Our Terms and Conditions for Members

Applications for Full membership are accepted from 1st November and close at the end of January or early February (each year is slightly different depending on when we need the directory to be ready) for opening in the following June. Outside of this time you may become an associate member.

The committee of Suffolk Open Studios does not operate a selection system of prospective members work to qualify applicants for membership, reliance is based on self-selection.

To be eligible for membership of Suffolk Open Studios you must be a maker of original works of art/craft and have your studio/gallery located in Suffolk. The word original is defined as being art or craft designed and made by the relevant member. Work that is the product of assembled components made by others e.g. jewellery must be carefully labelled to avoid any misconception as to its originality. Please contact a member of the committee if you have any questions on this issue.

Artists producing their own original work in any medium are welcome to join.

 

A membership fee is set at the AGM in September for the following year.

Full members of SOS must open their studios for a minimum of one weekend in June (on both days) between 11am and 5pm. Associate members do not open during the June event but can take part in any exhibitions that SOS organises.

Please note that your studio should be open for both days of the weekend and the opening hours are 11am until 5pm.

If due to unforeseen circumstances a member is unable to open their studio as advertised in the Directory or is unable to exhibit their work as advertised in a Hub, they must inform the committee as soon as possible. We recommend that it is good practise to display signage to alert visitors that the studio is closed. Failure to open as advertised has been a source of complaint from the public, members are therefore urged to handle such eventualities carefully to avoid damage to their own reputation and to that of Suffolk Open Studios as an organisation.

Members need to undertake to update their web profiles in good time for the committee to send the data to get printed/entered into the App. Members are responsible for ensuring that the correct data is in place in good time and are given an opportunity to check their data before the directory goes to print. Please don’t make us chase you repeatedly to update your information in time 🙂

Suffolk Open Studios as an organisation will promote the event to the best of our ability but often additional success comes from members promoting their own open studio days. Therefore, we recommend that members have a plan of action for promotion, which can include banners and posters as well as social media promotion and email lists. In addition to this, members undertake to do their best to distribute the copies of the directory that they are given for promotion. If you need guidance on where to put the directories then please see our hint and tips document:

Hints and tips to a successful Open Studios

Members are required to distribute their share of the directories that are printed for the event. Here are some suggestions of where you can distribute them:

Local Post Office, shops, galleries, art/craft shops, framing centres, pubs, cafes, notice boards, village hall, artists workshops, dentist surgeries, hotels, B&Bs, tourist attractions, garden centres, holiday letting agencies, estate agencies, tea shops, restaurants, hairdressers and give to your students to circulate. Also put some outside your own studio before the event.

Directories are a big part of the success of Suffolk Open Studios and so we need to distribute them to as many places as possible where they can be picked up by members of the public.

Members opening their studios or staging a Member’s Exhibition are responsible for their own public liability and other insurance cover. Each member has a responsibility to ensure the safety of their visitors. At no point does any duty of care transfer to Suffolk Open Studios. (Please note that SOS is unable to provide blanket cover for home/private activities because it does not ‘organise and control’ the home/private exhibitions but is simply providing promotional services.)

Members should also have their own insurance for the exhibitions run by SOS.

The management committee of SOS cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information within the SOS directory/web site or for any complication in the event of using the SOS directory / website. SOS has no responsibility or liability for any business that may ensue from your membership of Suffolk Open Studios.