What a-n The Artists Information Company does

Artists Now (legally AN: Artists Information Company, rebranded from a-n The Artists Information Company in 2025) is a Newcastle upon Tyne-headquartered, private company limited by guarantee that operates the UK's largest membership organisation for visual artists and arts professionals, with 36,000+ members. The organisation was founded in 1980 as Artists Newsletter, a 500-copy-a-month publication, and has since evolved into a service and advocacy body for painters, sculptors, photographers, multimedia artists and arts workers across all career stages. Its core offering is an annual subscription membership that bundles £10m Public and Products Liability insurance, £5m Professional Indemnity insurance, Personal Accident cover, a legal and tax helpline, bursaries of £500-£1,500, and access to opportunities listings and professional development events.

The business is self-serve and web-led: members join and manage their accounts through artistsnow.com, powered by ReadyMembership membership management software. Beyond transactional membership services, Artists Now operates a content and advocacy platform comprising the Paying Artists campaign (launched 2014), the Exhibition Payment Guide, Rates of Pay guidance, the Artonomics podcast, the Structurally F-cked report (co-published with Industria, 2023), and the Green Manifesto for Artists (2026). Institutional influence is delivered through secretariat support of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Visual Arts and Artists (with CVAN and DACS) and through UK representation in IAA Europe, where Vice Chair Jerome Ince-Mitchell was elected President for 2025-2028. The organisation is funded through member subscriptions, paid opportunities listings, and Arts Council England support, and is governed by a board chaired by Hannah Wallis with CEO Julie Lomax leading a team of approximately 15 staff. As a company limited by guarantee with no external equity, all surplus is reinvested in member services and advocacy.

Name

a-n The Artists Information Company

Legal name

AN: Artists Information Company

Website

https://a-n.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Artists Now is a Newcastle-headquartered membership organisation serving 36,000+ UK visual artists with annual subscriptions bundling insurance, legal/tax helpline, bursaries and opportunities listings, combined with national advocacy through the APPG for Visual Arts and IAA Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: The primary revenue stream is membership subscriptions. Artists and arts professionals pay to join the UKs largest artists membership organisation, gaining access to insurance, legal services, bursaries, resources, opportunities listings, and advocacy. Specific membership tiers and pricing are not publicly disclosed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Artists Now is a UK membership organisation for visual artists and arts professionals, offering annual membership that includes £10m Public and Products Liability insurance, £5m Professional Indemnity insurance, Personal Accident cover, a legal and tax helpline, bursaries of £500–£1,500, opportunities listings, events, and professional development resources. The organisation also campaigns for fair pay, provides rates of pay guidance, and represents artists' interests through the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Visual Arts and Artists and IAA Europe.

Product overview

Artists Now (formerly a-n The Artists Information Company) is a membership-based organization providing a comprehensive suite of services for visual artists and arts professionals. The core offering centers on membership benefits including insurance coverage (£10m Public and Products Liability, £5m Professional Indemnity), legal and tax helpline, and bursaries. Beyond membership, the organization delivers advocacy campaigns (Paying Artists, Fair Pay for Artists), policy initiatives through the APPG for Visual Arts and IAA Europe representation, educational resources (Exhibition Payment Guide, Rates of Pay, Green Manifesto, Artonomics podcast), professional development programs (Scotland + Venice, Clore Visual Arts Fellowship), events and symposia, and research publications (Structurally F–cked, Framing the Future). The organization connects members to opportunities through a listings platform and supports artists through practical tools like invoice templates and budgeting guides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artists Now Membership Annual membership connecting artists and arts professionals to services, skills, and opportunities. Members receive insurance coverage, legal and tax helpline, bursaries, resources, and access to opportunities listings.
• Insurance for Members Membership benefit providing £10m Public and Products Liability insurance, £5m Professional Indemnity insurance, and Personal Accident insurance included with membership.
• Legal and Tax Helpline Free legal and tax helpline service available to members for professional guidance.
• Bursaries Financial support programme for members including bursaries of £500 to £1,500 to help artists take their practice to the next level.
• Events and Workshops Online workshops and events helping artists develop skills in areas such as writing about practice, social media, and presenting work.
• Opportunities Listings Platform for finding and sharing opportunities including paid work, residencies, and professional development opportunities for artists and arts professionals.
• Artists Make Change Symposium Annual symposium hosted by Artists Now and IAA Europe focusing on the vital role of artists in advocating for societal and political change.
• Scotland + Venice Professional Development Programme Supporting artists to take part in the Scotland + Venice Professional Development Programme at the Venice Biennale.

