This course aims to improve your skills in the presentation, handling and installation of artworks. It will support you to cultivate the capabilities and behaviours essential in undertaking meaningful roles within the UK’s key creative spaces and places.

This bootcamp covers skills in art handling alongside digital, audio-visual and carpentry capabilities. The course aims to strike a balance between theoretical insights and hands-on practice covering:

• framing, mount-making, packing materials and methods for shipping

• wall building and making bespoke plinths for artworks and artefacts

• gallery and museum lighting and the installation of largescale film and audiovisual works.

Bectu, the union for the creative industries, has launched a new survey for art technicians working in the UK that will help the union establish recommended rates of pay and help address low pay and pay discrepancies across the sector. 

The survey is open to all art technicians, art handlers, fabricators, framers and studio assistants working in the UK. The survey is available here: https://bit.ly/BAT-Rates

The union will use the findings to establish the UK’s first pay guidance for the art technical sector, which will outline recommended minimum professional, general and managerial rates that will help UK art technicians better negotiate their pay.

Pay within the UK art technician sector is not yet standardised so workers have traditionally been offered very low rates. Many also experience pay discrepancies according to venue, location of work or other factors and frequently work overtime with no compensation.

One Bectu member commented: 

“Whilst working for…

CVAN EM has been awarded funding from Art Fund’s Reimagine programme to help deliver an Art Technician Training Programme for the East Midlands, in partnership with ArtTechSpace and supported by organisations across the region. The project will offer multiple means to access funded, free, and subsidised training opportunities. Activity will take place over summer 2023.

Opportunity Overview: CVAN EM and ArtTechSpace are working with skilled technicians and trainers in the region to develop and deliver a series of free, Advanced Art Technician Training sessions, for those already working in the arts and culture sector, these include:

• Exhibition furniture & wall building

• Live events, from gallery to stage

• Lighting for objects & exhibitions (TBC)