Chichester Open Studios
Artist registration
Get ready for 2023
Registration is now closed
Many thanks to all the artists who have signed up. A reminder of our Terms & Conditions to those who registered are below.
Chichester Open Studios
Terms & Conditions
1. 2023 Open Studios dates
Saturday 22nd, Sunday 23rd April,
Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th April and Bank holiday Monday 1st May
Studios are open from 10.30am – 5.00pm
There is an option to be open or closed on the bank holiday Monday. All other days must be open and artist to be present for the entirety of the opening hours.
2. Registration
Once you are registered, you will receive regular email Newsletters with support and essential information about the COS timeline, what needs to be done, what is happening and when.
3. Who can take part?
Artists must be over 18 years old.
Chichester Open Studios is open to all artists and makers resident in the Chichester area who have their full or part-time art studio in the area. The Chichester area for this purpose refers to the extent of the current event, download the 2022 Guide or use the map via this link venues
4. What to exhibit and demonstrate?
Only your own original work or fine art prints of your work may be exhibited in a thoughtful and professional manner.
It is essential that each artist provides demonstrative evidence such as live demonstrations, showing a video of you at work, displaying a series of photos of your working process, explaining work in progress plus sketchbooks or visual inspiration. NB you don’t have to do all of these but at least one is advised and the more exciting your Studio the more engaged your visitors will be.
5. I don’t have a studio/sharing spaces
If you are unable to open your place of work, you may still take part by joining one other artist in their studio. Remember only two artists per venue unless multiple artists work in a studio group environment and all register as individuals. Studio complexes may not have additional artists as guests. This preserves the working studio atmosphere and ethos of Chichester Open Studios and also supports the artists who open their studios alone. An artist wishing to share, or offer a place for one other artist in their studio, can contact us with their details and we will attempt to match you up.
Whilst we are an ‘Open Studio’ , we are very careful in all publicity, to refer to an artist’s ‘workspace’, ‘working environment’, ‘creative space’ or ‘Venue’. This is to infer that visitors may find an artist creating in all kinds of environment. It is often inspirational to a visitor to see that it is possible to create in a small area of a home and that an ‘all singing, all dancing’ studio is not always necessary!
6. Galleries
Galleries or art spaces promoting the work of other artists at the same time as our event, cannot participate.
7. Collection Day and other social events
It is essential you are available to collect all the materials needed for your studio, date and time will be confirmed nearer the time. If you cannot make it, please ensure another artist, family or friend collects for you. Please car share where possible.
We aim to have a picnic after the event as an opportunity to meet each other.
8. Exhibition
Snap-shot of our work
We hope to have an exhibition in the spring of everyone participating in COS 2023. If you wish to be included in the spring Snap-shot exhibition there is an option when registering. We will provide more information after registration.
9. Marketing
Whilst Chichester Open Studios does all that it can within its means to place physical adverts in newspapers and magazines as well as unitising any online platform, as a participating artist you will be required to play your part in promoting the event. This could be in the form of newsletters to your followers and helping to distribute the Open Studio guides and leaflets when relevant. More information on how you can play your part will be released near the time.
10. Cost
EACH ARTIST IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER AND PAY AS AN INDIVIDUAL WITHIN NOVEMBER 2022
The fee is £95 per artist wishing to join the 2023 Open Studios.
- Each artist has an entry in the Art Trail Guide; over 20,000 of these are made available to artists for distribution.
- The information from the artist’s registration form is uploaded to the website. Each artist has a webpage with 3 images of work, one working in studio image, an artist’s statement, description of work, location and directions to their studio.
- All Venue requirements are supplied and event signs to direct your visitors.
- There are social media sites, a blog, website features and regular Newsletters to artists. Artists are encouraged to “share, tag and repost” within the online marketing.
As in previous years, registration fees are non-refundable. We cannot refund for any reason – the payment covers the administrative cost of processing your registration and contributes towards costs of organising the event. There is always a lot to be done to ensure Open Studios is run professionally to showcases artists in the annual event.
Please note: An additional fee may be charged to process subsequent alterations to registration details after the deadline.
Our Ethos
A unique artistic experience
Chichester Open Studios (COS) from its very beginnings in 2001 as “Open Doors”, has established itself as an exciting event in the Chichester Art Event calendar. It is an opportunity for the public to meet local artists in person in their own creative worlds.
The event creates an experience for visitors to learn directly from artists, their ideas, concepts, processes and personalities. Artists participating on COS have gained avid supporters of their work, with their creations finding new homes, increasing their online following and securing future contact for commissions and exhibitions. It is such a multi-layered and unique experience.
As well as visitors enjoying the work, many artists also gain a deeper insight into their work by having the opportunity to discuss their practice. It can be a lonely venture being an artist and becoming part of COS enables artists to feel part of their local creative community as well as having a direct interaction with their audience.
Please note, COS is not a gallery trail and it is essential that studios are not primarily set up as such, as this is not the purpose of an Open Studio event. Please be sure to enter with this strongly in mind as anyone not adhering to this ethos may not be able to take part in future events.
