Workshops Menu

info | general professional | digital

PLEASE NOTE: We provide workshops to organisations, who then offer them to artists OR we offer workshops when sufficient people have registered their interest. If you have a group of five or more, we can also try to offer you date of your choice.
Please use this form to register your interest, or just email us.

If you are want to register your interest in a particular workshop, or request another one, please go here.

 

Overview
AHA offers a range of practitioner-led workshops.  The subject matter is always approached from the context of practice:  all workshop leaders are artists and/or artist-managers.  Participants are engaged in a dynamic fashion:  all sessions contain hands-on learning and opportunities for participant interaction.  The workshops are designed for professional artists in all stages of development, from early career onwards.

Where/What
Workshops are typically offered at our site at Bellever (nr Postbridge, on Dartmoor) OR can be brought to a venue of your choice:  you provide the audience and the venue and AHA will provide the expertise.  For digital skills workshops, the cost of equipment is included in the quoted price.  The workshops are adaptable to a variety of venues, as long as there is sufficient heat, power and toilet facilities, and the ability to provide refreshments (including lunch for all-day workshops).  Depending on the workshop, venues may need to have easy access for loading in equipment.  We are happy to suggest appropriate venues and provide contact information, eg some of the digital workshops would work well at the High Moorland Business Centre in Princetown.

Length
Whole-day workshops run from 10am to 4.00pm.  Half-day workshops run from 9.30 to 1.00, or 1.30 to 5.00.  All are offered on weekdays only (unless negotiated separately).

Cost
Prices and number of participants are noted after each workshop description.  The price is per session, not per participant.  In addition to the quoted price,  you provide the venue, refreshments, lunch (where applicable), and marketing and promotion (where applicable). AHA is not currently VAT-registered, so there is no VAT added.  Workshops that involve intensive use of equipment and hands-on training are more expensive.

Participants
Visual Artists and Performing Artists tend to think differently, and approach things differently.  While all the general workshops can be offered to a mixed grouping, it is usually advantageous to divide the participants into either visual arts or performing artists/musicians.  When this is the case, we can tailor the workshop to the particular group.  It is, however, advantageous to have a mix of experience in any group (except for the skills workshops, where skills levels are indicated).  All workshops are designed for professional artists, but could also be tailored for pre-professional artists where appropriate.

Variations
Like any good kitchen, we can offer variations to the items in our menu, or you can suggest items of your own which we will do our best to accommodate.  The menu below therefore represents a flavour of the kind of workshops we can offer.

 

 

 

 

 

General professional workshops

 

Marketing & Promotion: covers a broad introduction to marketing and promotion, including print vs. electronic promotion, raising your profile, working with print and broadcast media, audience/market identification, and so on.

·       full day

·       cost: £450

·       up to 20 participants

SKILL 0

 

 

Fundraising: a broad look at notions of funding and fundraising, not exclusively focussing on subsidy and grants. Part of the day will be spent looking at Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts scheme and a number of case studies.  Ideally, participants will be either early-career or established artists.

·       full day

·       cost: £450

·       up to 20 participants

SKILL 0

 

 

Presenting yourself:  how to present ideas on paper, how to bid successfully for commissions and other competitive projects, and in general how artists can sell themselves and their work on paper.  We will address not just language issues but basic issues of design and layout, how to pick a good image, and what should (and should not) be included in a strong proposal package.

·       full day

·       cost: £450

·       up to 20 participants

SKILL 1

 

 

Legal structures for artists: an introduction to legal structures for artists and arts organisations.  Whether you are an early-career artist just beginning to explore funding opportunities or a more experienced professional who feels the time has come to formalise your legal status, this workshop provides a comparative discussion of the legal structures available to artists, including their liability and tax implications. Neither dry nor boring, it looks at a number of artist-based case studies and will help you decide on your most appropriate next step.

·       full day

·       cost: £450

·       up to 20 participants

SKILL 0

 

 

Basic Health & Safety:  may be offered to all artists together, but is probably better tailored separately for visual artists working in public contexts, or to performing artists working in any context where this is an audience.  In particular, it will help artists identify health and safety issues in their own work, and will look at the necessity for knowing the basics of H&S legislation when working in public contexts, or proposing projects for public contexts, particularly where local authorities are involved.  It will provide participants with a basic H&S document which can be tailored for their own practice, and outline the language of risk assessment and how to apply it to a creative endeavour.

·       full day

·       cost: £450

·       up to 20 participants

SKILL 0

 

 

An introduction to peer-to-peer mentoring for artists intending to set up a peer mentoring group, particularly useful for mid-career professionals.  It is not intended to broker new groups, but to provide some simple and basic skills for those who have decided to form, or are exploring the possibility of forming a group to provide peer mentoring on a regular basis.

