Picture Hooks Access Statement

At Picture Hooks, we are committed to providing support, opportunities and encouragement for emerging illustrators. We are passionate about championing talented creatives and aim to be inclusive in our approach.

We are aware of the imbalance within the book industry, and we want to support illustrators from all backgrounds, including those who have been historically underrepresented.

We encourage participation from those with varying access requirements, those who are neurodiverse, those with dependents and/or caring responsibilities, those facing socioeconomic barriers, those from working class backgrounds and/or those on low income, and those who are otherwise marginalised in society. 

We encourage those involved in our programme to make us aware of any access requirements or potential barriers they may face when taking part in said programmes.We also encourage and welcome Access Rider Docs from those with disabilities and/or long-term health conditions. For helpful resources on Access Rider Docs, see Access Docs for Artists and/or Disability Arts Online

Programme and Event Accessibility

Although we are based in Edinburgh, our programmes and competitions are open to applicants from anywhere.

For our Mentoring Programme and Buddy Schemes, mentees/buddies can choose to catch up online for the duration of the respective programmes if travelling isn’t an option.

During our Mentoring Programme, we arrange free, online Masterclasses with expert illustrators. These will be recorded and made available to Mentees to watch later, if required. 

Throughout the year, we run free, online webinars on different aspects of illustration, led by experts in the field, which have been made available for a week post recording. We are currently looking into ways to make these webinars more accessible, including making them available for a longer period of time on our website. 

Accessible Spaces

The Picture Hooks team work remotely therefore we do not have a physical office space to hold meetings. 

We conduct most of our meetings online via zoom. When events are in person, we can provide access statements for the venue(s).

We organise in-person illustrator meet ups in Edinburgh (where we are based) and Glasgow in accessible spaces, to encourage a sense of community amongst illustrators. We can provide an access statement for the chosen venues ahead of time.

At the end of our Mentoring Programme, we organise an exhibition to display the mentees/mentors work as well as an event to meet industry professionals on the same day at the same location. This will take place in a wheelchair-accessible space. We will provide an Access Statement from the chosen venue ahead of time. 

Finances

Our online webinars are free to join and open to all who are interested.

For our mentoring scheme, there is a one-off fee of £15 which covers administration. This is the only thing we charge for. Aspiring illustrators can receive one on one, valuable advice from established, professional illustrators. We are passionate about paying our professional illustrators fairly.

There is no fee for our Buddy Schemes.

We cover the costs of framing for our Mentoring programme’s emerging Illustrators. competition.

Our competitions are free to enter. Winners and runners-up are awarded a cash prize. 

Website Accessibility

We are currently taking the necessary steps to make our website as accessible, clear and informative as possible.