The ever popular Speed Curating is returning and every afternoon there will be curators available for one on one sessions with artists.

You have the chance to read about the curators interests and experience in their bio below. On the day, you’ll have 15 minutes to talk about what you’re working on, how you think you could work together or just introduce them to your practice. The meeting will take place online and you will be able to share your screen to show your images or videos to the curator.

This fast-paced but friendly environment offers a chance for curators to meet artists they might never have come across, or to see new bodies of work in development. Multiple exhibitions and working relationships have developed from VAI’s Speed Curating events, and everyone walks away feeling the benefit of having discussed their practice with fellow professionals.

There are over 40 curators from varied backgrounds taking part. Some are associated with galleries, some work independently. Some will have specific research interests, others have broader curatorial interests. To make the most of your Speed Curating bookings, we advise you to read the curators interests and bio to avoid selecting a curator with vastly different interests to your own.

Curators hope to meet artists that make work that fits with their broad research interests. It’s essential that you identify the right curator for your practice. Some artists use the opportunity to solicit feedback on their work, however not all curators are comfortable doing this and it’s often not the best environment for it. (Clinics are designed for feedback and Q&A as you can send questions and your images in advance.)

Tips for Speed Curating will be sent in your confirmation email and can also be viewed at the bottom of this page.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Your meeting with the curator will be for 15 minutes. It is a fast-paced but friendly environment. You will be able to share your screen to show examples of your work or your website or Instagram. To make the best use of your time, please have the files or web pages open so you can share during your meeting. You will not be able to send any images or information to curators in advance.

You will be sent a link to bring you to the online platform, the same link for all curators. Each curator will be meeting with 10 artists, so please arrive on time for your meeting as appointments can not be delayed. If you have any difficulty, there is a help facility on the platform and you can always call us for help on 01 672 9488.

WHAT CURATORS EXPECT

Curators hope to meet artists that make work that fits with their broad research interests. It’s essential that you identify the right curator for your practice. Some artists use the opportunity to solicit feedback on their work, however not all curators are comfortable doing this and it’s often not the best environment for it.

NETWORKING

The meetings are usually an initial introduction between the artist and curator, but also can be useful to reconnect with someone if you have made new work. It’s important that you have done your research on the person you are meeting. You should know what exhibitions and projects they have recently worked on and have a good understanding of their broad research interests. A successful meeting can be a foot in the door to building a more long term relationship with the curator. It can sometimes take several years between an initial meeting and an exhibition opportunity. With this in mind it’s important that you give yourself the best chances of staying in touch. Swap email addresses or Instagram. Ask them if they would like to sign up to your mailing list so they can keep up to date with your work. Follow up the meeting with an email. Curators often get lots of emails each month, and so may not always reply to them all. However, they will usually appreciate a few emails a year that keep them informed of new work you are making.

PRACTICE YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH

Being prepared is essential. You should have a concise elevator pitch prepared that gives a simple overview of your work. A 30 second pitch will be approximately 60 words on paper. Write down a list of the key points you want to make about your work and practice with your friends. It’s useful to practice with someone who doesn’t really know your work.

PORTFOLIO / IMAGES

It is essential that the images of your work look amazing. They should be professional, well lit, photos that illustrate both the scale and details of the work. Restrict the images to your best and most recent work. Photographs of how work sits within an exhibition are also good. If you have videos to play, remember that you might not have time to play the whole thing, so select a short excerpt.

Finally, mobile phones are not ideal for showing your work. Tablets and laptops are much better for sharing your screen and finding what you’re looking for easily.