Making a Buck Without Selling Out

About the Open Call

Whether you’re just starting out or years into your art practice, Making a Buck Without Selling Out will help you build momentum and define success on your own terms—without conforming to institutional expectations, compromising your ethics, or reshaping your work to fit the market. This programme is for visual artists who want to develop or revisit their professional practice, and carve a path that makes sense for them. The course employs critical inquiry, collective exploration, open dialogue, and peer review to support artists in the articulation of their practice, and the cultivation of their creative agency. Across six group sessions, and one-to-one tutorials, we’ll address questions of visibility, identity, and sustainability in contemporary art. We’ll review your work, identify its unique characteristics, and connect these with the strategies, and resources that support an independent art practice. You’ll join a small group of 8 peers, exchange feedback, and receive individual support from experienced tutors. Each session is practical, participatory, and designed to produce tangible outcomes. We’ll also explore how to sustain yourself in the long run—by establishing boundaries, aligning your work with your values, and resisting the pressure to perform.

What is Offered

6 online sessions (2.5 hrs each), Weekly activities with tangible outcomes, Peer review, written feedback, and collective learning, A workbook to map your direction—plan, reflect, and track your progress, Practical guides, resources and tools—from funding to self-care to AI, A one-to-one tutorial to review your action plan, proposals, or questions.

Requirements

A reliable internet connection, A computer with webcam, mic and speakers or headphones, Access code to register on Canvas, Download and install Zoom, Notebook and pen, Examples of your work in physical or digital form.

How to Apply

Register online via the provided links for either the September 2025 (£200) or January 2026 (£240) cohort. Review the Learning Agreement and Course Outline documents before registration. Use the contact form for any questions or accessibility concerns.