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Monday, February 06, 2023

FBA Calls for Entries could be improved and a lot simpler

I think the FBA Method of communicating Calls for Entries needs a rethink and revamp.

The method currently used for 
  • communicating Calls for Entries 
  • for the Annual Open Exhibitions of Societies 
  • belonging to the Federation of British Artists (FBA) 
  • needs, in my opinion, a complete rethink 
  • to improve communication with artists and generate more entries.

I've made a point of writing "calls for entries" posts for all FBA societies each year - for very many years - because of the issues I know arise with:

  • artists not understanding what they need to do
  • artists locating part of the information - but not all of it
  • artists not having one document they can print off and read at their leisure 
  • and/or use as a practical fail safe checklist when submitting their entry

I'm currently writing a post about the Call for Entries for the 2023 Annual Open Exhibition by the NEW English Art Club - which is very popular. 

To do so I'm having to refer to three seperate websites - which all say things slightly differently - with some of the really important information buried on another website.

This is because:

  • The art society "owns" the exhibition and is responsible for selection. Plus promotes the exhibition on its own website.
  • The FBA and its commercial arm - the Mall Galleries - are responsible for:
    • the legal contract around the call for entries and making sure everything is done properly
    • has a Call for Entries Page - which does NOT provide 
      • either all the "need to know how" information on one page 
      • or in one document
    • processing the administrative aspects
    • receiving the artwork
    • hanging the exhibition
    • processing sales
    • making sure unsold work gets collected
  • The FBA / Mall Galleries also contract out the digital submission side of the FBA Call for Entries to OESS - which is the third website

To be perfectly honest, I go round and round in circles trying to work out whether all the website sites say the same thing - and trying to make sure I've not missed anything.

Mostly it stays pretty much the same from year to year - but changes do occur - BUT ARE NEVER HIGHLIGHTED i.e. there is no "what's different this year" - which is one of the things I try to highlight.

PLUS Links to really critical bits of information can be very easily missed i.e. 

  • way down the page - often near the bottom
  • links are NOT highlighted or capitalised or bolded in any way.
I don't think this is good enough. I think it could be done much better. 

My challenge to the FBA is to have a think about how they can make the Calls for Entries better for artists for the benefit of all concerned.

The Bottom Line

I do NOT understand why the ALL the "Call for Entries" information is not made available in 
  • ONE DIGITAL / DOWNLOADABLE DOCUMENT
  • which is identical AND available and PROMINENT on all three websites i.e.
    • NEAC - as sponsor of the exhibition
    • FBA/Mall Galleries - as organisers of the administration and hangers and host of the exhibition
    • OESS - contracted to process the digital entries and notify artists about outcomes
  • Incorporating a complete 'failsafe' checklist for artists to use as they prepare their submission
  • Plus the roles of ALL relevant agencies - and who to contact about what - spelt out very simply and clearly in the digital document.
In my opinion there's 
  • just far TOO MUCH legalese and rolling over of longwinded documents - without a proper review of whether this form of communication is working effectively (i.e. the documents rarely change much - and yet could be constructed much better) and 
  • far TOO LITTLE consideration given to the fact that a significant number of artists are dyslexic and/or struggle with 
    • written documents 
    • small print 
    • very pale links to very important information.
I'd very much like to see 
  • A RADICAL OVERHAUL OF CALLS FOR ENTRIES
  • to deliver one coherent, consistent document - reviewed and updated every year
  • which is easily accessible by all artists 
  • as one document - on all relevant sites.
Is that too much to ask?  

Anybody else think this has got to be an improvement on the current process?

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