Your local council can be an excellent first step in finding a venue – many local borough arts officers can provide a list of vacant council properties, some of which may be available at reduced rents or free for limited periods of time.

Many private property owners understand the regenerative potential of the visual arts and could be persuaded to provide a space at a low price, or free for a period.  Many artist-led spaces have used domestic venues (such as Apartment in Manchester and Switchspace in Glasgow, co-curated by Sorcha Dallas who now runs her own commercial gallery) and this can be an excellent way to test the water before making a larger commitment of time and money.  Other groups may elect to use different spaces for each of their exhibitions or projects, such as Cuckoo in New Zealand or Reclamation Artists in Boston, USA, meaning the early stage of the organisation can avoid the difficulties and extra workload a permanent space can bring.

• getting an exhibition
• startup
• artist run spaces
• DIY
• exhibiting
• empty shops
• studios