supporting artists at a critical time

One of the most important reasons for providing professional development to emerging Artists lies in the significance of timing. By focusing on the period of the transition from student to Artist, following Art School or University, it ensures vital help and support is available at a vulnerable time. It is during these first few years that an inexperienced Artist discovers the nature of the challenges involved in sustaining their creative practice and what skills are required to address them. The importance of preparing for the practical realities of professional life is essential and can, when overlooked, put at risk the immense effort and investment made, resulting in highly gifted and creative people unable to realize their potential to fully contribute to the wider community and a society much in need of creative experience and cultural leadership.

This is also a time when the disruptive impact of digital technology has brought about many changes including significant new opportunities for Artists to communicate, collaborate and interact directly with the public, increasing engagement and participation alongside the means to sell their work into a wider market than hitherto. Arts audiences are becoming more diverse and receptive to contemporary ideas while the boundaries of what is considered art are significantly broadening. This introduces new routes to market with less reliance on galleries and dealers. This ushers in an era where a greater autonomy of means enables a more self-reliant Artist professionally skilled and creatively motivated and without being commercial, to take advantage of the increasing role of creativity in public life including eschewing past roles and expectations such as `romantic dependent` which appear inappropriate in the 21st Century.

The opportunities are now there for Artists to take their place in the market place as an equal among equals. The professional development with practical and mentoring support envisaged by newplatform.art following leading corporate Art Awards initiatives offered by Clyde & Co, Aon and Travers Smith, are designed to meet these needs and aspirations at a time of critical transition for emerging Artists beginning their careers following Art School and University.

At this time, when survival is the priority, the ability to sustain a creative practice with a measure of creative entrepreneurship is a prerequisite of success.
Ian Chance, Mentor newplatform.art Director MA Creative Entrepreneurship University of East Anglia