Spaces
Outer Spaces programmes residencies, commissions and other artist development opportunities using vacant commercial property. We also make spaces available, rent free, to artists, art collectives and art organisations.

Information for artists

Here are some of the questions we are commonly asked about our spaces. If you can’t find the answer to your question here, or have any further queries please email: info@outerspaces.org

What kinds of spaces do you have?

Our spaces are empty commercial properties: open plan and individual offices in whole blocks, or office floors in buildings shared with other occupants, retail units in shopping centres or high streets and occasionally industrial units.

How do I find out about new spaces?

When a new space becomes available, we send out a mailing to artists who have registered on our website. You can register with us here. We can also share information via our website, social media channels, Creative Scotland’s Opportunities site and through networks such as SCAN.

How do I get a space?

We invite artists to submit expressions of interest for available space. We will also invite you to a viewing either individually or more usually in a group if there’s a lot of interest, or if there is an artist key-holder we will put you in touch so you can liaise directly to arrange a viewing.

If you want to go ahead and make an application after the viewing, we will guide you through the process and answer any further questions you may have about a specific property.

Do Outer Spaces contact artists if a space comes up?

Yes, if you’ve subscribed on our website, you’ll be first to hear of new spaces becoming available. We also remind our social media followers to check their inboxes including their spam and junk folders.

How do you allocate space?
Outside of our own programme requirements, if there is a lot of interest in the same space, we will prioritise artists who’ve been on our waiting list the longest, or it will be allocated to an artist whose practice is the best fit for the space and, if it is a shared space, is compatible with other artists working there.

Do you have a waiting list?

Yes, we operate a waiting list in locations where there are a lot of artists seeking space. We also prioritise finding alternative space for artists who’ve had to move out of one of our previous temporary spaces.

Can I book a space for an event or exhibition?

As all our spaces are artist-led and self-managing, we are unable to operate bookings for our spaces. If you are interested in event or exhibition space, please apply for a space when a suitable one becomes available and you will be able to organise your own event or exhibition. Please note, however, that our spaces are temporary and we can only guarantee occupation for one month. If you want to programme an event or exhibition, you are advised to have an alternative venue in mind if we are given notice to vacate by the landlord.

We are able to advise on suitability of spaces and we have a check list available for managing public access to events or exhibitions.

How accessible are the spaces?

We have ground floor spaces with accessible WC facilities that are prioritised for artists requiring them in some of our locations. We encourage all planned public facing activity to happen in our ground floor spaces so it can be more accessible to audiences.

How do I find out about your programme opportunities?

Our subscribers are first to hear about opportunities and all our open calls are advertised on our website and shared on our social media channels, via Creative Scotland’s Opportunities site and through networks such as SCAN.

I have seen an empty property, can Outer Spaces get it for me?

Unfortunately, we are unable to get a specific property just because it’s empty. We monitor requests for locations where space is needed and we communicate this to the agents and landlords we work with to seek suitable properties.

I’ve signed up on your website, why haven’t I heard anything?

We send mailings about spaces when they become available. If you haven’t heard anything from us it’s because we don’t have any available space in the locations you’ve selected. Sometimes our mailings can end up in a recipients’ spam and junk folders so it’s worth checking these too.