In association with the Futuremap 09 showcase exhibition of the best emerging art and design talent from the University of the Arts London, Artquest ran a new programme of talks for recent graduates. 

First Timers Club was a series of informal presentations by practitioners and industry professionals for new graduates, taking them through a number of 'first time' scenarios. From your first public commission, to your first exhibition, the First Timers Club helped avoid the perils and pitfalls of starting out.

Audio from the sessions can be accessed here.

First Show

30 November 2009, 6-7.30pm

Gallerist's and artist's experiences working with each other for the first time.
Artist Gordon Cheung and gallerist/curator and Artquest project Coordinator Nick Kaplony will be giving their insights and tips on how new graduates might best approach their first exhibition. 

Gordon Cheung's multi-media art capture the hallucinations between the virtual and actual realities of a globalised world oscillating between Utopia and Dystopia. Spray paint, oil, acrylic, pastels, stock listings and ink collide in his works to form epic techno-sublime vistas. Cheung graduated from the Royal College of Art, 2001 and whilst a student he instigated and was the organiser of 'Assembly' exhibiting 172 MA art graduates in 2 disused Victorian school buildings.

First Public Commission

7 December 2009, 6-7.30pm

Commissioners and practitioners perspectives on first public commissions.

The second session of this seminar series looked at public art commissions and saw curator/commissioner Adriana Marques and artist Ella Gibbs from Pilot Publishing talking through some of the issues when working on their first public art commission. Adriana Marques is a curator and producer of Haring Woods' socially engaged art projects and events in public places. Adriana has 10 years of curatorial experience producing visual art exhibitions and events particularly in public places. In 2007 she completed a publication for Arts Council England, "Open space: Art in the Public Realm in London 1995-2005". She also worked on the experimental NOW and EXPO festivals in Nottingham, working with contemporary artists to create theatrical events in a variety of disused spaces throughout Nottingham, and she has worked with ArtAngel on a series of socially engaged public art projects. She has been the Commissions Manager for a public art agency, managing projects throughout the UK and writing public art strategies, and she completed an MA in Curating at Goldsmiths College, focusing on public art's role in government regeneration strategies.

Pilot Publishing was set up by London based artists Ella Gibbs and Amy Plant in 2004 following a collaborative work: Laburnum Pilot - A Street Magazine made by people who live work and pass through Laburnum Street. Pilot Publishing is a mobile, independent initiative that explores publishing in its broadest sense; from large scale public art commissions to informal educational workshops, broadcasting, talks and live events. Constantly on the move, Pilot Publishing finds temporary homes and collaborators in different locations. Each project aims to activate and ‘bring to life' a space for free experimentation where informal exchange and cooperation between people are key. They are currently developing a long term project; Energy Café - converting a trailer into a mobile DIY off grid kitchen that will be offered as unique community resource.

First Moves: Building and sustaining a career in the Arts

14 December 2009, 6-7.30pm

Artists Laura Eldret and Barby Asante talk about building a career and sustaining their practice.

Laura Eldret has a disparate artistic practice that includes performance, sculpture, installation, interventions and drawings. She is also a freelance curator, workshop facilitator and co-founder of the CollectingLiveArt campaign. Barby Asante's practice is grounded in participation and engagement with different audiences, particularly encouraging people to use their voices. She has exhibited widely nationally and internationally in conventional as well as unconventional spaces, and her works include Wig Therapy (2001-2005), Journey Into the East (2002), Comfort Zones (2004), Self (2004), Summer Sunset (2005) .

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