The Open Studios Directory
Approximately 13,000 copies are printed annually and distributed across the South West and beyond. The directories are often kept for years to come, so it can be a really valuable way for people to discover and remember your work long after Site Festival has finished for the year.
Artists can take part in Site Festival, and is open to anyone with an art practice in the Stroud District, or anyone who would like to base themselves here for Site Festival. We regularly collaborate with artists from surrounding areas such as Gloucester and Bristol, but have also had visiting artists from Berlin and much further.
We're very keen to invite more of our art community from Dursley, Stonehouse, Whitminster, Wotton and the rural routes towards Painswick. So if you're based here, do register or get in touch.
Stroud District map
To have your information in the directory you can :
Take part in Open Studios and register as an Open Studios Artist
Have a Listing and Feature in the directory, for an exhibition/event
Have a Display Advert
Open Studios Fees
Register as an artist to open your studio for both weekends, as a solo artist or as a group. The registration fees are in a tiered system to give artists more opportunities to take part with discounts for groups of artists and young artists.
The deadline for registering is 14th February 2025.
An example of Open Studios artists in the 2022 directory
Full Fee : £234 per artist: 1 x artist (£204 + £30 membership fee)
2-4 artists : £210 per artist: (£180 + £30 membership fee) 10% discount
5 or more artists : £193 per artist: (£163+ £30 membership fee) 20% discount
Discount for Young Artists (30 and under) : 50% discount
Discount for artists based in Cam, Dursley, Wotton-Under-Edge and surrounding areas : 20% discount
Listings and Features
An example of Listings and Features in the 2022 directory
Register your exhibition or event, and have your information in the Open Studios directory. You will need to be open at the same time as Open Studios on both weekends.
We developed this idea as an alternative to Open Studios, to give collectives a more affordable way to be on the Open Studios routes.
The deadline for registering is 28th February 2025.
1/3 page : £281
1/2 page or 2/3 page : £366
Full page : £440
Display Adverts
Display Advertising offers a 1/3 page, 1/2 page or full page advert in the directory. It’s a high quality, expertly curated, full colour 48 page publication produced to publicise Open Studios. With a shelf life of over a year it provides a great space for advertising events, businesses, services or an organisation’s arts programme.
Booking deadline: 28th February 2025
Artwork deadline: 27th March 2025
Example of Display Adverts - 1/2 pages
Perfect if your exhibition, event, talk or workshop is being organised for a time that doesn’t fit within Site Festival, but you would still like to take the opportunity to promote it.
Or if you have a local business that promotes or supports local artists in some form
Which one to choose?
Open Studios 2024 directory - available as a PDF
Open Studios registration - To get the most from being in the Open Studios directory, register as an Open Studios artist to get the most publicity and profile for your artistic practice. It gives the visitors your artwork as the main image, your contact details and description of your work.
You also get added to the Artist Network website, get the opportunity to get £50 back with the Payback Scheme, get to take part in the Site Exhibition for extra publicity and become an SVA member for the year. With a long shelf-life, the directory offers visitors your information for years to come. Find out more.
Listings and Features - an alternative for a collective or group of artists who perhaps run in a more casual format, who wish to be on the Open Studios route but share the publicity as a group. Find out more.
Display adverts - suitable if your exhibition, event, talk or workshop is being organised for a time that doesn’t fit within Site Festival, but you would still like to take the opportunity to promote it. Or if you have a local business that promotes or supports local artists in some form. Find out more.
Jessy Plant at Prema Arts Centre
Apply for a Bursary
For 2025 we’re trialling the idea again of Artist Bursaries for artists 30 and under, to work with an established artist mentor. For this we're also keen for established artists to sign up to be a mentor and collaborator.
SVA was founded on the idea of supporting emerging artists, regardless of background and access to resources. So we continue this within Site Festival as well. Find the 2024 Bursary page to see who participated last year.
If you are 30 or under and are interested in participating in Open Studios with a bursary to cover the costs, please email kazz@sva.org.uk or apply below.
You will still need to complete the Open Studios registration form as well once you’ve been awarded the bursary.