Artweeks 2013 (& the art of making your print budget go further)

For 3 weeks during May, Oxfordshire is transformed into one giant art gallery as it provides the backdrop for Artweeks, the county’s most important arts festival.  Between  the 4^th and 27^th  May, artists and craftspeople all around Oxfordshire open their studios to the public, giving visitors the opportunity to view spectacular art in a huge variety of different locations, from barns and halls in Cotswold villages, to city studios, galleries, open spaces, schools, homes and even a castle. All in all, there are more than 500 exhibitions – and they are all completely free!

Holywell is delighted to support Artweeks and do our little bit to help promote the wealth of creative talent in Oxfordshire. Our relationship with Artweeks goes back a long way, and we have printed the Artweeks Festival Guide for many years.  As well as being the essential reference document for the event - detailing all exhibition locations and opening times - it also showcases works by the artists participating. On display is an eclectic range of styles and work in a variety of media; including painting, photography, textiles, sculpture, ceramics, furniture, glass, mosaics and jewellery. In fact, at 116 full colour pages, the guide is something of a work of art itself!

Because Artweeks is a non profit-making business, its organisers are continually looking for ways to make their budget work as hard as possible. The print and production of 50,000 guides is a significant cost, so we work closely with our client to make sure this element of the project is as cost-effective as it can be. For many years, the Festival Guide was produced in an A5 format, but seven years ago we suggested that if the guide were to be designed a little smaller, we could make a considerable saving on the cost of production – so it came to be the size it is today.

Reducing it from A5 (210 x 148mm) to 185 x 140mm, means we’re able to produce 32 page sections on our Sakurai printing press (rather than just 16 when it was A5). You don’t need to follow the technical stuff too closely here – the important bit is that by taking just a little off the size of the guide, we’re able to take a lot off the cost of production. Those few millimetres enable us to save Artweeks around 50% on their print bill. What’s more, not only does this new size make the guide far more cost-effective, the compact format means it is now even more pocket-friendly for art goers to carry as they browse the venues!

Our MD Ben was lucky enough to be invited to the Artweeks launch party held at the Riverly Club in Abingdon, and was extremely flattered that Holywell got a special mention from Festival Chairman, David Pollock, who thanked us for our work on the guide.

This spring, take a little time out to enjoy wonderful art in beautiful and unusual settings. Whatever your taste in art, there will be something in Artweeks to inspire you – you might even find the perfect piece to fill that space on your wall! Visit www.artweeks.org to find out about Artweeks events taking place close by to you. 

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