Artquest Crits

Artquest Crits take place online on Zoom. Each session lasts around 2 hours and 30 minutes and includes up to 18 artists with a range of work and experience.

You will present an image of your work to the group. The main group then splits into breakout groups for feedback.

We try to arrange groups according to areas of interest but this depends on who applies to each session.

Example timings

• Introduction from facilitators – 10 minutes
• Participants show their work for 3 minutes each to the whole group – up to 54 mins
• Break – 10 minutes
• Breakout groups: 3 groups of 6 artists. Up to 10 mins of feedback for each artist – up to 60 mins
• Back in main group: evaluation, next steps, and optional contact sharing – 10 mins

Artquest developed Artquest Crits with artists and facilitators Chloe Cooper, Elizabeth Murton, and Sarah Rowles.

Chloe Cooper is an artist and educator. She makes performative workshops and instructional videos that consider sexual politics, consumer relations and bodies at work. Chloe has exhibited and performed works at A/Side-B/Side, Catalyst Arts (Belfast), The Poetry Society, and nGbK, (Berlin). She runs artist peer mentoring training with Artquest as part of BNC Mentors.

Lorrice Douglas is an artist using installation, photography, sound and written texts to create discreet or fleeting one act plays. Lorrice is a Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art and also has a background in peer mentoring, intersectionality and inclusion projects at UAL. 

Elizabeth Murton is an artist. Her practice explores the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the complicated and awe-inspiring world we live in through religion, philosophy or science. She works in drawing, sculpture and installation. Since graduating from Goldsmiths she has worked at UCL, Griffin Gallery, Bow Arts, and Barbican. Elizabeth was awarded an a-n Re:View Bursary and an Arts Council England Project Grant. She has facilitated events, including peer mentoring groups, across the UK. Elizabeth is also a curator at UH Arts, University of Hertfordshire.

Sarah Rowles is the Director of Q-Art, a publishing and events organisation that asks questions of arts education. Q-Art aims to break down the barriers to art education and the contemporary art world. She is a lecturer in Fine Art Theory at the Arts University Bournemouth and is studying at the Institute of Education. Sarah is the author of Q-Art’s Art Crits: 20 Questions, a book and video of interviews with UK art staff about their approaches to crits. At Q-Art she has run over 50 artist crits and has led workshops for 14-15 year olds with with The Sorrell Foundation and Tate.

Artquest Crits are open to fine artists who are:

• at any career stage, working in any media.
• based anywhere.
• not enrolled in any higher education course. This includes BA, MA and PhD courses.
• able to access an internet-connected device with Zoom installed.
• willing to share their art work.
• willing to give feedback on other participants’ art work.

Read more in our frequently asked questions section below.

See who we work with before you apply.

When will the crits take place?

Artquest Crits take place on the most popular time slot indicated by applicants. Subscribe to our newsletter to be kept up to date. All advertised times are at British Summer Time (GMT+1).

What if none of those time slots are usually convenient to me because of other regular commitments?

We try to find a time that works best for most registrants. If none of the time slots offered for this session work for you because of regular commitments, email us. We will try and accommodate in future sessions.

How will I know if I’ve been selected to participate?

You will get an email confirming your place one week before the session. You will be assigned to a breakout group and provided information on how to join the Zoom meeting. You may find it easier to open a free Zoom account in advance of the Artquest Crit taking place, as you will have to confirm your email address.

Why is there a selection procedure and on what basis are artists selected to participate?

Crit sessions become unwieldy with too many participants so it’s necessary to limit the numbers of artists in each session. Places will be allocated first come, first served on the basis of the most popular time slot. Half the places are for London-based artists because of our funders Artquest. Other spaces will be allocated elsewhere in the UK and from around the world.

Who else will be participating in the crit?

Crits will be attended by artists at different stages of their career, working in different media. Smaller breakout groups will be made by matching artists with similar concerns, areas of interest in their practice, and media. You will be asked to indicate areas of interest / media when you apply.

Can I decide which breakout group I want to participate in?

We allocate participants to breakout groups in advance to save time. We do this on the basis of your application. It will not be possible to change these allocations. If there’s an artist not in your breakout group that you’d like to talk with more, exchange contact details and follow up after. Depending on feedback from participants, we will evaluate and trial new forms of meeting.

I want to take part but I don’t want to present work. Is that OK?

No. Everyone who attends will be asked to present something and to give feedback to others.

Can I participate in more than one Artquest Crit?

No. Artquest Crits are one off experiences. After you attend, you can appluy to join Artquest Salon for regular member groups based on themes or media.

Where else can I meet artists?

You can meet artists through Artquest Exchange, Artquest’s online community, or via other social networks. See our online social networking guides for more.

What can / should I present?

You can present an image of a completed work, or a work in progress. Try to choose something that acts as a good introduction to you and your practice that would be useful for you to get feedback on.

What format will work be shown in?

Ideally you should share work as a single digital image. You will need to provide this in advance so we can share this with the other attendees. If you are showing durational work (moving image, performance or audio, for example) then please provide a digital still with a link to some accompanying footage online.

Please bear in mind that, because of the quick-fire nature of the session, sharing long durational works will not be practical. If you attend a session you will be able to connect with other artists, share contact details, and follow-up with other crits in your own time.

What do I need to participate?

To participate you will need a Zoom account and a computer with access to the internet and video calling. There is more guidance on how to use Zoom here. Artquest Crits are conducted in English.

What should I do if have registered on an Artquest Crit but can no longer participate?

If you can no longer participate please email Nick Kaplony with as much notice as possible and we’ll offer the place to someone else.

I still have questions

If you still have questions that are not answered, please email Nick Kaplony.