I’m a creative practitioner - how does it work?
Ballarat Evolve connects creative micro-enterprises, sole practitioners, artists and creative industries to available commercial and retail spaces throughout Ballarat. We are focused on supporting creative people into spaces, and helping them thrive.
Ballarat Evolve is made up of a board of enthusiastic volunteers who take care of everything from administration of enquiries and interviewing potential candidates, to negotiating with landlords and decision makers to access currently under-utilised spaces. We are currently unfunded.
As a participant in Ballarat Evolve, our creatives become licensees to the spaces they occupy.
We work to educate and collaborate with landlords to secure locations, and coordinate the best candidates whose needs match the available spaces.
All of the activity we undertake is with the goodwill and support of our landowners and alongside their agents.
Are there costs?
Once your application is successful a non refundable search fee of $50 is required to enter into the Ballarat Evolve program. We request that every successful placed artist carries their own public liability insurance. In the main Ballarat Evolve candidates become members of Craft Victoria or the National Association of Visual Artists, both of whose membership carries with it automatic public liaibility insurance cover.
Some of our spaces do attract Licence Fees - this is a payment made on a monthly cycle to a landowner. This fee is a nominal charge paid by the successful creative practitioner directly to the landowner and is no more than $500 per calendar month. The figure is negotiated by Ballarat Evolve with the landowner or representative agent and in no way represents a rental fee. This is a license fee to use the space.
Creatives must also cover the cost of operational outgoings such as electricity, water and gas. The licensee is not responsible for payment of rates.
How long can I have a space for?
Our license agreements are for a year with an option to renew for a second year. However the licence agreement includes a 30-day termination clause, meaning should a creative decide they cannot continue in the space they can give 30 days notice to end the license. In return, the landowner has the same opportunity, giving them a chance to rent their space at full lease levels should the opportunity arise.
What kind of spaces are available?
This depends very much upon the different landlords we talk to. There are several different models we apply to Ballarat Evolve spaces:
Model 1: Exhibition and Residency Spaces
An Exhibition Space is a straightforward transaction where shopfronts, vacant and exposed walls become home to exhibitions by local makers, artists and creatives permitting them to show their work. We support the artist in making the most of available wall space, marketing their work and providing advice on selling their pieces. The artist accesses the spaces at no charge, and can curate the space for the length of the license. Residency Spaces can be located within the premises of large organisations and represent untapped space in offices, perfect for desk-bound creatives and smaller micro-businesses.
There is typically no license fee for exhibition and residency spaces.
Eden Fairbrother secured a 6-month residency in a Council owned space.
Visual artist Tarli Glover secured a three-month exhibition space on the walls of the Ballarat Health Services foyer. All of her works were offered for sale.
model 2: license-fee spaces
By far the most common of our spaces, the License Fee Space attracts the payment of a monthly stipend by the creative to a landlord or representative. The creative pays a stipend in addition to covering the costs of outgoings such as electricity, gas and water. This stipend is nominal (maximum figures are $500 per month) and negotiated by Ballarat Evolve on behalf of the creatives. Where possible we try to place more than one artist in these License Fee Spaces, sharing the cost among many and lowering the overheads where possible.
Holly Would outside her studio at 59 Bridge Mall. Holly coordinates a group of visual artists within a large space, all contributing to the license fee.
Jade Walsh’s retail studio was at 85a Bridge Mall. Jade operated this studio as a License Fee Space.
Model 3: incentivised spaces
Ballarat Evolve consistently seeks funding in order to pay the operational costs of creatives and to alleviate financial burden. When funding is available, Ballarat Evolve covers the costs of license fees on behalf of creatives. Ballarat Evolve is currently unfunded.
The benefits we bring
Hear about the benefits we bring from the very people we work with. Artist Holly Would talks about her experience as an artist overcoming turmoil and tragedy to find success in her space in Bridge Mall.