Setting up a work shop - how large a space would you need? Tools - what would you need?
Materials - how much so you use in any given month?
Careful planning is essential to become an efficient working artist. Strategies should be put in place to assist with. Do you rent a premises or do you work from home, renting might allow you to be more overt with your work and contact with the general public.
It’s always worth considering accessibility for people who are disabled. It is also working considering how far you could conceivably rent away from where you live. Is it worth the travel time (if its cheap to rent). Do you need 3-phase power for kilns etc.
Question: Will October be a good time for an exhibition (Clevedon Craft Centre) or does it matter because its your first one? I don't have an answer to this question as Clevedon Craft Centre has days where it is really busy and day when it is not. According to Gail who helps runs it said recently that there is no rhyme or reason to the quantity of people, and it can't be predicted which is interesting.
There are many galleries in the south west, the BV Gallery - (Bedminster) - Red Brick Building (Glastonbury) where space can be found. However, my feeling is that if the workspace is charging £250 per month to rent (Black Swan Arts) you would have to be selling great deal to cover these costs.
Renting space checklist-
Accessibility
Terms of lease - Who owns the lease? Who collects the rent? Is the rent fair? Business rates - how much?
Extra power costs - so they charge extra for power and heating? How long is the tenancy for? And also how long notice you will expect to have if you are thinking leaving.
Insurance - Do you need your worn insurance or does the building hold it’s own?
Health and Safety - Fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, who is responsible for repairs to the building. Are there fumes from kilns (extraction)? - is it a safe environment?
How is Rent paid? It is paid by the BACs system or by cash?
Can you pay less tax by setting it off against rent etc?
Inventories of what is included and what you don’t need in the work space.
Opening times - is the site studio limited to certain houses or the there 24 hours access?
Security: Is it safe? What is the general area like, and is there much theft and vandalism there? Do you feel safe?
Is the studio space open on weekends and bank holidays and does the site hold public events which would bring in extra footfall?
It is always worth considering having the work that you may not be ready to sell, stored away from public eye. This way you can sell what you are ready to sell at the correct time.
Hypothetically set up a studio/workshop space. That fits your requirements as an artist designer. Be realistic and some planning will be fictitious but based on a projection of what and how you want your prattle to evolve eg how many products, commissions, orders are you going to sell or take on.
As I mentioned earlier, an artist has to be making enough money to fund a workshop, as it is prohibitively expensive. I plus point of renting in a place where there are other artists is that you can have dialogue with other artists and discuss points of interest regarding art. That is the one point where having a workshop in an artists set up would be good.
Having said all that, I am fortunate to have some space in my garage to set up a workshop, and although it has some workbench space, it is not ideal, as there are three motorcycles also stored in the same building, which means space is limited.
Here is a plan for my ideal workshop, where there is sufficient storage and more importantly a wood-burner to keep the workshop warm when working in there.
Workshop Design
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