Simona Del’Agli came to speak to us about the range of services artquest provides. She was direct and professional and outlined some basic professional truths to help us navigate the world beyond art college. It was like a toolkit for what feels like the rest of my life as a practicing artist.

Some of the key points I noted down:

• email: use professional one eg @cadifroehlich.co.uk
• networks: eg Axis, Re-title
• portfolio: keep up to date with business cards and headed paper
• keep a database of contacts
• email out a newsletter for your own shows
• post on a-n blog listing
• tweet @artquestlondon, #artops and #artistsworth
• comment book: ‘if you would like more info….’ but you are not allowed to email any old address that comes into your inbox
• MA show: plan a follow up
• Contracts: WHO does WHAT, WHEN, for HOW MUCH. If you not offered one , ask or make one. Discuss before signing- if it doesn’t seem fair, don’t sign.
• Delivery note: examples available on art quest. Also legal advice.
  DON’T SEND WORK WITHOUT A CONTRACT
• copyright- maker owns it for life +70yrs
  ‘there is no copyright claim on the idea, only in the artists original expression of it’ – Henry Lydiat.
• EARNING MONEY IS NOT SINFUL. Day jobs, selling work, spin-offs, commissions, awards, grants, license, IP, etc
• Join DACS
• Funding: Elephant Trust, Welcome Trust, Grants for the Arts, Grantstar, Fenton Arts Trust
• Open Calls worth paying the fee for: Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Open West, Jerwood, Exter Phoenix Open, Oryel Open, Matt Roberts, Deptford X, BP Portrait, RA Summer exhib, etc
• Residencies: V&A, Wysing Arts Center, Culture Lab, Isis, Love Park, Florence Trust, AA2A, Artsquest, etc