West Midlands artists achieve success following ‘Get Gallery Ready’ bootcamp

The art world is notoriously hard to get into, particularly for regional, working-class artists.

But a new, fully-funded bootcamp, ‘Get Gallery Ready’ at Solihull College & University Centre has been changing that story for local creatives.

Positive outcomes to date include six artists gaining gallery representation locally, nationally and internationally; all 20 artists from the first cohort earning press coverage; 20 artists have formed a new collective, Midlands International Artists Collective; artist Anisa Mosaiebiniya has established her own online gallery and Tara Harris was named ‘International Artist of the Year’.

The 10-week-long bootcamp has been fully funded by West Midlands Combined Authority, making it free for visual artists who live in the West Midlands region.

Twenty artists completed the inaugural edition (March-May 2025), while another 21 artists are currently participating in the second edition (Sept – Dec 2025).

It has been developed and delivered by Birmingham-based art curator, critic and author Ruth Millington, who previously worked for top London galleries.

The bootcamp has offered artists behind-the-scenes site visits to galleries, museums and studios across the region, including Ikon Gallery, RBSA Gallery, Coventry Biennial, Stryx Gallery, Nook gallery and more.

Guest speakers have included professional artists including Paul Lemmon, as well as art dealers from Lux Gallery and Forward Gallery. In addition, artists have each had a 1:1 portfolio review with Ruth Millington to support them in developing their creative practice.

Each bootcamp culminates in a group exhibition at The Courtyard Gallery at The Core in Solihull.

The first cohort’s exhibition was themed ‘Belonging’, while the current group’s exhibition, in time for the Christmas holidays, is titled ‘Winter Folk’.

As well as exhibiting in a group show, there have been a great number of positive outcomes and success stories for participating artists, who’ve found a community of like-minded, supportive individuals through the process. 

Surminder Virk gained representation from Runjeet Singh Gallery, exhibiting with them in UK and India; Prashant Kansara has a major exhibition at the Herbert Museum & Art Gallery from Nov-Dec 2025 and Natasha Taheem secured a major commission for a touring exhibition starting at The New Art Gallery Walsall, and making its way to auction house Christies in 2026.

Ruth said: “The art world is fiercely competitive and difficult to navigate for artists, particularly those without connections or inherited wealth.

“On top of that, art school doesn’t tend to teach artists how to ‘get gallery ready’. With this bootcamp, I wanted to level up the playing field, equipping talented creatives with the knowledge, confidence and connections to secure success.

“It’s been inspiring to see so many of the artists - of all ages and diverse backgrounds - achieve their dreams, including gaining gallery representation.”

Hayley Pepler, head of Culture, Creative Industries and Digital Roadmap at West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “With the support of the West Midlands Combined Authority, we’ve been able to respond directly to local needs and empower artists across the region to achieve remarkable milestones, from gallery representation to major commissioned work.”

Pictured: Artist Sandra Palmer, who has since gained gallery representation, exhibited in Birmingham, Solihull and London, and featured in Stylist magazine