Curating on a shoestring: Eight lessons learnt by a new curator

Last term I completely threw myself into curating. This was partly due to the fact that I was panicking about getting lots of work experience, but mostly because over the summer I finally realised my absolute love for contemporary art, and for curating it. Between October and November 2015 I curated and co-curated three (and a half) exhibitions in different spaces across York, only one of which was funded (thank you NRG!)

📷 Photo: Uma Bunnag

In these times of austerity, having no money in the creative industries is nothing new, and these are the 8 things I learned from getting on with zero pounds:

1: The student loan is for more than just wine.

Until this year, I spent A LOT of my student loan on wine and clothes. However, that money from the government really did come in handy when it came to financing exhibitions I wanted to curate off campus.

2: Scavenging is the *key emoji*

In my first exhibition I made the rookie error of not hunting through the magical Norman Rea Gallery store cupboard before I drew up my initial budget. The amount of useful stuff that people buy and forget about is amazing. In the end I didn’t spend a single penny on the materials I used to hang and label works in my first exhibition. I have to admit, I may have taken this mindset slightly too far when co-curator Uma Bunnag and I opted to use the spine of a book to knock nails into a wall instead of fork out for a hammer. But you get the idea.

3: Never, ever underestimate people's kindness

Throughout curating all three (and a half) exhibitions, I have been amazed by people's willingness to help and support our efforts. Whether it's simple things like my housemates letting me have three artists to stay for half a week, or acts of kindness like the owner of a shop front letting us curate an exhibition there for free (thanks Gavin!), these things often mean the difference between being able to put on a show or not.

4: Never, ever underestimate people's enthusiasm

The young artist community is incredibly warm and supportive. This means that when it comes to asking them to put their work in your show, nine out of ten times they jump at the chance. Every time we start planning for a show, I am always doubtful that artists will even reply to a random email from a very keen student/curator who they’ve never met before. Every time I am proven wrong. It’s a big bad world out there, and us budding creative types have got to stick together.

Photo: Josie Dear

5: Maths does have a use outside the classroom (sadly)

Curating has been the first time in five years that I have had to properly engage my mind in any way remotely mathematical. It has been quite the learning curve, let me tell you; there is a lot of measuring the size of pieces and height of walls.

6: DIY is unavoidable.

Maybe one day when I am as rich and famous as Hans Ulrich Obrist, all I will have to do is stand and point, while little interns scurry about doing my bidding, but right now, that is not the case. I have learnt how to drill, what a mirror plate is, what those weird plastic cones you sometimes put on screws are for, the list is endless. Curating is so much more practical than I ever imagined; it can be slightly daunting at times, but nothing beats the feeling of power you get when sawing lengths of 2by4 in the middle of a white cube.

7: It pays to trawl through the grad show websites

Almost all of the artists I have shown, I have found through the internet. Graduate show websites are the best as not only do you get to choose geographically where you want the art from (which can be major when it comes to postal/delivery costs), but you get to find artists at their most up and coming. They are at the end of a three year course with three years’ worth of art that needs to be shown. They are also very excited and enthusiastic and there is nothing more rewarding for a curator than working with an artist like that.

8: Social media is King

Facebook events are the absolute best thing ever when it comes to launching an exhibition, and they are the only way I have found of effectively shouting about your upcoming shows. There is no such thing as a successful shy and retiring opening night.

Every stage of curating is so much fun, yes it can be stressful and bank draining, but it is always rewarding, and it introduces you to a fascinating community of extremely talented people. If you get the chance, co-curate with someone, as there is nothing better than pulling off a show with someone else. Also it is literally impossible to mirror plate a canvas to the wall by yourself.

And How Do You Feel About That?, which Tilly Heydon co-curated with Catrin Podgorski is on at the New Schoolhouse Gallery until 16/01/16.

Tilly is currently co-curating an ongoing pop up exhibition series, Spyclopse across York with Uma Bunnag.  Facebook event here.