artists, CSA alumni and postgraduate art students.  

Areas covered: 

+ creative strategies to overcome financial challenges 

+ the impact of the digital environment on professional practice 

+ how creative practitioners support themselves and their practice 

+ how to work with an agent 

+ commissioning art and artistic research 

Speakers: 

Pauline Burt (Ffilm Cymru Wales)  

Dr Nanette Hoogslag (Anglia Ruskin University) 

Mark Segal (The Artists Agency) 

Chair: Hans Petch (Anglia Ruskin University) 

About the Speakers:

Pauline Burt (CEO Ffilm Cymru Wales) 

Pauline is the founding CEO of Ffilm Cymru Wales, which is advancing a sustainable film sector and film culture that works for everyone across Wales. Ffilm Cymru invests in Welsh talent, their projects and their companies; supports skills and attitudes that enable a more inclusive, adaptive and productive sector; and extracts and shares learning to accelerate progress. Previously Pauline was a risk manager at London based Mansfield Associates, assessing and managing risk for commercial film and television financiers such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, Rand Merchant Bank and Royal Sun Alliance.  

Prior to that, Pauline headed up production at Sgrin, the former Media Agency for Wales and worked at Scottish Screen as their Script and Finance Analyst. Recent feature credits include this year’s UK Oscar submission I Am Not a Witch from debut feature director Rungano Nyoni; Turner-nominated photographer, Richard Billingham’s Ray & Liz, selected for Locarno, Toronto and London Film festivals; Euros Lyn’s adaptation of Fflur Dafydd’s Y Llyfrgrell/The Library Suicides; sci-fi success The Machine; Craig Roberts’ feature debut Submarine since followed up with Eternal Beautystarring Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins, and the Sundance award-winner feature documentary Dark Horse. 

Dr Nanette Hoogslag (Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University) 

As an illustrator, designer, lecturer and doctoral researcher, Nanette's practice and approach come from a deep understanding of communication and visual media. In practice and theory, she explores its traditions in the light of current digital transformation. Before arriving at Anglia Ruskin, Nanette lectured in a wide range of visual communication subjects at various Dutch art colleges. Her doctoral research is an ongoing fundamental study of the model of editorial illustration that, in both theory and practice, explores how illustration ‘works’ within the contexts of print and, in particular, online media. In this, it provides an up-to-date, in-depth and critical knowledge of current and evolving theories, practices and developments of illustration and its communication context. As a practicing illustrator, Nanette has been commissioned to create a wide range of illustrations for clients worldwide, from editorial to commercial assignments as well as complex communication design projects. Her clients include the City Council of Amsterdam, Deutsche Bank, the European Cultural Foundation, Heineken, London Transport, Moret Ernst & Young, New York Stock Exchange, Dutch Postbank, Royal Mail, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal College of Art, Siemens, Shell, Macmillan Books, Penguin Books and Vintage Books.  

Mark Segal (The Artists Agency) 

Mark Segal started The Artists Agency after leaving ArtSway in 2011, the small contemporary art gallery in the New Forest that he led for over ten years commissioning artists to develop and present new work. Prior to that Mark had roles in various visual arts organisations, including the Towner in Eastbourne, South Hill Park Arts Centre in Berkshire and The Cut Gallery, London. Mark trained initially as a painter after which he studied Museums and Galleries at Essex University. The Artists Agency started in 2012 when Mark was asked by a couple of artists to support new commissions. One was representing their home country at the Venice Biennale; another was being contracted to start a major residency project.  

Since the agency started he has helped artists develop and deliver a wide range of contemporary art projects including Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva’s Silentio Pathalogica for the Pavilion of the Republic of Macedonia, Venice Biennale, Stephen Turner’s Everything Comes from the Egg which toured to Super Slow Way, Burnley; Trinity Buoy Wharf, London; the Grand Canal, Milton Keynes; Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth and Jerwood Gallery, Hastings, Gayle Chong Kwan’s The People’s Forest for Barbican and William Morris Gallery, London and Alice Kettle’s Thread Bearing Witness for Discovery Centre, Winchester and the Whitworth, Manchester University. In addition to this he supports the artists in activities including speculatively developing projects, brokering interest from venues, reviewing contracts, fundraising and marketing. 

Mark is currently working with Stephen Turner on Natura Prima?, for Fondazione La Bevilaqua La Masa, Venice and Bow Arts, London and supporting Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva on Cusp for the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail and her new public sculptures for Lakeside Arts, Nottingham University. He is also currently advising Alia Syed, Charlie Murphy, Susan Stockwell, Maria Chevska, Gary Clough and Laura Daly on project development and funding. 

Hans Petch (Cambridge School of Creative Industries, Anglia Ruskin University) 

Hans Petch is Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Production and is affiliated with StoryLab Research Institute at ARU, Cambridge. Hans Petch has over two decades of broadcast experience, primarily for the BBC where he produced and directed documentary series, factual studio programmes and stand-alone arts documentaries. Hans worked for 12 years at the BBC producing the Jonathan Ross film programme for BBC ONE, many stand-alone documentaries including the 90-minute feature Truly, Madly, Cheaply: the story of the British B film, as well as educational content like The Designed World for BBC TWO and the National Curriculum. He continues to produce a range of broadcast projects, such as the 2017 series The Magic of Cinema for BBC FOUR, as well as a variety of narrative and non-linear branded content for Bacardi. 

Book your place at www.storylabresearch.com