- ARTiculate
- Posts
- WELCOME TO ARTICULATE
WELCOME TO ARTICULATE
Average reading time for this newsletter: 5 Minutes
Hello all!
Firstly, thank you for subscribing to this newsletter! I hope this message finds you well and in good health.
Before launching the newsletter, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and provide a little insight into what you can expect from this subscription.
Photo credit: Tom Morley (2024)
WHO AM I AND WHAT DO I DO?
I am Saziso. My name means ‘notice’ or ‘announcement’ in Zulu. I am a curator, producer, artist mentor, and consultant based in Nottingham, with nearly a decade of experience working in the arts across visual art, theatre, music, film, podcasting and performance. I work with professional artists at different stages of their careers and also with people who don't necessarily practice as professional artists (children and adults across various communities) but love dabbling now and again. My career has spanned work as both a freelancer and a salaried employee, with major art and academic institutions, small galleries, local authorities, festivals, and DIY projects. As well as the wonderful opportunity of working in my hometown of Nottingham, I have also worked nationally throughout England and Scotland and internationally. Some of the organisations I have worked with and for include Jerwood Arts, New Art Exchange, Rough Trade, Nottingham Contemporary, Broadway Cinema, Nuart Festival, Format International Photography Festival, Sheffield Museums, Backlit Gallery, Frequency Festival, Nottingham Trent University, UK New Artists, Attenborough Arts Centre, De Montfort University, and Sheffield International Documentary Festival.
In 2016 I founded The Anti Gallery, an organisation dedicated to exhibiting and engaging art in everyday, unexpected spaces. After running nearly 30 projects, I paused The Anti Gallery in 2022 due to other commitments. However, I hope to relaunch it in the future with a long-term team and sustainable funding.
I am also a founding member of SHEAfriq, a collective of women creatives of African descent (we mainly operate internally these days rather than publicly), and Co-Director of Young Hustlers, a Nottingham-based arts and music festival for children and young people. I sit on steering groups for CVAN EM (Contemporary Arts East Midlands) and UKNA (UK New Artists)
At present, much of my work consists of artist mentoring (both artistic and professional development), consulting with organisations and supporting strategic planning. I am also in the process of searching for my next long-term curatorial role, because, lets face it, looking for jobs, doing applications and preparing for interviews can be a whole (unpaid) job within itself.
You can find out a bit more about my work at sazisophiri.com
WHY THIS NEWSLETTER?
In late 2019, I began reflecting on ways to better support artists in building sustainable careers. While I can’t pinpoint a single moment or event that prompted this shift, it was likely the result of numerous conversations and observations about the challenges artists face in securing opportunities and fair pay.
This led me to share more opportunities via Instagram. When COVID-19 struck, I launched a free online directory for creatives whose work and livelihoods were impacted by restrictions and lockdowns, with the hope that recruiters would prioritise them for services. Not long after, I started contributing more to development programmes for artists as a workshop facilitator and also did some work as a visiting lecturer for third-year Fine Art students. I also began exploring legacy and development opportunities in my curatorial projects, as it didn’t feel right to leave artists without a clear path forward after a project ended. This approach has helped me build lasting professional relationships with some of the artists I’ve worked with.
In 2022, I started ARTiculate, a weekly newsletter sharing reflections, advice, and opportunities. I paused it due to the demands of a growing freelance workload and the challenge of maintaining a weekly schedule. Recently, conversations with early to mid-career artists have highlighted a growing desire to step away from social media while staying informed about relevant opportunities and resources. Many artists feel overwhelmed and unsure where to begin when searching for funding, residencies, exhibitions, or industry/sector insights.
To partly address this, I’m relaunching ARTiculate as a free biweekly newsletter for now. There are plans to introduced a paid subscription, which will involve different types of content, such as interviews and tips from other experts, draws for giveaways, and opportunities for 1-2-1 sessions (more about this in the New Year). My goal is to help you bypass some of the distractions of social media and deliver the most relevant information directly to your inbox. I specialise in sourcing opportunities, sharing practical advice, and signposting resources, and introducing connections to help you move forward in your career.
I hope the title that is ‘ARTiculate’ reflects the newsletter’s mission. At its core, the word ‘articulate’ is about clarity: the ability to express ideas fluently, organise information thoughtfully, and communicate with purpose.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
The newsletter will be sent every two weeks and will include the following and more:
Opportunity listings, reflections, tips and recommendations
While ARTiculate cannot solve the systemic challenges of sustainability in the arts (as much as I wish it could), I hope each edition will act as a small, steady contribution towards positive change, like drops of water slowly shaping a stone over time.
The first edition will arrive in your inbox on Monday 2nd December, and I’ll be including a prize draw giveaway as a thank-you for you early subscribers.
SUPPORT ARTICULATE
There will always be a FREE version of this newsletter, even with the introduction of a paid subscription. Creating these newsletters will take significant time, research, and effort, as well as drawing from my years of expertise.
If you’d like to make an optional donation, perhaps the cost of a coffee or two, you can do so here. Any support will directly contribute to the time I dedicate to ARTiculate and will be reinvested into additional resources to better support you.
As a freelancer, my income is sporadic so any contribution is greatly appreciated to reduce the amount of time I work for free. That said, donations are entirely optional so please don’t feel obligated if you’re unable or prefer not to contribute.
Thank you for your support!
SPREAD THE WOIRD
Please feel free to share this subscription link with anyone you think would benefit from the newsletter.
All the best,
SAZISO x
Photo credit: Mario Eugenio (2023)