A range of practitioners and policy makers joined forces in Somerset House on Tuesday 12 May to imagine new possibilities for artists’ livelihoods in London.
Organised by Creative United with the London Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN London) and Somerset House Residents Community Programme, the event addressed the pressing need to help individual artists earn a living.
Creative United offered a solution through the successful Own Art 0% finance programme. Over the past 20 years, Own Art has generated more than £79 million in sales, boosting income for galleries and artists and expanding contemporary art and craft to a wider market.
With high costs and narrowing opportunities affecting artists in the capital, Creative United hopes to inspire studio providers and other organisations to apply for membership of the Own Art scheme, helping to extend the benefit of the service to a wider range of artists than those currently represented through its UK wide network of member galleries.
Recent research has confirmed Own Art’s important role in generating additional income for artists, with analysis suggesting Own Art could generate incremental (additional) earnings equating to 12% of participating artists’ income from artistic activities.
Creative United Chief Executive, Mary-Alice Stack said:
“Our recent research with Coventry University confirms that average earnings in the visual arts sector remain pitifully low, with more than 50% of respondents reporting that they earn less than £5,000 per annum from the sale of their work. But it also found that initiatives like Own Art are an effective way to drive incremental sales for artists, helping them to sustain their practice.
“We want more artists, and especially those who are under-represented and have the greatest barriers to earning a living, to benefit from the Own Art effect. That’s why we’re excited to find ways to expand the Own Art membership beyond the traditional gallery model through the CVAN London network.”
The invitation for organisations to apply for Own Art membership follows Creative United’s recent announcement that the upper threshold for Own Art loans would increase from £2,500 up to £5,000 from 1 April 2026.
Through CVAN’s Creative Learning Hub discussions and networking sessions, artists shared valuable insights on sustaining practice, professional development, collaboration and building sustainable income streams. Creative United shared practical guidance on business development, mentoring opportunities and the Own Art scheme.
Amongst the topics up for discussion at the event were:
- What are the biggest challenges you currently face in sustaining your artistic practice and what kinds of support (financial, structural, or community-based) would make the most immediate difference?
- How do you currently generate income from your work, and where do you feel your practice is undervalues or under-monetised?
- What kinds of partnerships or collaborations have meaningfully supported your practice and what opportunities are missing in London right now?
- What skills, knowledge, or resources do you feel you need next in your career and how do you prefer access to learning (formal, peer-led, experimental)?
We’re looking forward to sharing our learning from these discussions, and implementing the valuable perspective gained from artists and creative practictioners, to further develop our breadth of programmes dedicated to supporting creative livelihoods across the UK. Thank you also to guest facilitators Alice Mayor, Sophie Hill and Will Jarvis for leading such engaging discussions, and to everyone behind the scenes who helped make the event such a success.