Quantifiable outcome

• 155 artists received bursaries totalling £206,850
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Association of Art (IAA) EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Artists Now is the UK representative for artists in IAA Europe, a network of about 40 national member organisations across Europe. In 2025, Artists Now Board member Jerome Ince-Mitchell was elected President of IAA Europe, leading the administration from 2025-2028. The partnership focuses on artists' working conditions, rights, fair pay, and international accountability. Artists Now hosts the annual IAA Europe Symposium (Artists Make Change, Liverpool 2025).
• All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Visual Arts and ArtistscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Artists Now provides secretariat support to the APPG for Visual Arts and Artists alongside CVAN and DACS. The APPG is chaired by Cat Eccles MP and includes over 20 MPs, Lords and officers. Artists Now contributes stories and data to highlight artists' issues including fair pay, studio affordability, copyright, and creative industries growth.
• CVAN (Contemporary Visual Arts Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVAN collaborates with Artists Now and DACS on the APPG for Visual Arts and Artists. Both organisations jointly published the Visual Arts Manifesto (2024) and collaborated on the Framing the Future report. CVAN National Director Paula Orrell co-signed joint calls for government investment.
• DACS (Design and Artists Copyright Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDACS partners with Artists Now and CVAN on the APPG for Visual Arts and Artists. CEO Christian Zimmermann co-signed the Framing the Future joint call. DACS focuses on artists' copyright and rights, aligning with Artists Now's advocacy mission.
• John Hansard Gallery (University of Southampton)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Hansard Gallery collaborated with Artists Now, CVAN, DACS, and Plus Tate on the Framing the Future report (commissioned by CVAN and John Hansard Gallery, written by Erskine Analysis).
• Liverpool BiennialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Artist Bursaries offered as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations. Five Artist Bursaries were available to Artists Now members in partnership with Liverpool Biennial.
• IndustriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtists Now co-published the 'Structurally F-cked' report with Industria in 2023. The report revealed a median hourly rate paid to artists of £2.60 and highlighted systemic underpayment in the UK public art sector.
• SPACEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Artonomics podcast, a four-part series exploring how artists make a living. Recorded in June 2022, the podcast features artists discussing art-making and supplementary income sources.
• Erskine AnalysisminorOthersErskine Analysis wrote the Framing the Future report commissioned by CVAN and John Hansard Gallery in collaboration with Artists Now, DACS, and Plus Tate.
• East Street ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEast Street Arts met with parliamentarians alongside the Creative Land Trust to discuss long-term studio provision and safeguarding creative spaces.
• Creative Land TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative Land Trust and East Street Arts met with parliamentarians to discuss long-term studio provision and safeguarding creative spaces to ensure the UK remains viable for artists.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Artquest: UK-based online resource hub for visual artists offering practical advice on careers, funding, and opportunities. Direct peer offering comparable advice services to UK visual artists with similar resource library and rates of pay guidance.
• CVAN (Contemporary Visual Arts Network): UK-wide network of contemporary visual arts organisations. Direct peer as a strategic partner of Artists Now on the APPG, co-publishing the Visual Arts Manifesto and Framing the Future report, with overlapping membership and advocacy missions.
• East Street Arts: UK visual arts organisation supporting artists through workspace, programming, and advocacy. Direct peer as a strategic partner of Artists Now, jointly lobbying parliamentarians on long-term studio provision.
• Craft Council: UK national charity supporting makers and craft practitioners. Direct peer offering membership, resources, advocacy, and policy influence for UK craft artists, with similar non-profit structure and Arts Council funding model.
• SPACE Studios: UK provider of artist studios and creative workspace. Direct peer as a strategic partner of Artists Now (co-published the Artonomics podcast), offering complementary workspace and career support services to UK visual artists.
• Royal Society of Sculptors: UK membership body for sculptors offering career support, opportunities listings, and professional development. Directly comparable to Artists Now as a UK visual arts membership organisation, and appears as an opportunities partner on Artists Now's listings.
• DACS (Design and Artists Copyright Society): UK copyright and rights organisation for visual artists. Direct peer as a strategic partner of Artists Now on the APPG for Visual Arts and Artists, providing complementary rights management and policy advocacy services to UK artists.

Others

• Plus Tate: UK network of museums and galleries affiliated with Tate. Related peer in the UK visual arts ecosystem; collaborated with Artists Now on the Framing the Future report but focuses on institutional programming rather than artist services.
• Creative Land Trust: UK non-profit securing long-term affordable workspace for artists. Related peer in the UK visual arts ecosystem; strategic partner of Artists Now and East Street Arts on studio provision advocacy but focuses on real estate rather than artist services.

Regional players

• IAA Europe (International Association of Art Europe): European network of approximately 40 national artist membership organisations. International peer where Artists Now serves as UK representative; provides international policy coordination but operates as a coordinating network rather than a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about a-n The Artists Information Company