About CG Associates

CG Associates is a membership scheme for artists, writers and independent curators working in contemporary art.  It has been developed by Castlefield Gallery to support members in developing their work and careers by providing information, skills, opportunities, resources, promotion and critical dialogue. The CG Associates scheme will act as a hub, bringing together artists, curators and writers, facilitating critical exchange and engagement with members’ work and strengthening the artistic ecology of the North West. The scheme will include user-generated activities, developed in response to members’ needs and requests.

Annual membership costs £60; you can join here.

Benefits of the scheme include:

  • Opportunities to apply for three Launch Pad exhibitions a year at Castlefield Gallery (see below for details of how to apply).
  • Access to temporary spaces via Castlefield Gallery’s New Art Spaces scheme, which offers ‘Pop-up’ project/exhibition spaces for artists and creative practitioners. (for more information about New Art Spaces visit castlefieldgallery.co.uk/newartspaces)
  • An hour’s one-to-one advisory session with a key member of Castlefield Gallery staff.
  • Access to expert professional development training and workshops, for example on pricing, copyright, selling work and web presence.
  • Members’ names and a link to their website/blog listed on Castlefield Gallery website.
  • Monthly CG Associates sessions, e.g. crit sessions with other CG Associates and invited artists.
  • Peer-to-peer critiques.
  • Show and Tell sessions with other CG Associates and invited artists.
  • CG Associates can book the gallery outside of exhibition hours for meetings, crit groups, photography etc.
  • Practical workshops for CG Associates, e.g. on how to make the most of your digital presence.
  • Invitations to Castlefield Gallery exhibition previews and events.


May CG Associates event

The next monthly CG Associates session is scheduled for Wednesday 29th May, 6:30 to 8:30pm. In response to requests from members, this will be a discussion-based session, focusing on the topics: ‘Does art have to have a purpose?’ and ‘How do you critically engage with your own work?’ As both are meaty topics so we’ll divide into small groups and spend forty minutes on each one.

June CG Associates event

The June CG Associates session will be on Wednesday 26th June, 6:30 to 8:30pm when in small crit groups; three people in each group will get the chance to discuss their work and get feedback, for half an hour each. Having your work critted is not compulsory – we envisage groups of around six, looking at three people’s work.  If you would like to have your work critted please email Jane Lawson on associates@castlefieldgallery.co.uk.

Launch Pad at Castlefield Gallery

Launch Pads are short exhibitions or performances that punctuate Castlefield Gallery’s main exhibition programme providing artists and curators with the opportunity to use the gallery as a test bed for the production, display and consumption of contemporary art. Launch Pads will feature emerging talent selected from CG Associate members’ submissions (three times a year) and the BA and MA in Fine Art at Manchester School of Art (once a year).

Members can apply to exhibit as a solo artist or as a member of a group/collective, or to curate a solo or group exhibition. In the case of group projects, at least one artist or the curator must be a CG Associate. (Nb Castlefield will not curate a group show from individual applications.) Launch Pad projects can run for up to ten days and are part of Castlefield Gallery’s exhibition programme.

Castlefield Gallery will supervise and assist with installing and uninstalling the work; provide curatorial input as agreed prior to starting the project; provide invigilation; publicise the exhibition through the gallery’s e-newsletter, free listings and social media; and organise a preview with refreshments.  The gallery can also provide a small budget of up to £500 which members can divide as appropriate to cover materials, documentation or travel expenses etc.

The next Launch Pad exhibition is Some Misunderstanding, curated by CG Associate Sevie Tsampalla. The exhibition was selected by Clarissa Corfe, Castlefield Gallery’s Deputy Director, and Pippa Hale, Director of the Northern Art Prize and co-director of Project Space Leeds, and will run from from Aug 8-18.