Category: Uncategorised

  • Area Co-ordinator Call Out – Free Entry

    Area Co-ordinator Call Out – Free Entry

    The committee is busy preparing for South East Open Studios 2025.

    We are looking for Area Co-ordinators (ACOs) to come onboard for 2025 in the following districts:

    Maidstone

    Folkestone & Hythe

    Tunbridge Wells

    FREE ENTRY TO SEOS 2025 FOR AREA CO-ORDINATORS

    Area coordinators are key to supporting our members in the run-up and during the event. As an area coordinator (ACO) you receive free entry to the Open Studios event. It is also a great opportunity to build networks with other artists and create an art following/experience in your area.

    Your main responsibilities would involve

    • Support and coordinate all participating artists in your area
    • Helping with distribution of recruitment flyers as well as open studio guides and signage
    • Helping with local publicity or taster events

    There will be monthly zoom meetings where all ACOs can exchange tips, and highlight anything they need help with. Hildegard, the Area Coordinating Officer is available for any help or clarification, guidance and advice in the run up and during the event.
    Please email Hildegard at acos@seos-art.org to find out more.

  • SEOS 2024 Press Release

    SEOS 2024 Press Release

    Calling all art lovers, South East Open Studios (SEOS) returns for a full month this Summer!

    South East Open Studios returns in 2024, welcoming all visitors to see the work of local artists and makers at venues across the South East. Due to its growing popularity, this year will mark the first year of SEOS running for the whole month of June.

    Stretching through countryside, coastline, villages and towns, the event not only helps to build artists’ profiles in the wider arts arena but also puts the South East on the map as a hub of creativity.

    Artists and makers will open their studio doors, hold collaborative shows and host exhibitions to showcase their work to visitors at destinations throughout the south east.

    Philip Johnson, Chair of SEOS, said: “The excitement is building as artists and makers throughout the south east have signed up for South East Open Studios. We’re so fortunate to live in a part of the country where the work of the creative community is so valued.’’

    Frances Featherstone, a contemporary oil painter (and winner of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Week’ twice) returns to SEOS this year. Frances said ‘’I find SEOS to be a fantastic way for me to connect with my audience, to discuss and learn what attracts them to my work. I also love how SEOS brings artists like me together, helping to create a local artistic community to support one another and share thoughts and ideas.’’

    Annie Soudain, a printmaker also taking part in SEOS 2024, said, ‘’I knew about the SEOS events some years before I joined, friends already exhibited and I enjoyed seeing the guides, fascinated by such a variety of media. I enjoy the interaction with people who come to see my work, some come to purchase and others ask me questions about the methods I use in printmaking. The whole organisation is efficient, I’m always surprised how far people travel but the maps make it easy to plan a circuit of studios to visit.’’

    Many of our areas will offer ‘Trail Maps’ during the event, taking visitors from studio to studio and area to area – creating an idyllic summer adventure for families and art-lovers alike.

    The event is led by over 200 participating artists and makers across a range of art and mixed media, open to members of the public to visit the artists in their studios and workshops.

    The SEOS team are passionate about their creative community, providing a professional and proactive approach to supporting the visual arts along the journey ensuring that everyone is promoted and that the community remains inclusive and about collaboration.

    Look out for our guide distributed to targeted outlets across Kent & East Sussex that showcases each Artist & Maker by area with maps and information, making it straightforward to plan visits.

    Pick up one of the 30,000 copies from local businesses and organisations including cafes, pubs, shops and supermarkets. Please look at the SEOS website and Instagram to see the community and their work.

     

     

  • SEOS 2024 REGISTRATION OPEN

    SEOS 2024 REGISTRATION OPEN

    Are you an artist in Kent, East Sussex, or the Surrey borders?

    Would you like to have your work seen by thousands of art lovers?

    • by June, could you create a body of work that demonstrates what you do?

    • do you have, or could you share a studio space that you could open to visitors?

    • alongside our own regional promotion, could you take responsibility for marketing and promoting your own studio in your area?

