Notes for people submitting a proposal
1. Gallery One is the community exhibition space at Touchstones Rochdale, the Arts and Heritage Centre for the borough of Rochdale. It is for local people to organise and mount their own exhibitions. Anyone who is connected with the Borough, which includes the areas of Middleton, Littleborough, Milnrow and Heywood, can put forward their ideas for an exhibition. You might live, work or meet here, but we will consider proposals from others who have a link with the Borough.
2. The exhibitions that are shown in Gallery One are chosen by an independent panel, representing a wide range of people from inside and outside the Borough, who meet twice a year. They will try and make sure the programme is varied as well as maintaining a level of quality. The Art Gallery Officer will hold on to your completed application until the next meeting of the panel.
3. It is helpful to the panel if you can submit images of artwork with your application. These can be returned if required.
4. Exhibitions usually last around eight weeks with one week between each exhibition. Occasionally they are slightly longer or slightly shorter, so the changeover time does not overlap with other exhibition installations at Touchstones Rochdale.
5. You can apply to exhibit anything you like, from paintings and sculpture to photographs and ceramics. However, there are certain things that we can’t show, for instance:
· Things that may be dangerous to the public, eg knives and blades or anything with sharp edges, live creatures, strobe lights, naked flames.
· Things that are a health hazard, eg food and drink, nuts and seeds on open display.
· Items that are too big or heavy to carry into the building.
· We will not show things that may be offensive to some people, eg anything racist or sexist.
· Please let us know if you are intending to include any electrical equipment as we will need to arrange to get it tested for safety.
· Please take into account that you must be able to deliver and collect the exhibits to and from Touchstones Rochdale yourself.
6. If your proposal is successful, we will meet to talk about what you want to exhibit in more detail. We have a limited amount of display equipment that you may request to use in the gallery, for example stock picture frames, display cases, plinths for sculptures. However these are limited and you may be required to provide your own. We will discuss what we have available and what you need. You will be expected to provide any other display material you need, for example mount board and blue-tac to stick your information labels to the wall.
7. You do not need any technical expertise to put on an exhibition here as a technician from Touchstones Rochdale will be available to assist you in setting up the exhibits according to your plan. This will be on two specific days (or equivalent, up to 14½ hours) in the week before the exhibition opens, by mutual agreement.
8. You must ensure that you or one of your group are able to deliver your exhibition on the Tuesday prior to your exhibition opening on the Saturday. It is also your responsibility to stay and set up the exhibition (with the assistance of a technician) and this must be completed by 4pm on the Friday before it is to open on the Saturday.
9. You must be able to collect the exhibits on the Tuesday morning after the exhibition closing date.
10. We want visitors to the Gallery to enjoy your exhibition and you should provide information in the Gallery for the public regarding the content of the exhibition. You need to be able to provide this yourself, but we can advise you about layout, mounting etc.
Information should be word-processed, typed or printed at a minimum font size of 16 point.
We will provide a comments book so you can get some feedback on what visitors think of your exhibition.
11. The Art Gallery Officer reserves the right to ask for artwork or information to be withdrawn or amended if it does not meet the criteria set out above.
12. If you wish to have an opening for your exhibition, it is your responsibility to cover any costs and this must be organised in good time with the relevant staff at Touchstones Rochdale.
13. If you wish to run demonstrations, workshops or other events as part of your exhibition, this must be discussed with the Art Gallery Officer and agreed beforehand.
If you have any questions, please contact
Yvonne Hardman
Art Gallery Officer
Touchstones Rochdale
The Esplanade
Rochdale OL16 1AQ
Tel 01706 924492
Fax 01706 924944