I might try this out.
From: Wayne Connor
Email: wayne@shalamarshops.co.uk
------------- Message ------------
Brand new Arts, Craft and Antique market opening in Wickford Essex with positions available for only £15 per day!
I am pleased to announce that Shalamar Shops are in the process of setting up a brand new market in Wickford, Essex which will be targeted at the sale of arts, crafts, antiques, pottery, photography, ceramics, woodturning, and other hand made products.

I am particularly keen to include local artists and photographers - hence this email to you.

I can tell you that positions will be made available at a special introductory rate of only £15 per day! And all positions are available on a daily basis so there's no need for any long term commitment. You can book for a day, on a first come first served basis and if you like what you see, you can look to make another booking for another day that suits you.

There will be further discounts for those booking on a weekly basis.

This is an ideal opportunity for those wanting to make their first presence on a busy high street and for those wanting another point of sale for their products.

The market will be based inside the covered Willows Centre on the Wickford High Street. There are four romany style wagon stalls available plus six traditional market stalls - making 10 placements in total. I think that your work would look particularly good on one of our four Romany Type stalls.

If you would like to know more about this, and be informed when placements are available for hire (and how to hire a stall) - please reply to this email and we'll then pass on the full details to you as soon as they are agreed.

The market should start some time in July although this is still under discussion at the moment.

Whatever your craft, whatever your product - this is your chance to sell on a busy high street - and from as little as only £15 per day. Now that's got to be worth thinking about!

Regards
Wayne Connor
http://www.shalamarshops.co.uk
Tel: 01375 846396

PS Please note that we are still investigating other high street properties in Kent and London - and will come back to you on these in due course. Please register with us at http://www.shalamarshops.co.uk to be certain that you hear of our new positions!

If you wish to take yourself off the ShalamarShops mailing list please reply to this email and let me know that you wish to be deleted from further info on Shalamar Shops setting up high street positions in London, Essex and Kent.

I saw that somewhere recently wendy - don't think it was in an email but can't remeber where. I recall looking at the website . Its a good idea but early days yet for them. I guess once some of the shops are up and running it'll be easier to see whether its going to work.
there's a gallery near me ( the one we had the MGE Exhibition in wendy) that sells space like this. It gives people the chance to show their work without having to run the gamut of gallery owners. However - depending on what sort of space and foot fall, £15 a day could prove expensive - thats (gets paper out...brain still asleep ) £105 per week. the gallery I'm talking about has 32 bays from 4ft x 7ft to 8ft x 7ft and prices start at around £130 per 3 weeks for the smaller bays...and thats a proper gallery thats does lots of local advertising. Some more well known artists hire it for the week on a sole babsis, they do around 5 of these per year - won't do more because the owner feels it's not fair to have them too close together.
So this one needs to be assesed on the basis of what sort of advertising and promtion is it doing - what sort of market is it going to attract. Its no good if it's luring the primark bargain hunters because even if they love you're work they aren't going to pay for it because they're in the market for £9.99 prints
Horses for courses as they say. Be interesting to see how this works out though - i don't mean to sound negative - just cautious that there are things to be researched.

Thanks Jeannie that's why I thought I would book a trial day, they use those Romany cart type things you see in most shopping malls.

Could be a way of marketing cheaply though, and maybe small works that sort of thing and a nice day out toboot.

It's all about trial and error isn't it?

Hi Wendy

How are you?
I just wonder how you doing with Art Market in
Wickford, if you decided to take part first of all.
I would like to try my luck of direct selling but don't know what this place is like. I thought to visit the Market and see how busy it is and what is popular there.
Would be nice to hear from you.
Nadiya

I tried it out last Friday,the venue is situated in a good spot as people have to walk through it from the Carpark to the high street. It was undercover and the display Roamany style Cart was well suited for display,as it was the first week I didn't expect too much but was able to give out business cards and leaflets advertising my websites,and got a commission off the back of it,so not too bad at all.
I wish I had taken my easel and a chair as it would have been a crowd puller maybe next time.

But as with anything it takes time to get established but could be good running up to xmas.

I would agree with you in order to become well-established artist we have to put many effort, hard work, years of practise.
I have never painted outside my studio, mainly lack of confidence and secondly in my case it is a special ritual to clean the brushes and all mess afterwards. How you manage to focus on painting while surrounded by onlookers.
I know you work with acrylics but I would imaging it still could be messy and then if painting wet it is a bit awkward to transfer it?
Nadiya