1-2-1 DIALOGUES Sessions for Practitioners
DIALOGUES is a rolling programme, offering free online 1-2-1 sessions. These informal sessions with Nottingham Contemporary staff are aimed at early-career artists based in the Midlands region.
These sessions will last up to 30 minutes and give participants the chance to discuss their work, receive advice and critical feedback on topics such as artist statements, portfolio building, funding applications and more. Please see our staff bios below for more information on staff specialties and areas of expertise.
Sessions will be made available at the beginning of each exhibition season and can be booked on a first-come, first-served basis through Ticket Tailor. We offer 1 session per exhibition season per participant, and no more than 3 sessions per year.
Please include information in your booking stating what you would like to focus on during the session and send us any work to be discussed at least a week in advance, in order to allow staff time to review.
Please read our FAQ guide here before making a booking.
For more information please contact our Assistant Curator of Live Programmes, Klara via email - kszafranska@nottinghamcontemporary.org
About the event
Online. Free. Limited Capacity. First come first served. Booking is required.
We offer 1 session per exhibition season per participant, and no more than 3 sessions per year per participant.
Following booking, you will receive an email with a zoom link for the date of your session.
The following staff members are available for sessions this season:
Izi Clery is Head of Fundraising at Nottingham Contemporary and has ten years of experience in fundraising for various charities. Starting in the performing arts and raising much-needed support for an orchestra and national ballet company, Izi uses her experience and strong theoretical knowledge from her Master’s in Arts Management to help set fundraising strategies and deliver on income targets from a range of income sources. Whether that’s from individuals through crowd-funding or matched-giving, or writing grant applications to trusts and foundations, Izi can help suggest the potential avenues available to support for your work and how to approach different funders.
Available slots with Izi:
Fri 15 Nov, 12 noon
Fri 22 Nov, 12 noon
Click here to book a DIALOGUES session with Izi
Niall Farrelly is Assistant Curator of Exhibitions at Nottingham Contemporary. He is a curator and artist from Ireland. At Nottingham Contemporary he has worked on recent projects including Assemble + Schools of Tomorrow: The Place We Imagine and Hollow Earth: Art, Caves & The Subterranean Imaginary. Current areas of interest include thinking about transhumanist futures, technology, mythological pasts and human/nonhuman connections. Niall's interests are artistic practice and development, ideas, exhibition coordination, gaming and internet culture.
Available slots with Niall:
Thu 7 Nov, 12 noon
Wed 11 Dec, 11am
Click here to book a DIALOGUES session with Niall
Solman Nouman is the Head of Finance and Operations at Nottingham Contemporary, an experienced senior postholder in the cultural sector, with 12+ years of extensive commercial experience, with the last 7+ years working within the arts, education, museums & heritage organisations. Solman has significant experience leading on financials and operational matters including museums and galleries exhibitions tax relief (MGTR), business rates, systems (financial & ticketing) and working with public bodies and funders including Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Available slots with Solman:
Fri 6 Dec, 10am
Fri 13 Dec, 10am
Click here to book a DIALOGUES session with Solman
Ali Roche is Chief Curator (maternity cover) at Nottingham Contemporary and was previously Head of Commissions at Spike Island in Bristol. She has a background in commissioning, developing and producing ambitious new contemporary art works with a specialism in Artists’ film and moving image. At Nottingham Contemporary she leads on the strategic delivery of both our exhibitions and live programmes in collaboration with artists and partners from across the city, nationally and internationally.
