What and where is the festival?

August 2004 saw the birth of the brand new 'Raw Art Festival'. This included Folk/Intuitive/Marginalised/Self-taught/Visionary art etc. The 2005 Festival will also be held at the Candid Arts Trust gallery in Central London. This gallery has been hired privately by the organiser of the Raw Arts Festival.

Candid Arts Trust

Candid has had many years of experience in organising exhibitions and has run over 20 major Art and Design Fairs at both the Chelsea Town Hall and the Business Design Centre. The Trust organises mixed shows for Art & Design Graduates in order to provide graduates with more exposure and the opportunity to sell their work, gain commissions and employment.

Address of gallery	Detailed location map	Underground info
Candid Arts Trust 3 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NQ (Behind ANGEL tube station) Web-site: www.candidarts.com	Map copyright of Candid Arts Trust	Angel tube station is one stop after Kings Cross going southbound on the Northern Line via Bank tube station. Tube map available at: http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/content/tubemap/images/large_print_map03.gif

Exhibition highlights:

The following table details the current order of events:

Details of the private view have been removed due to security. If you do not have a 'private view card' you will not be allowed entry to the festival for the private view. If you wish to come to the private view please contact rawartsfestival@yahoo.co.uk

What should artists  bring with them to the festival?

Please bring enough art to fill a space of approximately 3 metres square of hanging space (wall or in a partitioned cubicle space). Artists can not be given a precise figure on how much space they will be given and also where the space will be. A lot depends on what actually happens on hanging day (who turns up, how much art is brought, size of art, whether the art is appropriate and which spaces are available - Spaces are awarded on a first come first served basis). The organiser thus reserves the right to make the final decision as to what is hung and where etc.

The organiser will ensure that someone is present throughout the entire festival to answer queries and ensure the galleries are kept fairly safe. However there are two floors and as a result, the organiser can not take responsibility for any potential loss or damage to art. The organiser thus recommends that artists:

• Are physically present throughout the festival to ensure their art is kept safe and to answer queries from the general public etc.
• Insure their work - No artists work went missing during the London 2004 event. However, that does not mean to say that it won't happen. I would thus recommend that Artists insure artworks when they are being sent by post and also whilst they are at the festival. Information on Public Indemnity Insurance is detailed below:

Public Indemnity Insurance

Events insurance ( www.eventsinsurance.co.uk/ ) insures artists work at exhibitions, festivals and fairs etc. Alternatively the association of British Insurers' web-site ( www.abi.org.uk ) has a section on insurance for small businesses. The British Insurance Brokers' Association ( www.biba.org.uk ) has an online list of insurance brokers etc. Artists are free to choose any insurance company to insure their work and take full responsibility for all aspects of this transaction.

The organiser will not take responsibility for any items that get lost or damaged. The organiser thus recommends that any artworks sent by post are adequately protected.

Quality and quantity

To get an idea of the quality and quantity of art expected - please take a look at the 'What happened' section of the London 2004 website ( http://www.rawartsfestival.co.uk/what_happened.html ). The more art you bring - the more hanging space you are likely to be awarded! Of course this very much depends on how much art other artists bring with them.. In London 2004 event, Claude Bolduc sent me 20 fantastic paintings by post and succeeded in getting all of them hung.

What help is required..

The organiser would very much appreciate help during the festival itself. There are many tasks to perform such as:

• Arrive early and be prepared to help
• Painting walls
• Helping artists unload art
• Hanging art
• Keeping the ground floor and upper floor galleries safe during the festival + answering queries from the general public
• Handing out flyers at 'Angel' tube station to encourage people to come to the show
• General tasks (Keeping artists happy, getting to know each other and ensuring everyone is well fed etc)
• Help create a fantastic atmosphere on private view day and throughout the week
• Dismantling the show and ensuring that the Gallery is neat & tidy

The organiser will give preferential treatment towards people that wish to make a positive contribution in some way.

Where to stay?

There is a vast array of places to stay in London. Here are three suggestions:

Cheap hotels in Central London : http://www.cheap-hotels-central-london.com/
Bed and Breakfast in Central London : http://www.londonnet.co.uk/ln/guide/accomm/bandb.html
Alternatively you could try doing a word search for phrases such as 'Cheap London accommodation' on U.K Yahoo at: http://uk.yahoo.com/

Where to park?

National Car Parks (NCP) have several facilities near the Candid Arts Trust. For more information please visit: www.ncp.co.uk

The Brunswick Square NCP (Postcode: WC1N 1AF) is very near Russell Square tube station. It is an underground facility and is normally staffed. It is open 24 hours a day and for 7 days a week. For more information please visit: http://www.ncp.co.uk/carparkfinder.aspx?carparkid=211231

The nearest NCP to the Candid Arts Trust is on Skinner Street (Postcode: EC1R 0WW). However this facility is NOT open at weekends. For more information please visit: http://www.ncp.co.uk/carparkfinder.aspx?carparkid=231332

Other car parks in the area can be found at: http://www.ncp.co.uk/map_a2.html

Congestion charges do NOT apply at weekends.

What has changed?

• Raw Arts Festival - London 2005 aims to be a more focussed exhibition than the London 2004 event. This should result in more quality artists exhibiting at the festival and hopefully present at the festival too. This should thus help to create a better party atmosphere on the private view day and a good atmosphere throughout the week.
• The cost of entry has increased. However, in return the festival will be better promoted than the London 2004 event.
• The date of the exhibition has changed too. The end of May and June are traditionally the times of year when degree shows for art students are held. There are thus a vast number of people interested in art that are available to attend the show.

Last updated September 2005