    If you answered ‘yes’ to all these questions, then you are ready, and we would love to have you on board.

    Find out more…

  • SEOS Database Officer

    SEOS Database Officer

    SEOS is looking for a database officer who loves detail and is passionate about the arts. 

    South East Open Studios (SEOS) is a not for profit organisation that exists to encourage public interest in the visual arts across the whole of the South East. The aim is to enable all artists and makers in Kent, East Sussex and the Surrey borders, to engage with their communities and connect with art lovers, through one of the biggest and best open studios events in the UK.

    Our vision is to enable artists and makers to forge connections and develop meaningful relationships that will establish them and their practice within their communities and the wider arts arena.

    The main responsibility of the Data Manager is the collation and management of artist data and images, database maintenance and management of information distribution in line with GDPR. The data manager is expected to attend all meetings throughout the year.

    Experience and skills
    – Good eye for details and catching inconsistencies and errors.
    – Experience with Excel spreadsheets and Word programs, or Google Sheets and Google
    Docs.
    – A basic understanding of digital image quality (image file types, image resolution and image
    size).
    – Experience working with Dropbox systems, or willingness to learn and use a shared file
    management system.
    – Ability to communicate with Members and ACOs to clarify errors as required.
    – Basic image retouching skills beneficial but not required.

    Work pattern and role responsibilities
    Prior to registration (usually September – November)
    – Work with the Web Editor to create and develop a registration form each year to collect artist information.
    – Creation of a ‘live’ database spreadsheet for all artist information to be stored centrally and manage access for SEOS team members in line with GDPR protection.
    – Preparation of an accessible filing system within the South East Open Studios Dropbox system for incoming data and images.

    During registration period (usually November – January)
    – Input all text data for each application as the registration form responses arrive.
    – Check all application data for errors and formatting issues. Re-format fields that have been
    entered incorrectly on the application as necessary.
    – Check that all data entries (studio address and directions, studio information) for grouped
    members is consistent – liaise with the group’s ACO if there are errors that need clarifying.
    – Download and review all artist-submitted images and check for errors (e.g. broken or
    incorrect image file types). Contact individual members and request larger image file sizes
    if the Guide image is too small for print.
    – Check and re-format image filenames if they are submitted incorrectly.
    – Manage the image database organisation (usually 1000+ images) – organised into
    individual artist subfolders and any other image separation required.
    – Follow up with individual members or their ACOs for clarification on any outstanding errors
    (e.g. incorrect image uploaded, incomplete information given, incorrect email addresses)

    Between end of registration period and start of the event (usually February – May)
    – Format and provide information to various committee members as required, including creation of additional spreadsheets or word documents with selective data for the Social Media team, Guide Designer and Area Coordinators as requested.
    – Manage the ‘Guide Entry Proof’ form returns and make corrections to the data as requested by the members. Update all relevant team members on the changes made.
    – Work with the Guide Designer to manage and deliver data in the required format for transferring to the Guide.
    – Assist the Web Editor in preparing data in the correct formats for upload to the Artwork Archive system.
    – Assist the Web Editor in making necessary changes and corrections to information on the Artwork Archive database once uploaded / at artist request.

    Honorarium

    This is a voluntary role with an annual honorarium of £600, paid in two instalments.

    FURTHER INFORMATION
    To apply for this role, please submit a brief covering letter and cv to the Chair of SEOS at philip.johnson@mac.com

  • SEOS Social Media Officer – Back End

    SEOS Social Media Officer – Back End

    Join the SEOS Committee as a Social Media Officer and be a critical part of the team to help make SEOS one of the biggest and best Open Studios events in the UK. 

    South East Open Studios (SEOS) is a not for profit organisation that exists to encourage public interest in the visual arts across the whole of the South East. The aim is to enable all artists and makers in Kent, East Sussex and the Surrey borders, to engage with their communities and connect with art lovers, through one of the biggest and best open studios events in the UK.

    Our vision is to enable artists and makers to forge connections and develop meaningful relationships that will establish them and their practice within their communities and the wider arts arena.

