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’ll engage in structured workshops, independent tasks and a 1-to-1 tutorial designed to help you develop your series or project concept and build the confidence and practical skills to take it forward. This course is limited to 12 participants, creating space for discussion and individual support.

The course will teach you techniques for clarifying your ideas and developing your creative direction, writing and talking about your work, creating timelines and budgets, identifying platforms, finding funding opportunities and preparing applications and pitches. It is interactive and practice-led. You will benefit most from it by participating in group discussions and completing the weekly tasks that follow each session.

This course was designed by Madeline Yale Preston and Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora in response to a need we have encountered over many years in our work with artists and photographers. We have seen how challenging it can be to navigate the practical realities of building a sustainable practice, from developing project ideas, to honing proposals, to building networks, to securing opportunities. When designing a session together on socially engaged practice at the National Portrait Gallery in 2026, we realised we shared a passion for making this practical knowledge more accessible. We designed this short course to build artists’ confidence and help you get your work out into the world.

About the Tutors

Dr. Madeline Yale Preston is a mentor, curator, editor, fundraiser, writer and strategic adviser with more than 20 years’ experience in photography and contemporary art. She helps artists and organisations develop their work, build relationships and realise their creative and professional potential. Madeline holds a PhD from UAL (2023) on curating as a producer of art-historical knowledge and the ethical curation of identity. She is a trustee for the Centre for British Photography and co-juries its Realisation Grants.

Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora is a multiple award-winning artist with a socially engaged practice. Her latest work Fractured Landscapes and how we heal (2024-26) was awarded a 46k ACE Project Grant with exhibitions at The New Art Gallery Walsall and Open Eye Gallery in 2026. In 2025 she was the recipient of the RPS Social Practice Award and is a Senior Lecturer andpractice-based researcher in the dept of Art and Design at Birmingham City University.

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

Design a realistic project plan
Learn how to create a workable budget and timeline
Strengthen your writing skills for proposals, artist statements and project texts
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 consist of 45 minutes of teaching and practical exercises, and 15 minutes for Q&A. In Session 5, 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 take place that week, accommodating 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?

Session 1: The spark of an idea
1. Understanding your practice
2. Think big: Your vision
3. Brainstorming: The core ideas and areas of interest
4. Timing: managing creative time and professional development
5. Refining: What are the right questions to ask?
6. Sharpening: Getting specific with key concepts, scope, outcomes, platforms and audiences
Session 2: Creating your blueprint
1. Honing the project to define what is manageable to achieve
2. Developing a project timeline
3. Creating a budget: the nuts and bolts to help you realise your vision
Session 3: Communicating your project
1. Writing an artist statement, project statement, pitch statement
2. Writing your artist biography and CV
3. AI: to use or not to use?
4. Presenting your idea and relationship-building: helpful tips on communicating your series or project in proposals, pitches, portfolio reviews, mentoring sessions and professional outreach
Session 4: Fuelling your project
1. Forging collaborations and partnerships
2. Finding and creating opportunities for exposure
3. Exploring funding and commissions
4. Ethical practice considerations
Session 5: Tutorials
1. 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
Session 6: Launchpad
1. Assembling a project proposal or pitch
2. Building sustainable support networks
3. Sharing your project with the group
4. 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.

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