New Creative Markets | NCM Exposed

© Alys Tomlinson, 'Dead Time'

This exhibition marks the final stage of New Creative Markets, a three year professional development programme for early to mid-career artists. Photofusion’s partnership in the consortium with Space, Four Corners and Cockpit Arts, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, enabled us to provide much needed professional creative support tailored to different photographic genres and needs.

NCM Exposed features over 100 photographers who participated in the programme, each photographer selecting one image representative of a captivating story, concept or visual style. The result is a lively and dynamic salon-style exhibition, showing the diversity of photographic image-making created by London-based photographers.

New Creative Markets evolved out of the need expressed by artists for support in understanding the business basics of being a professional sole trader, alongside guidance on project development, fundraising, marketing, creating national and international networks, gaining commissions and sales.

The programme included talks, seminars, workshops and mentoring by professional artists, curators and leading industry experts including Zoe Wishaw, Susan Mumford (Be Smart About Art), David Birkitt (DMB Creatives).

There is considerable value in nurturing the aspirations and talent of artists to ensure they can maintain their practice longterm. It has been stated that 50% of small businesses fold in the first two years (Theo Paphitis in the Guardian, 8 July 2014), graduates are unprepared for entering into the professional visual arts field and those who are self-taught often don’t have access to networks to receive critical feedback and support with cultivating business skills in the arts. Understanding the context in which artists are making work and where to position themselves in the “marketplace” of the wider visual arts landscape is integral to artists successfully fundraising to make and distribute work, gain new opportunities and build networks. NCM addressed these areas and provided peer networking that is essential for those making photography, which can be an isolating practice.

In 2014, the Creative Industries Council UK published a Creative Industries Strategy which stated: “To boost the creative industries competitiveness, the UK needs an industry-led skills system that enables growth in companies of all sizes and supports entry to and progression within these industries for individuals from all backgrounds.”

Photofusion’s mission is to support the diversity of the photographic arts, to enable practitioners to have access to the skills, critical feedback and opportunities required to have a fulfilling career and continue contributing to the UK’s dynamic visual arts environment. New Creative Markets has proven to be a successful model and was instrumental in Photofusion receiving a Grants for the Arts award to run a new programme to support photographers at the initial stage of setting up a professional career.

© Andy Stag

 For further information and a press pack, pleases contact:
020 7738 5774
gallery@photofusion.org