    We run key campaigns before and during recruitment and in the lead up to the event, and we use our platforms to keep SEOS ‘front of mind’ throughout the year. We encourage our artists and makers to use Social Media to their advantage and promote themselves, and the event, to drive visitor numbers and interest. Our feed usually comprises a mixture of ‘in-house’ created branded content, reposts of artwork from our members and occasionally non-SEOS posts that are relevant to our artists (i.e. out of area competitions etc.).

    There are two Social Media Officers working together as a team, which comprises a ‘front-end’ Engagement Officer and a ‘back-end’ Content Manager. The Content Manager is responsible for creating the social media content for the feeds, scheduling campaign posts using Buffer, setting up and controlling the paid advertising campaigns and assisting in public facing engagement where needed.

    Areas of responsibility include:

    • Developing creative and engaging social media content.
    • Joint monitoring and analysis of SEOS social media (primarily Instagram, Facebook and X (Twitter)) performance and analytics, such as reach, engagement, and conversions, to identify areas for improvement and optimise content strategies.
    • Working with the designer to prepare on-brand content to enhance social media posts and visual content.
    • Working together as a social media team to outline a social media plan for the year and identify key campaign dates and requirements.
    • Monitoring the seopenstudiosmedia@gmail.com email address.
    • Working with the Committee and Treasurer to establish a social media advertising budget and how it can be most effectively used.
    • Liaising as a social media team to design eye-catching visual campaigns and manage their roll-out at key points during the year.
    • Manage social media content calendar and scheduling tools to ensure consistent posting and timely delivery of content – our major campaigns are scheduled in advance using Buffer and will need monitoring when active.
    • Assisting with ‘front-end’ engagement when needed / during busy periods (i.e. during campaigns and the event).
    • Set up and manage payment for targeted campaigns at recruitment and for event promotion using Facebook’s Meta Business Suite and Advertising Centre.
    • Co-writing the social media report for the Annual Report at the end of the SEOS year.
    • Working with the committee on all aspects of South East Open Studios.

    Experience using 3rd party social media scheduling websites such as Buffer, managing paid campaigns on social media would be highly beneficial. Experience using graphics programs and software such as Canva or the Adobe Suite would also be beneficial but not essential, as you will be working with our in-house designer.

    Honorarium

    This is a voluntary role with an annual honorarium of £820, paid in two instalments.

    FURTHER INFORMATION
    To apply for this role, please submit a brief covering letter and cv to the Chair of SEOS at philip.johnson@mac.com

  • SEOS 2023 open celebration evening at The Mick Jagger Centre – Dartford

    SEOS 2023 open celebration evening at The Mick Jagger Centre – Dartford

    What a fabulous start to SEOS 23 ….

    Last night we gathered in the @themickjaggercentre in Dartford for an evening of pure celebration.

    Our artists produced wonderful drawings and paintings – the audience watched them go from blank canvas to mighty creation with wide eyes and absolute respect. Congratulations to @francesfeatherstone for winning the Judges prize!

    The walls were adorned with unique paintings, prints, glass work and sculpture from around 30 Kent artists and makers.

    Local councillors talked enthusiastically about the exciting future for the arts in north Kent – we can’t wait to see this area become a creative hub, and look forward to playing a supporting role going forwards.

    Our own special guest and judge for the evening, Sarah Dance, Chair of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership and co-Chair of the South East Creative Economy Network reminded us that a world without art is not a world we want to live in!

    Thank you to @sarahyouseman, our Area Coordinator in Dartford for all her work supporting local artists and makers, and all those who attended, including (pictured) Ruth HowardSally LayneKaren SummersJane Good, Claire Edwards, Eija Burrell, Jeremy Kite, Peter Smith and Linda Smith – and of course the wonderful models, Mr Micawber and Miss Havisham!

    We wish all our members a successful and enjoyable event – make sure to visit them and show your support – 2nd to 18th June 2023.

    Visit: www.seos-art.org to see all our artists and our online 2023 Guide.

    Painter at easel