Spike Island Associates

Spike Island Associates

Spike Island Associates is a professional development network for artists, curators, designers, writers and producers at all stages of their careers. Members span multiple disciplines and share a common interest in collaboration, experimentation and a desire to learn new skills.

We programme a year-round calendar of events for Associates, including:  

  • One-to-one meetings and group crits with artists, curators, writers and critics from across the world 
  • Reading and discussion groups 
  • Skills workshops: pricing and selling your work, fundraising, bookkeeping and finances, digital and practical skills 
  • Talks and study sessions related to contemporary art practice 
  • Away days to galleries and artist-led spaces  

Join a wider creative network

Associates members learn from experts in the creative industries. Recent guests include:

Marwa Arsanios, Pio Abad, Larry Achiampong, Amy Budd, Lucrezia Calabrò Visconti, Leah Capaldi, Cairo Clarke, Eoin Dara, Amrita Dhallu, Sean Edwards, Seán Elder, Leyla Fakhr,  Ceri Hand, Louise Hobson, Kabir Jhala, Taylor Le Melle, Kim McAleese, Jade Monserrat, Harold Offeh, Shy Bairns, Lucy Stein, Lillian Wilkie, Eliel Jones, Rianna Jade Parker, John Eng Kiet Bloomfield, Angela YT Chan, Alice Theobald, Clara Jo, Adham Faramawy, Hannah Wallis, Tako Taal, Alice Channer, Olivia Sterling and Alberta Whittle.

Associates can also connect with communities outside of Bristol through our membership of the Kaleidoscope Networka collaboration with Eastside Projects, Birmingham; Primary, Nottingham; and The NewBridge Project, Newcastle. 

Join today

Join today

What's on for Spike Island Associates

Become a member to take advantage of this program

Date
Location

Open Sandwich: Plenderleith Scantlebury

Join us for this Open Sandwich, where we're joined by skilled art fabricators and Spike Island creative tenants, Lisa and Mark of Plenderleith Scantlebury. 
23 April 2025
1–2pm
Location: Associates Space

Movement Mediation: ‘This could all be yours!’

Join artist and sociologist Anastasia Dahl for a movement-based workshop responding to our current exhibition, Danielle Dean: This could all be yours! 
22 April 2025
2–3.30pm
Location: Spike Island

Open Sandwich: A new Spike Island vision

Come along to hear about Spike Island’s new Brand Strategy – an approach which will define more clearly why Spike Island exists and help us to shape its future.
08 April 2025
1–2pm
Location: Associates Space

Open Sandwich: Pia Pack

Join painter, Spike Island studio holder and Associate, Pia Pack as she discusses her interest in the Pattern and Decoration art movement and the Binder of Women art collective that she is part of.
26 March 2025
1–2pm
Location: Associates Space

Writing for Artists with Anna Souter

This workshop with art critic, writer, and curator Anna Souter is designed to explore strategies for artists writing about their own work.
26 March 2025
10am–12.30pm
Location: Associates Space
An image of the Spike Island associates workspace.

KALEIDOSCOPE NETWORK | UPSKILL: FREELANCING KNOW-HOW

Join The NewBridge Project and Leila d’Aronville, founder of North East Cultural Freelancers, for a session on the precarious world of the freelancing.
20 March 2025
10.45am–1pm
Location: Online

Artist Symposium: Arms of a boiling tide

Join us for Arms of a boiling tide – a symposium exploring artistic responses to estuaries, organised by artist and Spike Island Associate Sarah Rhys.
19 March 2025
10am–4pm
Location: Spike Island

One-to-ones: Polly Brannan

Polly Brannan is an artist, curator and educator committed to producing public art, social practice and programmes, working collaboratively with artists and communities.
13 March 2025
10.15am–3.45pm
Location: Associates Space

Current Spike Island Associates

Join an active network of 300 creative practitioners

“Spike Island Associates is a great opportunity to be part of a large diverse dynamic group giving me the chance to meet and expand my network of contacts ”

“It gives me sense of belonging and the opportunity to interact with likeminded people in the art world… there’s a good varied lot of speakers [that help] expand ones view of art”

“The Associates programme has been essential in helping me ‘find my feet’ after relocating to Bristol from a very rural area. And the one-to-ones are invaluable in terms of Continuing Professional Development”

Spike Island Associates is supported by UWE Bristol. Spike Island and UWE Bristol work in partnership to deliver sector-leading support, facilities and opportunities for early-career artists and arts professionals to develop their skills and knowledge. The partnership incudes the provision of resources, arts research, joined-up learning opportunities for creative students, as well as shared public events.