Available slots with Ali:
Thu 17 Oct, 10.30am
Thu 21 Nov, 4pm
Click here to book a DIALOGUES session with Ali
Katie Simpson is the Curator of Exhibitions at Nottingham Contemporary. Previously, she held the positions of Studio Manager & Exhibitions Hub Curator within the Art Department at Goldsmiths, Co-Director at not-for-profit art organisation Jupiter Woods (London) and Curatorial Assistant at Goldsmiths CCA (London). In 2020 she participated in the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo’s YCRP (Young Curator’s Residency Programme) co-curating the exhibition Waves Between Us (Turin). In a freelance capacity, she mentors and supports artists with funding, grant, and residency application writing, and with the development of artistic and curatorial projects. She received a BFA in Visual Culture from the University of Brighton (2013) and MFA in Curating from Goldsmiths (2018). Katie’s areas of interest include artist development, advising on project proposals, funding application and grant writing, and self-organised curatorial work.
Available slots with Katie:
Thu 24 Oct, 11am
Thu 7 Nov, 11am
Click here to book a DIALOGUES session with Katie
Klara Szafrańska is Assistant Curator of Live Programmes at Nottingham Contemporary. She has previously worked in the same position at BACKLIT Gallery, Nottingham (2023), as well as being a Community Assistant at Nonsuch Studios, Nottingham (2022-23). Klara is interested in DIY, transgressive and inter-disciplinary methods of working that overlap artforms and audiences, across visual arts, music and performance. She explores programmes as a physical but temporary space to unravel notions around intersectional temporalities and queer transnationalism. Particularly site-specific, immersive and narrative-based events spanning performance, sound, moving image, sculpture and installation. Klara is also an artist and a BACKLIT Gallery studio holder, with experience delivering workshops for groups and institutions, she received an MFA in Fine Art from Nottingham Trent University (2022). A conversation with Klara could help an early career artist, an arts worker or a recent graduate navigating careers and opportunities; or someone interested in the DIY ways in which curatorial and artistic practice can occupy spaces.
Available slots with Klara:
Wed 30 Oct, 4pm
Wed 6 Nov, 4pm
Click here to book a DIALOGUES session with Klara
Salma Tuqan is the Director of Nottingham Contemporary. She is a contemporary art and design curator and cultural strategist. Previously she was Deputy Director of Delfina Foundation, London where she developed the strategic vision of the organisation, growing its collaborative work and partnerships and shaping the foundation’s engagement with Latin America & the Caribbean, the African continent and MENASA regions. Prior to joining Delfina Foundation she worked as the Contemporary Middle East Curator at the V&A for eight years, where she was responsible for Middle Eastern art and design programming at the museum, co-curated the biennial international Jameel Prize exhibition, and co-founded the Culture in Crisis programme which focuses on cultural heritage from the perspective of collective and individual action. She worked at Art Dubai from its inauguration in 2007 to 2011 as Head of Artists’ Projects, as well as Artistic Director of Contemparabia, a series of cultural itineraries for museum groups. She is an advisory committee member of Art on the Underground (London), The Rivers Institute (New Orleans), the Arab Image Foundation (Beirut), NuMu (Guatemala city) and the Santo Domingo Centre of Excellence for Latin American Research at the British Museum (London). Salma’s areas of interest include curatorial and artistic practice, residency programmes, collection management and working with galleries, museums and cultural institutions.
Available slots with Salma:
Wed 18 Dec, 10am
Wed 18 Dec, 10.45am
Click here to book a DIALOGUES session with Salma
Simon Withers has been working at Nottingham Contemporary since 2009 as a Gallery Assistant. Since then, Simon has been regularly researching and presenting spot talks for exhibitions. As an arts worker, he has extensive experience in the local arts scene including as: Coordinator of Oldknows Studio Group, Primary Board Member, Nottingham Open Studios Support, and as a member of several steering groups. His work has been previously presented at places such as: Wrexham Arts Centre, A Foundation (Liverpool), Nottingham Castle, Angel Row Gallery (Nottingham) and The Museum of Art and Design (New York). Simon can provide advice on: artist led initiatives, involving public engagement through educational / participatory ‘hands on’ creative projects; and undertaking performance-based activities, producing live music and production through art practice.
Available slots with Simon:
Mon 25 Nov, 11am