Founded in 1980, a-n The Artists Information Company is the UK’s largest visual arts membership organisation. Its mission is to stimulate and support contemporary visual arts practice and affirm the value of artists in society.
We work with and support practitioners and creative freelancers working within fine art, applied art, live arts and moving image, sound and text-based practices, digital and animation, curatorial, participatory, public and community arts.
We do this through a range of advocacy, support, research and development programmes and services including:
• Membership packages for artists, art organisers, students and organisations
• Online publishing of visual arts news, reviews, blogs, jobs and opportunities
• Resources, toolkits, research and information setting the terms of reference, and codes of practice, for professional arts practice
• Small-scale bursaries to support professional visual arts practice
• Public and sector facing campaigns
• Sector research
• Insurance policies for professional artists and arts organisers
Our a-n offices are in London and Newcastle but our full a-n team are distributed across the UK and internationally. We are advised by our Artists Council, comprised of representatives of our artist membership who together reflect the varied UK contemporary visual arts and influence and help shape our programmes and campaigns.
In May 2014 a-n launched the Paying Artists Campaign dedicated to ensuring that visual artists are paid for exhibiting work in publicly funded galleries, and to highlighting and raising awareness of the need for equality and diversity in the visual arts. For more information on this impactful and dynamic campaign visit and sign up at www.payingartists.org.uk (#payingartists)