First official shift! Hanging the open call, got to make a lot of the decisions which was nice and was good to put to use some of the knowledge that exposure to ICVL’s process has imbued. Reminds me that the most important thing is always just finding an opportunity to actually do the thing (e.g. curating) that you build an ideal around. There’s so much that you figure out along the way and so many ways that things are shaped by practical circumstance rather than ideals, and in the end that’s the bit I find really rewarding- which is good because problem solving and adapting seems to be 90% of the job. I’m really enjoying the practical elements that come with being in charge of a space, as you are as a curator, so far we’ve had to look inside the light switches for loose wiring and figure out how to work around the fact the most of the walls are pure concrete. I’ve been researching hanging systems, have been calling up suppliers, and presenting the findings to Dan and Hamish. Such valuable opportunities to learn the ins and outs of managing a space that are applicable to this role long term, glad that responsibility is being shared so openly from the jump.
I feel like I will be working here a while which is nice, and I feel like there is so much to learn so it’s good to have something to plan around that shouldn’t (hopefully) be changing too dramatically any time soon. Also just insanely grateful to be able to work doing something I love. The 2 shifts since the opening have been very relaxed but also interesting, stuff like costing up the hanging system will crop up in the day alongside talking to customers. There is a lot less of a shop front/ sale feel to this space than bedminster and so the interactions are more like trying to talk people into seeing this as their go to place for future printing and framing, I like these kind of relationship building conversations a lot and feel more suited to them than quick service interactions. Again, just valauble to be putting time into talking art to artsy (or not artsy) people as it is something that I got really into through volunteering at BPF, working at ICVL, doing the stall at GLUE, etc, but I needed to find another opportunity to do it now as you need that constant refreshing of experience.
How might my experience so far shape my career plan?
Short term:
It sures it up a lot. This feels like a great job, makes the idea of working full time and staying in Bristol so much more motivating than the pub-job alternative I was working with before. Having seen my girlfriend coping with full time hospitality to barely afford living in Bristol, I am not sure I would’ve made it otherwise. I’m currently on 14-21 Hours (averaging 18 p/w) but I believe 21 is a sure thing from June, (~33 p/w total 1st May- 31st July with internship). I am speculatively going to negotiate for more from August if possible, to line up with the the end of the internship. Otherwise it shouldn’t be too hard to find another part time job with 8-16 or hours a week, potentially hospitality although I have some time to look throughout the summer months before my tenancy is up so ideally something curation/gallery/public arts/heritage adjacent that leads on from the internship.
I’ve been keeping a spending in March (my eyes only 🫣) which i’ve used to update my weekly costs breakdown.
Theoretical house costs:
149.50 p/w Rent
7 p/w Electric
8 p/w Gas
22 p/w Council Tax
Total:
£186.50 p/w
[*4.35 = £811.23 p/m]
Semi-theoretical living costs:
20 p/w Food Shop
40 p/w F&D Out
15 p/w Entry & Tickets
10 p/w Petrol
10 p/w Bus
5 p/w Parking
5 p/w Photo supplies
Total:
£105 p/w
[£456.75 p/m]
Sum Total:
£291.50 p/w
[1,267.98 p/m]
Minimum wage (from 1/4/26) = 12.71 p/h
Tax = 20% ish so 12.71*0.8= 10.17 p/h
291.50 / 10.17 = 28.66
Conclusions:
29 hours p/w to cover costs
Ideally more, would like to put aside £50 p/w for short term savings, emergencies and fun.
Med term:
Lots of equipment to be trained up on & lots of opportunities for project management, events management etc, so I should be in a good position after a few years to escape minimum wage.
Long term:
I would love to soak up as much knowledge as possible and be able to open my own space one day. Looking to learn about what the art infrastructure needs, through experience of being a part of it, to know what good I could do within it. Love the idea at the moment of a physical space that contributes to the necessary infrastructure, e.g. physical stuff like printing and framing or more financial stuff like providing grants, or a space to work etc etc but does so with a foundational commitment to doing things in accordance with what the world needs, not what the art world wants. So being a support structure for the world, which engages through the arts, not a support structure for the arts which engages loosely with the world.
Not such a subtle difference if it was done well and not just a tag line. This would mean looking to engage with and deal with problems of ecological collapse, political collapse, and all the other bloody collapses at the moment, and closer to home human level things like addiction, depresion, and so on. It would be a space to support a community of people who believe that art, craft and storytelling can be life & world changing. Want to let the idea grow over years where I learn what there is too much of already and what there isn’t enough of, happy to adapt the idea completely around whatever the world looks like by the time I am ready to do something like this.