·       full day

·       cost: £450

·       up to 20 participants

SKILL 0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digital media skills workshops

 

Introduction to shooting video: includes introduction to simple shooting techniques, including hand-held and tripod work, and leads naturally into the basic video editing workshop.  These two can be offered as a two-day package.

·       full day	·       cost: £450	·       up to 8 participants	SKILL 0
·       two day	·       cost: £800	·       up to 8 participants	SKILL 1

 

 

Basic video editing: includes an introduction to simple video editing using iMovie™ (although skills are easily transferable to PC software), working with materials provided by the group.

·       full day

·       cost: £450

·       up to 10 participants

SKILL 1

 

 

Advanced video editing:  leading on from Basic video editing, the workshops introduces Final Cut Pro™ and the basics of professional editing. The two-day workshop goes considerably more in-depth, including working with multichannel sound.

·       full day	·       cost: £500	·       up to 10 participants	SKILL 1
·       two day	·       cost: £900	·       up to 10 participants	SKILL 1

 

 

Working with sound on video: for artists who already have some knowledge of working with video cameras but who wish to polish their skills of acquiring good quality audio on video.  We will look at a variety of techniques including interview techniques, and working in harsh conditions.

·       full day

·       cost: £500

·       up to 10 participants

SKILL 1

 

 

DVD-authoring: introduces participants to the basics of DVD authoring using iDVD™, including how to produce DVDs for kiosk use, for promotional use, for exhibition or performance use, and for personal  archiving.

·       half day

·       cost: £300

·       up to 10 participants

SKILL 2

 

 

Advanced DVD authoring: for those with basic experience DVD authoring who wish to gain more control over how a DVD can “look and feel”. Includes some discussion about design and interactivity issues. We will use DVD Studio Pro™, but skills are transferable to PC software.

·       one day

·       cost: £500

·       up to 10 participants

SKILL 2

 

 

Introduction to Photoshop™: a general introduction to image processing and manipulation for general-purpose usage. 

·       full day

·       cost: £500

·       up to 10 participants

SKILL 1

 

 

Specialised Photoshop™ workshops:  we can offer specialised Photoshop™ workshops geared towards very particular groups, eg image processing and printing techniques for black and white photographers, or basic techniques for printmakers or visual artists who wish to manipulate images as part of their working process.  We could also offer a workshop geared towards artists who need to prepare images for inclusion in a catalogue, or for press use. Talk to us!

·       half day

·       cost: £300

·       up to 8 participants

SKILL 2

 

 

Page layout skills  an introduction to page layout using InDesign™:  many artists attempt to use Photoshop™ for designing flyers and brochures, often with a great sense of frustration.  Instead, page layout software is the tool that is required.  This workshop provides an introduction to InDesign™ (fast challenging Quark™ as the programme of choice, and much easier to use).

·       full day

·       cost: £500

·       up to 12 participants

SKILL 2

 

 

Introduction to DIY web design: learn the basics of designing a simple website, or how to maintain and update a site that someone else has designed.  We will be using Dreamweaver™ which allows users to lay out web pages visually – no programming or HTML skills required! 

·       full day

·       cost: £500

·       up to 12 participants

SKILL 2

 

 

Podcasting:  learn about podcasting (broadcasting for download to iPod).  Bring your own iPod and experience it!

·       half day

·       cost: £300

·       up to 12 participants

SKILL 3

 

 

Working with audio and video on the web (web streaming):  learn the basics of streaming audio (including podcasts) and video (including Flash™ streaming) on the web.  Pitfalls and joys!

·       one day

·       cost: £500

·       up to 12 participants

SKILL 3

 

 

Being Interactive (I): introducing Max/MSP™, the most adaptable of tools for artists designing interactive digital installation spaces.  A hands-on introduction to the basic functions of the programme, which runs on both PC and Mac™.  There will be some basic discussion about connecting Max/MSP™ to the outside world via a variety of sensors.  NOTE that we will require the dedicated use of the venue for the full two days, including the evening of the first day.

·       two days

·       cost: £900

·       up to 8 participants

SKILL 4

 

 

Being interactive (II):  a five- to seven-day workshop providing a working introduction to creating interactive systems for either performance or installation, including an introduction to various kinds of sensor systems.  Ideally this is designed as a residential workshop with unlimited access to the workspace.  Rates are negotiable.  We are able to arrange a residential venue on Dartmoor, given enough lead time.

·       variable

·       cost: variable

·       up to 8 participants

SKILL 4

 

About prior experience/skills

SKILL 0 assumes no prior knowledge

SKILL 1 assumes basic knowledge of the computer, using the mouse, creating files, using a word processor

SKILL 2 assumes Skill 1 plus use of word and image processing

SKILL 3 assumes Skill 2 plus use of audio programmes

SKILL 4 assumes expert computer knowledge, including some rudiments of computer programming

back to top || back to list of workshops