Freelance & Independents
Freelance & Independent art historians form a very diverse members’ group. Many earn all or some of their income from freelance activities such as lecturing or teaching, curating, writing, editing or translating art-related materials.
Freelance & Independent members often lack the support of institutional backing. We have an online communication network and newsgroup called, ‘Art-line’. To join this network group or to find out more contact independents@aah.org.uk.
Events for 2013
Workshop International Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities
12 February 2013, 1:00-5:00pm
The Gallery, AAH Offices,
70 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ
This event provided independent, freelance and early career art historians with invaluable information about international postdoctoral opportunities, and allowed attendess to liaise in an informal context with funding body professionals and advisors. The workshop included presentations from three visiting speakers, each followed by a Q&A and discussion relating to eligibility and application procedures.
Speakers included:
Dr Ian Lyne
Associate Director of Programmes, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Ian specialises in career development for researchers, including AHRC’s postgraduate and fellowship funding, and its International Placement Scheme. He will be talking about AHRC funding opportunities for supporting international collaborations and visits, as well as the role of the Research Councils’ international teams in supporting the development of international research opportunities with other funding agencies. Click here for infomation from this talk.
Emma Carey
Former European Advisor, UK Research Office (UKRO)
Emma worked at the AHRC for six years before moving to UKRO, where she spent four years focusing on social sciences and humanities funding and acting as the National Contact Point for the Marie Curie Actions. She will focus on European Research Council schemes, including Framework Programme 7, the main EU funding programme for research (due to finish at the end of 2013), and its replacement programme, Horizon 2020, which will run until 2020. Click here for information from this talk.
Maggie Credland
European Funding Administrator, Research and Innovation Service, University of Leeds
Maggie is the pre-award European Funding Administrator at the University of Leeds, and the main point of contact for anyone requiring support for applications to the FP7 PEOPLE programme, which includes the Marie Curie Individual Fellowship Calls. She advises on the content of applications, interprets the Guide for Applicants, and delivers proposal preparation workshops and other related training and information events. Maggie will talk in detail about the three types of FP7 Marie Curie Individual Fellowships: International Incoming Fellowship, International Outgoing Fellowship and Intra European Fellowship, with a focus on eligibility criteria and budgets. Click here for more information about this talk.
2012
In 2012 the Independents’ Members Group hosted two successful workshops. The first provided training in professional communication (9 February 2012). The second workshop, held on the 25th October offered guidance on copyright and images.
'Copyright, Images and Digitisation' workshop
25 October 2012, 10.00 –16.30
Association of Art Historians, Gallery Room,
70 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ
Provided by Naomi Korn Copyright Consultancy
This course provided an introduction to the principles of copyright within the context of creating, curating and using collections. It offered basic and practical training, giving participants the tools required to understand how they can manage rights more effectively.
Topics included:
- An introduction to copyright – what, how long, who owns what rights
Moral rights
- Fair Dealing and the proposed changes to the legislation following the Hargreaves Review of IP
- Tracing rights holders and processes of rights clearance
- Copyright and the digitisation lifecycle
- Orphan works and risk management
- Creative Commons licences
- Special attention will be paid to copyright issues surrounding digitisation and the web
‘Public Speaking Workshop for Art Historians’
9th February 2012, 10-5pm
Association of Art Historians, 70 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EJ
Clear, effective and professional communication skills are absolutely essential to any aspiring academic. This workshop focussed on how to communicate research more effectively. Participants learnt and practiced techniques of voice projection, controlling speed and tone, and methods of connecting with the audience in lecture theatres or seminar rooms. Speakeasy, a public-speaking training organisation, is offered a one-day workshop on the art of public speaking for art historians.
Social Networking
- Facebook Group
AAH Independents members have recently set up a group on Facebook. - Twitter
Follow the AAH Independents on Twitter @aahindependents
Conference Grants
Independent Members* of the AAH who are session convenors or who have had a paper or a poster accepted for any art history-related conference anywhere in the world, can apply for a grant of up to £300 to cover some of the expenses of attending the conference. Grants have been given for members giving papers at the AAH annual conference, and for conferences at other venues such as Venice. This is not a hardship grant. If you are an independent member and have been a member of the AAH for at least one year you should receive a grant as long as there is money available in the budget.
Image Cost Grants
Independent Members* of the AAH who are publishing work with images that attract copyright fees can apply for a grant of up to £500 to assist in meeting those fees.
For details on both these schemes, and to apply, see http://www.aah.org.uk/funding/independents
Online Directory of Independent Art Historians
The Online Directory of Independent Art Historians is an online resource that allows people to search for art historians with different specialisms and skills. It also aims to provide independent members with an opportunity to promote their freelance professional services. Many of our members have gained lucrative contracts through their entries in this Directory. The online directory has been running for several years, having originated from a published booklet.
Freelance Training Day
The Independent members group are planning to hold a training day in Autum 2011 to help members get more freelance work. Watch this space for further details.
Exhibition and Gallery Tours
We organise a number of exhibition and gallery tours throughout the year. These give members a chance to meet each other in the congenial company of art works. These are announced from time to time on art-line or via email to those who have registered as Independents.
Next tour date: Meet at main entrance of the Foundling Museum at 12.30 on Saturday 25th February.
Special Interest Group Meetings
SIG meetings take place annually at the AAH Conference. They are informal, but informative sessions for all AAH members that identify with a particular group, such as Independents. The meetings provide an opportunity for members to meet up and discuss particular and/or current areas of interest or concern.
Join the Independent Members Group
We need more people to help in the work of providing membership benefits for Independents. Without our volunteers nothing would be achieved. Also it is a good way of networking with your peers. Not a lot of your time is required to make a big difference. If you would like to help, contact the Chair.
To find out more about the group, to apply for a scheme mentioned above, or to make a contribution to our work, contact independents@aah.org.uk