‘AA2A’ Artists Access to Art Colleges Scheme
hosted by **Bestfield University, Department of Fine Art and Design**
TERMS OF ACCESS AGREEMENT
Negotiated between
Bestfield B1 4QF**
**Anny Artist, Bestfield Artspace Studios, 111 Frederick Street,
Signature ..................................................... Date .............................
and ** Pablo Picasso, AA2A College Coordinator**
Signature ..................................................... Date .............................
and approved by **Leonardo da Vinci, Head of Fine Art Department**
Signature ..................................................... Date .............................
Access dates and holidays
Access will be from **1st October 1999** (excluding holidays) until **31st April 2000**
In addition to bank holidays the college will be closed between **16th December - 6th January
and 21st February - 28th February**
Access times
Unless by special arrangement access will be during hours that the department is open to
students, i.e. between **9.00am - 7.00pm, Monday to Thursday and 9.00am - 5.00pm on
Fridays. Please note that power may be turned off during lunch hour from 12.30 - 1.30pm**
1
Access timetable and booking of facilities
Your access period will begin on **6th October** and access will be concentrated **on Tuesday
morning and Wednesday all day**. Any access outside these times must be agreed with the
relevant members of staff or technicians.
Please note that **the darkroom and computer room must be booked in advance through the
departmental technicians**. If you are not able to use any facilities booked please contact the
department as soon as possible.
If for any reason you are not able to come in on a regular basis please let us know as soon as
possible so we can renegotiate your Agreement.
Access hours
The scheme entitles each artist to at least 100 hours of access to workshops and supporting
areas (excluding time spent at college shop, library, using social facilities or giving talks etc). It
is expected that artists will use at least 50 hours access time (this will ensure that students
benefit from the exposure to artists). ‘Access hours’ monitoring forms will be held by **the
sculpture technician.** Before leaving the department please check that the correct number of
hours used is entered on your sheet.
Agreed access areas
All workshop areas **available to sculpture students**
Supporting areas, i.e. **photographic darkroom and computer room**
Library (reference and lending rights)
Life room **(available on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon)**
Fine art lecture programme **(see programme attached)**
College Shop **(situated in entrance foyer)**
Social facilities, i.e. **canteen and bar**
Artists’ Hardship Fund
The AA2A national team holds a central fund for artists’ grants. Payments of up to £200 will be
made to those artists who can demonstrate need and would be unable to take up their place
without the funds. Should less than 50 of the 100 ‘access’ hours be used, artists may be asked
to return an appropriate proportion of the £200 budget or any unused materials. Any unspent
funds must be returned if unused. The money can be used towards materials, travel or formal
childcare, which you would not otherwise need. Funds cannot be used against the cost of
capital items such as computers, kilns etc..
Equal opportunities support
AA2A aims to support artists with disabilities by providing a small fund to help cover additional
2
expenses. Please request more details from AA2A if this is essential for you to take up a place.
Artists Networking site (‘Dotbiz’) http://aa2a.biz
Artists can blog, upload images, contact other AA2A artists and record their AA2A project
through our networking site. A webpage on AA2A Dotbiz will be created for you. We will expect
you to provide your own image/s if possible. If unable to do this we may be able to help you to
get the work photographed. We would expect the information sent in your application form
(images and statement) to be uploaded on to the site, so that you are represented. Failure to
provide information may affect any future application you may make to AA2A. This aspect of the
project aims to raise the project's profile amongst students in particular and bring AA2A to a
wider audience outside the college.
Student contact
AA2A aims to improve student benefit from the scheme by recruiting up to two students at each
college as student representatives. As AA2A artists you are encouraged to contact student reps
and interact with students generally, both in college and online using the AA2A Dotbiz
networking site. You may occasionally be approached by students from your own or other AA2A
colleges. Although not obliged to respond, we would hope that within the spirit of AA2A, any
reasonable requests for information could be met.
In your application you will have outlined how you proposed to interact with students to ensure
they know about your work. The list below should reflect what you offered to do. Although we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide formal opportunities for interaction we may ask
you to:

**attend an introductory session for students and provide visuals and talk briefly about
your work and answer students’ questions

Post ‘work in progress either on the AA2A Dotbiz networking site or within the college

Prepare a presentation to showcase your work once it is finished

Arrange a studio visit for a group of students

Other interaction which you have outlined in your application**
General principles of the scheme
 The department cannot offer continuous working or storage space and artists may only leave
work on the premises by agreement with the relevant staff.
 Artists will normally be working alongside students and there may be occasions when the
needs of students must take priority over that of artists.
 Artists must attend an induction into safe working practises in the department and must be
able to work with minimal technical support.
3
 While working in the college in accordance with the terms of the Access Agreement, artists
will be covered by the colleges public liability insurance.
 The college cannot accept responsibility for the loss or damage of artists’ property while on
the college premises.
 Although every effort will be made to accommodate artists, there can be no absolute
guarantees that all facilities will be available or kept continuously in working order.
 Artists can only accept one AA2A place at one college during their participating year and
cannot reapply for further years on the AA2A scheme at this or other participating colleges for
2 years e.g. Artists who were on AA2A schemes run from 2013 to 2014 or before, can
reapply in 2015.
Evaluation
Artists must complete the evaluation form provided by the National Coordinator of the AA2A
project. Failure to do so may affect any future application you may make to AA2A.
AA2A Ltd
AA2A Ltd is a social enterprise (‘not for profit’) organisation dedicated to running the AA2A
project. AA2A Ltd provide the national networking, support, promotion and evaluation for the
host institutions AA2A schemes. From time to time they may also contact artists regarding
fundraising campaigns.
Termination of Access Agreement
If for any reason the artist wishes to terminate the access agreement they are requested to do
so in writing to the college coordinator as soon as possible.
If the college wishes to terminate the agreement they will do so in writing stating the reason.
This letter will be signed by the ** Head of Department**
Internal and external mediation
If you are not happy with any aspect of the scheme please feel free to talk to the college’s AA2A
Coordinator. If this does not resolve the problem you may speak or write to the **Head of
Department**. If you remain unhappy you may contact the National Coordinator by email who
will try and resolve any issues and can arrange independent mediation if necessary.
4