DAiSY x Outside In

Step Up: Leading Workshops and Curating Exhibitions Training

DAiSY was delighted to be partner with Outside In to run two successful 10 week long Leading Workshops and Curating Exhibitions course in 2025 at The Riverside Arts Centre.

About the project

Funded by Arts Council England, these courses supported 19 artists to learn about the practical elements of designing and running creative workshops and curating and putting on exhibitions. Both courses provided great opportunities to learn new professional skills, meet a group of new artists and work towards gaining future paid and voluntary employment within the arts.

The 7-week courses aimed to support artists to develop skills relating to designing and delivering creative workshops, and how to curate inclusive exhibitions to a professional standard. The courses, held across Riverside Arts Centre and Hullabaloo, provided a structured programme of sessions that cover all aspects of leading a workshop and how to curate an exhibition; from how to support a diverse range of participants, to what legislation you might need to be aware of. The course provided artists with a practice-based programme, enabling participants to plan and try out the roles.

The courses were BSL interpreted, allowing our D/deaf audience to partake. Both courses provided opportunities to learn new professional skills, meet a group of new artists and work towards gaining future paid and voluntary employment within the arts. The courses were delivered in under served boroughs of Surrey. Through this project we established two new cultural partnerships with venues in these areas and participants went on to deliver professional workshops with a number of our cultural partners and member organisations, as well has at DAISY-Fest.

Following the Outside In Step Up Training, DAiSY aimed to create opportunities at DAISY FEST for course alumni to apply their new skills to a live project – read about that here!

Windows to the World Exhibition at DAiSY FEST

“I now have the confidence and knowledge to work toward creating an opportunity to curate future exhibitions collaborating with my network of Deaf Visual Artists UK (DVAUK).” – Participant 2

ADAHK Exhibits Windows to the World, using curtain style fabric to create a window effect

“I was incredibly nervous… however the group became familiar and I grew enormously in comfort and confidence.”- Participant 3

Introducing Outside In

Outside In provides a platform for artists who encounter significant barriers to the art world due to health, disability, social circumstance, or isolation. Outside In provides a digital platform for artists to show their work and three programmes of activity: artist development, exhibitions, and training. Outside In aims to create a fairer art world by supporting artists, creating opportunities, and influencing arts organisations.

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