Stage three, Week Four: DIY spaces and Alternative spaces

When doing my research I have been thinking more about DIY and alternative spaces which could be relevant to my practice. As sometimes traditional gallery spaces may not be suitable for my work or they may be an unrealistic goal. While thinking about this I have done some research in to what spaces could be relevant to me, now and in the furture.

Photo Festivals or Art Festivals

Photo & Art Festivals are very popular and attract a lot of attention from the public as most of the time the events in the festival are free or very cheap. So it works out as a good day out for an individual, couple or family. The good thing about displaying work at this kind of event is that it can be done alone as a photographer or in a group. The bonuses of taking part in these kind of events is that they could help me get feedback in a pretty informal way while also give me the chance to meet new people. I decided as part of my research to look into possible photo/art festivals which I could submit my work to.

Canterbury Festival

https://www.canterburyfestival.co.uk

Canterbury Festival is one of Kents biggest Arts festivals and this year is running from the 20th of October to the 3rd of November. This festival embraces everything arts including Music, talks, Science and the visual arts. It has been running since 1984, so 34 years! Over this period of time it has developed with the times, each year showing how diverse the art world can be. This event hasn’t currently happened this year (while I’m writing this) but I do plan to visit for the day and have a look at some of the things that this festival has to offer and take a closer look at some of the venues and artwork.

I think that putting my work in the Canterbury Festival could be beneficial to me because

It’s local to me which means getting my work up there and back won’t cost a lot
It’s a arts festival, not just a photography festival which means more doors will be open to me.
Its one of the biggest Arts festivals in Kent
There is a lot of interesting venues which the Festival use which mean that there is a wide selections of spaces open to me.
Loads of visits on the yearly (around 65,000)
Opportunity to show both new work and also work which is still in the process of being done.

Margate Festival

http://www.margatefestival.org/

The Margate Festival takes advantage of all the nooks and crannies of margate. This Festival includes work from every area of the arts from poets to sound installations, drama, video and film screenings and Photography as well as much more. The Margate Festival is partners with the turner contemporary, Dreamland and Kent County Council, so they work with very important companies, in and outside of the arts. This year it was run from the 14th to the 30th of September. I didn’t get chance to go to visit any of the events in the festival as I didn’t find out about the festival in till it was over, however I do plan to go next year, and have entered into there mailing list so I can keep myself updated. Some of the most interesting events which were on in the festival which could of been relevant to me is, the “portraits of Margate” series By Caroline Dyal which was on display at the Jospeh Wales studio which is in Margate.

I think some benefits of be displaying my work at Margate Festival could be

It’s relevant to the new project work which I am going to be making soon for Major project as it’s going to be about Margate.
It’s only 1 hour travel from where I live
The chance to work in venues which are completely unique or just cozy like the Pie Factory Gallery, crate space margate and hantverk & found.
They have exhibited documentary photography this year from Babe Studios
The location of the festival is very interesting and will help bring in vists.

Upcoming event which I could go to, The Margate Illustration & Print Fair, Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th October from 11am at the Winter Gardens and Turner Contemporary.

Brighton Photo Fringe

https://2018.photofringe.org

Brighton Photo Fringe is sponsored and in paternership with many useful and well known charites, companies and universities including, Arts Council England, Photoworks and The University of Arts London. The Brighton Photo fringe is a support group of creative people to help other creative photography and lens based arts in Brighton and Hove and across the south east. They focus more on helping photographers have a platform then focusing on one kind of photography, so they are pretty varied when it comes to the styles which will be found here. Over the years it is growing in popularity and is soon to be one of the biggest photo festivals of its kind in the UK. Brighton Photo Fringe is also a charity and is run by Rebecca Drew (Chair), Helen Cammock, Emma Critchley, Fergus Heron, Chloe Hoare, Kay Watson and Martin Seeds. The Brighton Photo fringe runs every two years in October, I haven’t yet had the chance to visit the Brighton photo fringe but I am planning to do this, however it will have to be after the hand in.

Some of the space which was available this year was Phoenix Brighton, ONCA Gallery and also outdoor locations which use the seafront in a public location. Some of the exhibitions which I would really like to visit and interest me are, “It’s Not About Football” By Pete Boyd which is a documentary project about the emotional lives of men watching football, they are all candid photos. Also “Port Life” which is by a group of artists, Leon Bellis, Steve Boyle, Audrey Marshall, Colin Miller, Ellen Miller, Collenn Slater and David Wilson. This project is about working in the ports in Shoreham-by-Sea which is close to Brighton and Hove. Both of these projects are displayed outside and exposed to the weather and public at all times, which means a constant ever changing environment for the photos to be seen in, no two times in which you go and see the photos will be the same.

