We'll be spending time in the coming weeks / months meeting our Xhibit 2023 selection panel- we've asked them three questions which unpack their thoughts on supporting emerging artists, staying focused, career and creative inspiration.

To kick off we chatted to Hospital Rooms co-founder Tim A Shaw.

What thoughts / tips or ideas to do you have for emerging artists when trying to stay inspired and focused on their creative career.

Life after finishing an art degree can feel like falling into the abyss. I ended up working in a warehouse for a while after finishing my BA at CSM 17 years ago, to me the most important thing was to make time every week to keep making work, visit exhibitions and spend time with friends I had met through my time at art college. If opportunities don't come to you, make your own opportunities, whether putting on an exhibition in an abandoned shop, making installations in your flat, or sharing your work online in a creative way.

Image: Julie Allan, an art therapist, and Loz Jeanneret, a nurse, who Hospital Rooms worked with on project at a forensic mental health unit called Hellingly Centre 

How can students best equip themselves for freelance creative work beyond university.

There is always a need for skilled people in the art world, and getting experience or training in framing, installation, building, design, AV, or anything specialised can open up lots of opportunities for freelance or contract work. It also opens up a new world of possibilities for your own work, and can end up informing and directing your work in exciting new directions. I think learning on the job is a brilliant way to be thrown in at the deep end, and spending time with artists and artisans can be a valuable way to absorb the way others think and make. 

Can you name three creative people who have most inspired yourself and your practice.

Julie Allan, an art therapist, and Loz Jeanneret, a nurse, who we worked with on a Hospital Rooms project at a forensic mental health unit called Hellingly Centre. They have spent years making it possible for people in secure mental health units to express themselves through art and writing. We have learnt a lot from them. And Niamh, my partner, and the person I founded and run Hospital Rooms with. 

Image: Niamh White, Co-founder of Hospital Rooms 

Find out more about Tim and the other three selection panellists: Xhibit (arts-su.com)