How are artists meant to make a viable living from their practice when you’re expected to write a full job application/proposal for a couple of hundred pounds at a time?

Also for very specific briefs that only vaguely relate to applicants’ practices. So you’re desperately trying to shoehorn your practice to fit a brief, and spending hours on an application, for something you’re very unlikely to be selected for

Opportunities for artists should have much wider briefs, organisations should let artists’ work dictate their programme, or curators should spend more time looking for artists and offering them work without an application process

And it’s really lazy to say having open calls allows for more diversity/representation because most of the time underrepresented people don’t have the capacity to make applications for things they think they’re unlikely to be selected for. And if you’re a curator with a salary...

It is literally your job to be looking for artists to work with. And it should go without saying to not just work with artists that are “trendy” or are in loads of shows at that time, or are your mates. It’s your job to represent artists and their work

Also normalise approaching an artist and paying them for a proposal, regardless of whether it’s definite they will be in the show. AND offer them support and specific feedback if the work is not selected. This is a much better process than open calls where hundreds will apply...

Curators then spend hours on a selection process and most applicants just get a generic rejection email and feedback is a vague line about high numbers of applicants and others having more experience

Organisations should always centre artists!!