Professional Practice Symposium

The symposium was packed full of useful tip and trick on lots of different subjects and how to be the best with what you have around you. I found that it was a lot of information that I can definitely use in the future when making my CV and setting up hopefully a small business of my own.

Here are the notes that I took throughout the day

Cath Jones – Personal Branding

• Self branding is the most important thing – make it personal to you
• PDFs are the best way to show your CV, Cover letter and Portfolio
• Depending on what job you are going for you can tailor your logo towards that but sometimes it can be best to keep it general so it can apply to lots of job rolls
• Think of your self as product – how would you market yourself
• Think about your mission and values – Yours what’s and your whys
• Brand your personality – if your brand was a person who would it be
• Research the company before sending your CV
• Establish your point of difference
• Know your audience
• Be productive and approach potential employers
• Always stay professional

Suzanna James – Knitwear

• Suzanna is a sustainable knitwear textile designer
• The texprint program is something to look into
• Apply for everything you can
• New Designer is a very good place to show your work
• Hand made in Britain is also something to look into
• Traceability is being sustainable as you know exactly how and where your products/ materials come from
• When wanting to be sustainable you should always factor in time to source your materials as this may require a lot of research and visits to where they are produced so you can full understand the process to ensure it is sustainable
• Provenance – a product or objects place of origin
• Transparency – Accountability – Change
• The slow factory – @celinecelines – have a look in to
• Sustainable Development goals – these are there to see how many sustainable acts you fit into within your company – they allow you to realise where you can make change and improve
• Books to look at – Fashion Revolution – Fashion Environment Change – Fashion Craft Revolution – Actions require 10 global goals that will change fashion
• Acrylic wool when washed releases micro plastics into the water
• Peru is where Suzanna has been to to work along side The Antauta Knitters who spin wool from alpaca fur – Everything is done by hand meaning that it is very sustainable
• The Arts Council is a good place to get funding

Llio James – Presenting through photography

• First impressions is key so your photography needs to be right
• Study natural light
• Create photos that sell your work
• Cut out shots – Taking photos and then editing them so they have a white background
• Think about what angle fits the product best – making it appealing
• Having cut out shots are a go to – they look clear crisp and professional
• Think about background colours and light – it can make the product stand out
• Think of setting the scene for the product
• Think about where your product best fits
• Think about props that will enhance your product
• Beware of – verticals/horizontals, tangents, colour temperature, over/under exposure, backlighting, reflectors, less is more
• Useful apps to use – Snapseed, Canva, Over, First light, Moment, VSCO

Llio James – Curating work in a public setting

• Galleries – they need you so approach them and ask
• Things are not instant with galleries they plan way in advance
• Be specific with what you want to show
• Curators can over rule how you display things
• Oriel Davis Gallery is a gallery in Newtown to look in to
• Be careful when they give you dates – you should have the work ready for them weeks if not months in advance before the opening date of the show
• Most galleries will want CVs, biography, Artist statement, photos of your work, lists of work
• If you sell your work in a gallery they usually take 40% commission so be careful when pricing work
• Makers Guild in Wales – Craft in the Bay – good place to go to and find out more about
• Top draw trade show – they focus on selling work to shop owners
• Trade shows expect you to have public liability encase something goes wrong – artist network can help you get this
• The good life experience – festival – it is a festival in north wales which is a great place to sell work
• There are loads of festivals to go to and selling your work so research into this area
• Eisteddfod Ceredigion is a good festival as well

Cath Jones CVs

• Make sure it is sent as a PDF
• Always have a cover letter that is tailored to the company
• Always take a physical portfolio when going to a job interview – put the most relevant work first – be prepared, friendly, smile, polite
• Online presence is important
• What looks good – a brief to the point email that addresses the interviewer or company leader, a good cover letter (easy to read) , well designed CV, 2-3 page portfolio
• Clickable links to portfolios are a must if possible
• A link to a well curated Instagram