Ready, Set, Exhibit - The Countdown Checklist for Adur Art Trail Participants

With the Adur Art Trail fast approaching, venues across Adur; Shoreham, Lancing, and Southwick are busy with preparation. Whether you are hosting a public community hall, opening your private home studio, setting up in a commercial shop window, or welcoming visitors into a garden exhibition, preparation is the key to stress-free, successful art trail weekends.

To help our Adur Art Collective community get trail-ready, we've put together this checklist for Adur Art Trail participants, follow this action-focused countdown to opening day, designed for all venue layouts!

Step 5: Lock Down the Logistics & Admin

• The Insurance Check: Double-check your core coverage. Ensure you have robust Public Liability Insurance (PLI) to protect your practice and your visitors. If you need a policy, standard artist cover is available via an a-n membership https://www.a-n.co.uk/about/insurance/. If you are hosting guest artists, verify that each guest holds their own valid Public Liability Insurance certificate before setting up.

• The Adur Kit Deposit: Collect your official trail marketing package—including posters, trail bunting, and flags—from our Adur Art Collective airport storage facility (date tbc). Remember to bring a refundable £10 cash deposit per venue. You will be sent info about collection dates and points.

• The Shared Strategy: If you are running a group show or a shared space, nominate a lead coordinator. Establish your stewarding rota so the venue is always invigilated, and clarify any space commission rates or payment-taking protocols in advance.

Step 4: Polish Your Professional Presentation

• The Gallery Standard: Ensure all work is displayed to a professional standard. Every piece must feature clear labels detailing the Title, Artist, Medium, and Price.

• Secure Hardware: For hanging works, ensure all paintings are fitted with secure D-rings and sturdy picture cord, or use an alternative attachment system agreed upon with your venue holder. For 3D items, sculptures, and jewellery, coordinate in advance to ensure appropriate plinths, tables, or lockable display cabinets are ready.

• The Artist's Statement: Write and print a short artist's statement to place near your display. This acts as your voice, providing the public with vital background information about your creative process when you are busy talking to buyers, handling sales, or running a workshop.

Step 3: Mitigate Spatial & Structural Risks

• Know Your Layout: Every venue is unique. Familiarise yourself with your venue's specific risk assessment. If your space features any structural bottlenecks, low doorways, uneven pathways, or sudden level changes, ensure they are clearly highlighted both visually with signage and verbally to guests as they arrive.

• Manage the Thresholds: If your venue is level inside but has a structural step at the entrance—making it inaccessible to independent wheelchairs but fine for walking aids—apply high-visibility contrast tape to the threshold edge. If you keep the entrance door closed for security, warmth, or animal management, mount a bold, eye-level sign on the outside instructing guests exactly how to let themselves in (e.g., "Please lift latch/turn key to enter").

• Clear the Corridors: Maintain a clear public walkway past all artist displays and emergency exit paths. Secure all temporary display partitions so they cannot tip if bumped by a crowd.

Step 2: Prep Interactive Workshop Zones

• Respect the Capacity Cap: If your venue is running live craft workshops or art demonstrations, stick strictly to pre-booked ticket numbers or strict capacity caps. This prevents unbooked onlookers from crowding the workspace, blocking exit doors, or creating an indoor bottleneck.

• The 2-Minute Briefing: Build a mandatory safety introduction into your workshop timeline. Before participants touch tools (such as craft knives, scissors, or hot glue guns) or specialty mediums, brief them clearly on safe handling techniques.

• Secure the Workspace: Use wide-based, heavy water pots that resist tipping. Place hot tools on heat-resistant mats, ensure continuous room ventilation if working with paints or solvents, and keep a simple stocked first aid kit directly on hand.

Step 1: Secure Animals, Water Hazards & Exits

• Animal Management: If a resident pet is present in a home studio or business venue, ensure they are safely housed in a secure crate or kept in a designated area away from public walkways. Use a closed-door or greeting system to verbally brief entering guests on interaction rules, and ensure you have a private room ready to instantly isolate the animal if a child or a certified assistance dog enters.

• Open Water & Garden Boundaries: If your trail venue includes an outdoor garden space with an open water hazard like a fish pond, ensure a heavy-duty safety net is fitted and place clear signage nearby. Keep adjacent paths clear of potted clutter, and ensure strict adult supervision of children is enforced via online text and on-site physical signage.

• Unlock Evacuation Paths: Walk your emergency escape routes on opening morning. Ensure all fire exits, back exits, and garden gates are completely unlocked, unlatched, and that external side paths are fully clear of parked vehicles, bins, or storage boxes.

Launch Your Marketing Plan!

With your venue safe, professional, and compliant, focus heavily on boosting your footfall:

• Go Local: You might want to design and print your own flyers to promote your specific venue location, participating artists, and any scheduled private viewings.

• Brochure Swapping: Help out with Adur brochure distribution! If you visit any neighbouring art trails this month, pack a stack of Adur brochures to cross-promote our event.

• Tag the Collective: When posting your setup sneak-peeks and behind-the-scenes content on Instagram or Facebook, always use @adurarts so our social media team can find and re-share your venue to the wider public!

Need a direct trail rep to resolve a venue issue? Contact David Edwards for Central Shoreham/Airport (davidedwards52@me.com), Sarah for Shoreham Beach (em.fry.art@gmail.com), or Gill Dixon for Lancing, Southwick, and Old Shoreham Road (gilldixon80@hotmail.com).

Join Us

The Adur Art Collective is all about visibility. We want to ensure our local creators are not just making art, but are being recognised for it. This opportunity is about removing the "gatekeepers" and giving you the tools to manage your own artistic career. Visit our Join Us Page for more info.