AIR

AIR was established in 2007 as a membership body for practising visual and applied artists. Need for such a body amongst artists and research and development of AIR was enabled by a-n The Artists Information Company, drawing on its role as long-standing and well-respected artists’ information and support organisation. a-n provides the secretariat for AIR and its Advisory Group of Artists.

AIR's Mission

AIR's mission is to be the voice of practising visual and applied artists. Through discussion and debate, AIR will identify and explore the issues that impact on artists' practice in order to campaign for artistic, legislative and economic measures to enhance artists' working lives and advance their professional status. AIR seeks to promote the central role of the artist within a diverse and sustainable cultural landscape.

AIR's Objectives

• To enable interaction amongst artists to support representation and advocacy
• To gather intelligence about visual arts practice and artists' careers to influence policy-making
• To provide practical and professional benefits for artists
• To collaborate and cooperate with artists' representative and campaigning groups in the UK and internationally.
• To enable students to establish a career as practising visual or applied artists

Who can join AIR?

AIR is open to all practising visual and applied artists. Full Membership includes full voting rights and associated AIR services, public liability insurance and other professional and practical benefits and an a-n Artist subscription. AIR will be introducing an Associate Membership open to students on, or recent graduates from, practice-based visual arts courses in further and higher education. Although Associate membership doesn't confer voting rights or access to AIR's professional services, it provides a-n subscription benefits.

How did AIR come about?

Following surveys and consultation meetings 2005-07 into artists' professional needs and aspirations AIR was established in September 2006 as a membership body for practising visual and applied artists. The investigative process was steered by interested artists and led by artist Paul Scott, also Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of a-n The Artists Information Company. The group also commissioned research into existing and historical provision for visual artists including reference to previous bodies including the National Artists Association (1985-2000) the role of artists' unions in Ireland and Scotland, and analysis of the efficacy of artists', membership bodies in mainland Europe.

A group of interested artists - drawn from across England and Wales - formed the AIR Artists' Advisory Group and established meetings and research structures to inform AIR's future role and functions. AIR's development was enabled by a-n The Artists Information Company, a long-standing and well-respected artists' information and support organisation. a-n made an adjustment to its constitution to enable this artists' membership scheme and the formation of the AIR Artists' Advisory Group and has since provided the secretariat for AIR and Artists Advisory Group, managing the programmes and initiatives as defined by the group.

Between 2007-2009, AIR negotiated and introduced a number of professional benefits for artist members, these in direct response to the priorities identified by AIR's surveys and consultations. These include free £5m Public and Products Liability insurance (UK members), low-cost Artists' Insurance Policy, Open dialogues and AIRTIME networking events open to artists and final-year art students, immediate application to DACS for Payback fees and access to Artelier for international studio exchange. By October 2010 it had 14,500 members making it the largest-ever artists' membership body in the UK.

The AIR benefits are offered in tandem with the a-n Artist subscription package that includes legally-sound Visual Arts Contracts, Code of Practice for the Visual Arts, guidelines on rates of pay for artists and toolkits, the Knowledge Bank of practical resources and discursive articles and the popular Jobs and opportunities online service

AIR aims to be a 21st century artists' organisation building a wide membership through adopting imaginative and modern methods of communication and consultation. AIR can quickly mobilise artists through e-communications and create effective consultations at short notice.

What is AIR's representation framework

The impetus for participatory and inclusive framework that enables artists to represent themselves and the concerns and needs of their profession within decision-making came from the AIR membership. When surveyed in 2009, 90% said they wanted AIR to "lead campaigns for increased representation of artists' concerns to government and policymakers".

AIR's representative structure has been distilled from and will build on best practice from other representative and campaigning bodies, creating interactive, inclusive, open and transparent communications, consultations and debate designed to empower and 'give voice' to members. It has arisen from consulting with members about the kinds of organisation they related to and their communication preferences. A Working Group examined the effectiveness and communication methods of twenty-four representative organisations, pressure groups and campaigning bodies. These included several European artists' membership bodies or unions, RSA Fellowship Council, Amnesty International and Greenpeace. Discussions were also held with independent electoral service providers.

The framework is designed to achieve both the longevity and viability of AIR as a body that provides both professional benefits for artists and enables very many artists to debate, identify and activate the research and campaigns that will enhance artists' working lives and advance their professional status in society. 

