The ArtLinks e-Newsletter is sent to several 1000 creative practitioners and those interested in the Arts each month
21 Apr 08
Welcome to the ArtLinks e-Newsletter
A regular Art News and Information Bulletin from the participating ArtLinks Partner Counties: Co Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford & Wicklow
Hi everyone,
We are now taking bookings for our 2008 ArtLinks Business Courses for the Arts. ArtLinks members, you will have just received the new Brochure in the last few days. All creative practitioners over 18 years, both amateurs and professionals, are encouraged to attend.
Our comprehensive range of Courses concentrates on business and promotion skills for those working in creative fields and have been designed chiefly in response to ArtLinks members feedback. They will be held across the partner ArtLinks Counties, Please note these will be the main Business Courses delivered this year as in the Autumn, Artlinks will be delivering courses for Drama, Theatre and Film.
Please do take this opportunity to participate in learning new skills to support and promote your practice. You'll also benefit by networking with others in the ArtLinks community. People attending these courses have often made valuable connections and they are fun too - our panellists are skilled, engaging and keen to pass on their knowledge to you.
From my own experience as a visual artist I can highly recommend Marian's business mentoring session - she's highly enthusiastic and experienced in giving financial advice to those working in the Arts. I've also benefited from using both a template website and blogsite to promote my work and I'm a document 'junkie' in so far as recording /taking the best images of my work. The Applying for Funding course is a must; we've run this course before in other counties and the Arts Officers have told me that already there has been a significant improvement in the quality of applications they are receiving, which in the end improves your chances of getting financial support for your work/project/event.
Here are the ArtLinks 2008 Business Course titles:
- Business Mentoring for your Creative Practice*(see notes below from our Business Mentor, Marian McDonald, on why this may benefit your creative practice)
- Marketing your Creative Work
- Applying for Funding
- Photographing / Documenting your Creative Work
- Get Your Visual Work Online Today
- Blogging for Beginners (see notes below)
Please see the Artlinks.ie Course page or Brochure for full Course details, venues, dates and times.
BOOKINGS: To immediately secure a place and assist ArtLinks administration please use the Online Reservation Form. Then download the Paper Booking form and send with payment to 'ArtLinks',
Kilkenny Arts Office, 72 John St, Kilkenny. Alternatively, please detach the form from the ArtLinks Brochure and return with payment to address mentioned above. Note, as people can reserve places instantly online please book promptly so you don't miss out. Places on some courses are limited.
FEES: All ArtLinks Courses are subsidised to enable as many people as possible to have access to new skills.
Registered Artlinks practitioners: All day courses €30, short courses €15.
Not Registered with ArtLinks: All day courses €45, short courses €20.
Note: One-to-one Business Mentoring 1h sessions, €50. Bookings for this course must be made either to info@artlinks.ie or ring 056 7794135.
All courses are subject to availability. People from other Counties are welcome to attend if there are places, however priority is given to ArtLinks members.
Looking forward to seeing you soon at the ArtLinks 2008 courses,
Cathy Fitzgerald
ArtLinks Director
PS: One of our 2007 Bursary winners, Mary Amond O'Brien, is shortly to direct a Mass for Peace with the Carlow Young Artists Choir - click on the link on the right for more details. Her award allowed her mentorship with a top conductor, so Carlow is in for a great concert!
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 * Business Skills Advice
from Financial Consultant, Marian MacDonald
Having the skill to produce your creative work is a necessary ingredient for the success of your enterprise but it will not guarantee it!
There is little point in producing creative work or products of excellent quality, having the lowest possible level of wastage, a superb sales record and using the best of raw materials and skills, if
- You are not getting paid for it
- You are not getting paid a fair price
- You are getting paid but not making the best use of the money
Most people believe that they are paying too much tax - on the basis that any tax is too much. However, there are a great many people paying more tax than they need to - simply because they are either not claiming all of the credits to which they are entitled, or they are not making use of every tax avoidance measure possible. TAX AVOIDANCE is not a crime - it is using the tax system to the best advantage. One such measure is the acquisition of the ARTIST'S EXEMPTION status.
SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ANY ASSISTANCE IN DEALING WITH ANY OF THE ISSUES MENTIONED ABOVE, OR PERHAPS YOU ARE FEELING ISOLATED, PARTICIPATING IN A BUSINESS PROGRAMME OR AVAILING OF THE ARTLINKS BUSINESS MENTORING MAY BE YOUR SOLUTION.
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Blogging for the Arts?
A recent UK commissioned
Arts study found blogs (online diaries) are increasingly usedby people to connect not so much with publishers, buyers or curators, but with new peers and build new audiences for their creative work. For e.g. blogs created by writers have created content and audiences for new books, an amateur sculptor reveals
his practice by posting in-process images of his latest commission. A few words from our ArtLinks Blog tutor, Ken McGuire, below.
I'll be giving the ArtLinks 'Blogging For Beginners' course in my home town Kilkenny
this spring. As such, I've started a 'Blogging For
Beginners' series of posts on ProFreelanceBlogger.com which will cover
the very basics of blogging from
- What is a blog
- Understanding RSS feeds
- Blogging platforms (free vs hosted)
- How to set up a blog
- Blog writing tips and techniques
- Getting your blog and posts found
- Engaging your readers
Material that I use for the course will later be posted on Pro Freelance Blogger.
While I have engaged in and continue to offer one-to-one sessions with
clients (in terms of blogging), this will be the first time that I've
offered something on a one-to-many basis so I must say I'm looking
forward to it and meeting you all there.
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Why Join ArtLinks? ArtLinks provides opportunities for all amateur and professional creative practitioners, aged 18 and above, who are resident in
Co. Kilkenny,
Co. Carlow,
Co. Waterford,
Co. Wexford and
Co. Wicklow
to gain skills, knowledge and understanding and necessary support in order to develop their work practices and careers.
FREE ArtLinks benefits:
ArtLinks e-bulletins
Reduced fees
for ArtLinks courses
Don't have a Website? When you register, your details create your online ArtLinks Artists' Profile that you can update anytime
Post your own event notices on the online Events Calendar & Noticeboard
Network with practitioners in your region in the ArtLinks Online Forums
Be eligible to apply for
ArtLinks Bursaries
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