Short course
Spark to Launch: project development for artists
Have a series or project idea you’d like to develop? Designed for artists and photographers, this short course will equip you with a practical framework for developing, planning and communicating creative projects. Working with your own project, you’ll build the skills, knowledge and confidence to shape your ideas into a project proposal ready to pitch.
One participant will be awarded a £250 bursary to kick-start their project, generously supported by BCU School of Arts Enterprise.
Overview
On this 6-week short course, you will work through structured workshops, independent tasks, and a personalized 1-to-1 tutorial designed to help you develop your project proposal so it is ready to launch. To ensure a supportive environment with ample space for group discussion and individual guidance, the course is strictly limited to 12 participants. You will learn practical techniques for refining your creative ideas, writing and talking about your work, creating professional budgets and timelines, identifying key funding opportunities, and pitching your projects.
This course was co-designed by Dr. Madeline Yale Preston and Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora in response to a need they have encountered over many years of working with artists and photographers. Having seen firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate the practical realities of building a sustainable practice—from developing core project ideas to honing proposals, building networks, and securing funding—they joined forces to share their expertise. After collaborating on a session together on socially engaged practice at the National Portrait Gallery, they realized they shared a passion for making this practical knowledge more accessible, designing this course to build your confidence and get your work out into the world.
Dr. Madeline Yale Preston is a curator, editor, writer, and strategic adviser with over 20 years of experience in photography and contemporary art. She holds a PhD from UAL on curating as a producer of art-historical knowledge and serves as a trustee for the Centre for British Photography. Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora is an award-winning artist with a socially engaged practice, founder of Luna, a Senior Lecturer and practice-based researcher in Art and Design at Birmingham City University, and recipient of the RPS Social Practice Award.
Course bursary award
At the conclusion of the course, participants are eligible to apply for a £250 bursary to kick-start their project. Granted on the basis of a one-page PDF project proposal and selected by the tutors, the bursary will be presented to one course participant based in the UK and is generously supported by BCU School of Arts Enterprise.
Learning Outcomes
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Design a realistic project plan
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Learn how to create a workable budget and timeline
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Strengthen your writing skills for proposals, artist statements and project texts
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Produce a project proposal ready to pitch or submit for funding
Who will benefit?
The course is for photographers and artists at any stage of their career, from complete beginners, recent graduates to professionals looking to inspire and kickstart new work. It will benefit creatives who struggle to write about their work, refine the ideas, find funding, or need support writing project proposals.
Course in depth
Each session will be 45 minutes of teaching and practical exercises, with 15 minutes for Q&A. In Session 4, the regularly scheduled course meeting will be replaced with a 30-minute tutorial; each participant will have a one-to-one session with one of the tutors. Tutorials will be arranged to accommodate participants’ and tutors’ availability. There will be a two-week break between Sessions 5 and 6 (which falls during school half term) to finalise your work.
What is included?
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Session 1: The spark of an idea
- Understanding your practice
- Think big: Your vision
- Brainstorming: The core ideas and areas of interest
- Timing: managing creative time and professional development
- Refining: What are the right questions to ask?
- Sharpening: Getting specific with key concepts, scope, outcomes, platforms and audiences
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Session 2: Creating your blueprint
- Honing the project to define what is manageable to achieve
- Developing a project timeline
- Creating a budget: the nuts and bolts to help you realise your vision
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Session 3: Communicating your project
- Writing an artist statement, project statement, pitch statement
- Writing your artist biography and CV
- AI: to use or not to use?
- Presenting your idea and relationship-building: helpful tips on communicating your series or project in proposals, pitches, portfolio reviews, mentoring sessions and professional outreach
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Session 4: Fuelling your project
- Forging collaborations and partnerships
- Finding and creating opportunities for exposure
- Exploring funding and commissions
- Ethical practice considerations
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Session 5: Tutorials
- One-to-one 30-minute tutorial with one of the tutors. This is an opportunity for you to discuss your project, your progression so far and to ask questions
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Session 6: Launchpad
- Assembling a project proposal or pitch
- Building sustainable support networks
- Sharing your project with the group
- Action planning: Your next steps
Schedule & Location
Session 1: Wednesday 13 Jan, 1-2pm
Session 2: Wednesday 20 Jan, 1-2pm
Session 3: Wednesday 27 Jan, 1-2pm
Session 4: Wednesday 3 Feb, 1-2pm
Session 5: Wednesday 10 Feb, 12-3pm (1-to-1 tutorial, 30 minutes)
Session 6: Wednesday 24 Feb, 1-2pm
Location
Online
At the start
The course tutors will endeavour to tailor the course material to your needs. Before the course begins, they encourage you to share with them your motivation to take the course, what you’d like to work on and what you hope to get out of it. This can be in the form of a short paragraph (maximum 200 words), bullet points (maximum ½ page), or a voice recording (maximum 2 minutes). This is informal; it needn’t be polished and you don’t need to share images.
Fees and enrolment
Level: Short course
Cost: £150 (inc VAT)
If you're interested in finding out more about this course or would like more information before you enrol, please register your interest and we'll be in touch with more information.