AIR's representative structure encompasses:

• Elected AIR Council evolving from the existing (steering) AIR Advisory Group
• Adoption of digital technologies as the primary means of member-to-member communication, for elections, research, pro-active campaigns and for the sharing evidence and knowledge amongst artists.
• Annual open forum to review the changing environment for artists' practice and review AIR's frameworks, achievements and partnerships.
• Ongoing regional activities and debates and support for development of AIR Activists as they emerge from the membership.

First elections will be held in Autumn 2010, with full transition achieved by 2013.

What is AIR's relationship to a-n The Artists Information Company?

Although AIR was built from a-n's track-record and the high regard in which it was already held by artists and was initially promoted solely to a-n's artist subscriber base, by 2009 it had gained an independent identity and recognition of its consultation routes.

AIR is enabled by and enables a-n The Artists Information Company. AIR recommends the artists that sit as full members on a-n's Board and a-n's Board ratifies the nominations to the AIR Council.

What is a-n The Artists Information Company?
a-n The Artists Information Company was founded in 1980. Through advocacy and information and from the perspective of artists, a-n's mission is to stimulate and support contemporary visual arts practice and affirm the value of artists in society. A not-for-profit company, a-n earns 80% of income from subscriptions and advertising sales augmented by grant aid from Arts Council England and other sources as raised.

In the 1990s, a-n published a series of Artists' Handbooks on practical topics including copyright, fundraising, selling and exhibiting and the legally-sound Visual Arts Contracts. In 2003/4 a-n was commissioned by Arts Council England to research and publish a Code of Practice for the Visual Arts and associated good practice resources including guidelines on rates of pay for artists, available to artists and employers.

Since 2005, digital delivery has been at the core of its operations. Alongside, the Knowledge Bank of practical resources and discursive articles, the Jobs and opportunities online service promotes openly-offered work and professional development opportunities in the UK and beyond. The Professional practice resources and toolkits are widely used as learning resources through licence agreements with universities and colleagues. a-n works in partnership with NALGAO to encourage good working practices between local authority arts officers and artists. a-n is a member of Visual Arts UK, Paradox and Artesnet and programmes collaboratively with Artquest and Axis.

Who does AIR work and partner with?

AIR is open to partnership and collaboration with artists' organisations nationally and internationally.  In 2009 AIR became a member of the European Council of Artists (ECA), to bring the views of its members into this Pan-European, all art form arena. AIR seeks to develop partnerships and exchange with artists' organisations internationally. This includes collaborating with CARFAC (Canadian Artist Representation), sharing knowledge of good practice and learning from their successful lobbying and research strategies. From its inception, AIR stated that it would not actively recruit in areas of the UK where effective artists' bodies already exist. Rather, AIR seeks to work in harmony with Scottish Artists' Union and Visual Artists Ireland, to share knowledge and through dialogue collectively identify where collaboration on research and campaigns would benefit all artists. DACS is a series partner on AIRTIME.

Who finances AIR?

The costs of AIR's Council, representation, campaigning, events and communication structures are supported by income. AIR's relationship with a-n ensures AIR's administration and overhead costs are kept low. AIR benefits from a-n's reputation and non-profit status, that enables members to gain affordable access to additional professional services such as free Public and Products Liability insurance and Artists' Insurance Policy.

Is AIR a union?

A union is one kind of model to achieve representation. AIR consulted with artists to understand the motivations behind why they joined lobbying groups, type of activities members were involved in and the consultation mechanisms. Artists surveyed belonged to 125 different types of campaigning groups. In terms of motivators, 76% wanted to be part of a network of like-minded individuals and 62% joined because they felt strongly about the cause that the group represents. Having examined the structures behind such groups that artists related to and at AIR's need to have lobbying for better conditions for artists at its heart, a specific organisational structure was devised that was informed by good aspects of many organisations' practices, that was felt would best support the level of interaction and participation by a very large volume of artists over a wide geographical area.

Will AIR set rates of pay for its members?

AIR is committed to good practice and improving the economic and social conditions of all artists. As part of this, it will actively seek the views of members on whether there should be advice for members on rates of pay.

A summary of AIR's Development plan for 2010/11 is available at here »

Will AIR have an elected Council?

AIR's Council will comprise a combination of elected and nominated members to ensure it represents the diversity of practice and location of the AIR membership. Elections will be enabled online and verified by an independent body.

For more AIR FAQs Read on »

First published: a-n.co.uk October 2010