Port Life, photo screen grabbed from the TIDES facebook group, posted by Audrey Marshall.

It’s Not About Football Screen grabbed from Pete Boyd’s Instagram

Reasons why I think the Brighton Photo Fringe Festival may be Beneficial to me

One of the largest Photo based festivals in the UK
The show a large variety of work, including Documentary photography
They have really interesting spaces which are not just inside but also outside.
It’s just a photography based festival so I will be able to find loads of relevant sources and contacts from it.
It’s a new area for me, but could give great opportunities and help my work spread.

Open studios

Open Studios are a really affective way of using other spaces which are not conventionally used for exhibition of work. Open Studios can take place in your own home or someone else’s, using the space which is available to you. I really love the idea of an open studio as I think people can look at there own space and think about how the work would fit into a particular area. I wanted to do more research into Open studios and find some which could be local to me or something I could get involved in.

Medway Open Studios

https://medwayopenstudios.org

The Medway Open Studios began in 2012 and includes, visual arts, crafts and performing arts. The open studios are normally opened in about July each year and gives the public a chance to not only explore the Chatham, Rochester and Strood area but also see all the different types of art which is on display.

This year there was 21 different venues with over 130 artist spread between the venues. Giving the public the chance to talk to artists, vist exhibitions and buy art. They have traditional watercolours, printmaking, handmade jewellery and photography available for viewing and some of it you can purchase.

How could this open studio event be beneficial to me

Every year they are looking for new people to join them and the application process can be followed on the website.
You can join them as an individual or as a group.
Really local to me, so they might be more likely to want my work displayed.
I know local artists who have been in this event, straight after uni.
The entry fee is £55 for an individual so it’s a lot cheaper then hiring a gallery, its also £140 for a small group from 3-5 people and gets more expansive the bigger the group.
They take control of the festival guide and include your name, venue address, description of the work and a photo, which is included in the price.
They also offer postcards, posters and programs. and take promotion of the event seriously.
Feedback from the public and other artists

Website galleries/ submitting work to open submission magazines

Website galleries are a form of showing your work in a gallery format but online. Another way which I think come under this is submitting your work to an open magazine which may display online but also do print versions. I think these both come under the same headline as most of the open magazine websites also have a gallery space which they also show work from. I started getting interested in this form of promotion and exhibiting work after relizing this is how I normally find new and upcoming photographers, though website galleries and other online “gallery” like spaces which I think can include forms like instagram and Flickr. However these are not the forms that I wanted to do more research into. I Wanted to look into traditional website galleries and also open submission magazines.

Doc Photo Magazine

https://docphotomagazine.com

Doc! magazine are a documentary based online submission magazine which currently have 45 issues. The magazines includes a number of photo essays/ projects from a range of photographers along with interviews of some of the photographers. The last issue of the magazine to date is one which was published on September 3rd 2018.

I think that this magazine could really be beneficial for me to apply for beacuse

It’s completely documentary based so I could be with other people in the magazine who are also doing documentary projects.
possibilities of selling my work online
The chance for my work to be available in a printed magazine format
A good way of getting promotion and a name in the documentary field.
Gives me the chance to really analyse my own work and what project would work best for the magazine.

Creative Boom

https://www.creativeboom.com

Creative Boom is a online magazine which was created in 2009 and has so far one multiple awards. Creative Boom supports every kind of person from the creative industry from professionals to freelances, graduates and designers. The magazine involves photography, arts & crafts, graphic design and illustration as well as tips and other useful information. This magazine is all online based so it is formatted into categories on the website and makes It easy for anyone and everyone to access.

There is a section on there website which tells you what you need to submit and also that they are available to help you sell work.

How I think this online magazine could be beneficial to me

Online promotion which could be seen be millions or more.
faster publication then traditional print magazines
A link straight to my website and Instagram so that if people like my work they can go straight to it.
global access so more people can see it then traditional print.
It will probably be lower cost then if I was to submit to a tradition magazine.

Bibliography

https://www.canterburyfestival.co.uk

https://www.canterburyfestival.co.uk/get-involved/the-big-promotion.aspx

http://www.margatefestival.org/

https://www.instagram.com/portraitsofmargate/

https://www.instagram.com/margatefestival/

https://2018.photofringe.org/about-brighton-photo-fringe

https://2018.photofringe.org/

https://www.phoenixbrighton.org

https://onca.org.uk

https://2018.photofringe.org/exhibitions/its-not-about-football/

Facebook Group: TIDES