Laura Thomas

Laura Thomas, photographed by Mohamed Hassan

 

Laura Thomas has an impressive number of commissions. We asked her advice for other artists interested in being commissioned.

With all the public art commissions I’ve undertaken, I’ve had to apply for them and then when shortlisted, attend an interview to present my proposal in person. It’s essential to put yourself in the shoes of the commissioning organization. What are they looking for? It’s your job to try and figure this out and answer their needs. Analyse the brief so that you understand it inside out back to front. If the brief is sparsely written, then you need to dig deep and find out more before you make your proposal. Do a site visit, understand the practicalities, speak to the project manager and make sure you fully grasp who the end user is. Ensure that your proposal is realistic, coherent, practical and inspiring. You also need to make sure that you as a person inspires confidence. Will you be a pleasure to work with? Can you manage a big budget? Are your costings realistic? Can you lead community engagement activities that so often are a part of public art projects? Think about what the commissioning organsiation needs and wants from the artwork, and make sure you answer it in your proposal.

To find out more about Laura’s beautiful art read her profile here