Of all the fantastic things that happened both in the period of development and in the 17 months since the Lightbox opened its doors in Woking in September 2007, winning the Art Fund Prize has to be one of the most significant.
It wasn't just an award, it was that award. The Oscar of our industry. The one that said we were best at what we were doing, that confirmed we were on track with our pledges. New tag lines for us such as "ingenious jewel" and "groundbreaking" appeared in the press.
The telephones began ringing with offers to be part of touring exhibitions and partnerships. In the autumn we are bringing in a brand-new exhibition from Italy; a Dutch gallery has asked to partner with us; and a national commercial gallery chose us as the space for the public launch of the Bob Dylan Drawn Blank Series.
We were selected as one of 18 host galleries across the UK to show one of the Artists Rooms from the collection created by Anthony d'Offay. Suddenly everyone knew our name.
For us, the award created a tremendous sense of pride locally. People had campaigned for years for this moment and the external recognition of effort contributed greatly to winning over and silencing the local and regional critics. Equally important was the reward for the staff, workers and volunteers who felt an enormous sense of pride in their achievements.
With a new building and a high-profile team of architects, there were plenty of awards we could have entered. But we chose to be selective as they are highly time-consuming for a small team. No one should underestimate the amount of work that goes into entering.
So here are my top tips for award success. Chose the award you go for; check it really is the right one for your business. Study the award criteria and what the judges are looking for in a winning entry.
There's a real temptation to do a blanket application and say why your gallery is fantastic, instead of responding to the questions. Ensure that you bring out the best of what you have to offer.
If you're lucky enough to get through the first round and have a judges' visit, plan the day carefully. Ensure the judges see the areas that you want them to see. Shape the agenda to include elements that will impress. Brief your staff; tell them what will be happening and what you expect of them.
Don't be a wallflower. If you believe you can win, go for it. Remember it's the winning that counts. Coming third or fourth is not worthwhile. And don't think small. We entered the award just five months after opening and never thought we wouldn't succeed.
Marilyn Scott is the director of the Lightbox, Woking. The Lightbox holds the 2008 Civic Trust Award for community design, the 2008 Riba South East Award for architecture, and was runner-up in the 2008 RICS South East award
It wasn't just an award, it was that award. The Oscar of our industry. The one that said we were best at what we were doing, that confirmed we were on track with our pledges. New tag lines for us such as "ingenious jewel" and "groundbreaking" appeared in the press.
The telephones began ringing with offers to be part of touring exhibitions and partnerships. In the autumn we are bringing in a brand-new exhibition from Italy; a Dutch gallery has asked to partner with us; and a national commercial gallery chose us as the space for the public launch of the Bob Dylan Drawn Blank Series.
We were selected as one of 18 host galleries across the UK to show one of the Artists Rooms from the collection created by Anthony d'Offay. Suddenly everyone knew our name.
For us, the award created a tremendous sense of pride locally. People had campaigned for years for this moment and the external recognition of effort contributed greatly to winning over and silencing the local and regional critics. Equally important was the reward for the staff, workers and volunteers who felt an enormous sense of pride in their achievements.
With a new building and a high-profile team of architects, there were plenty of awards we could have entered. But we chose to be selective as they are highly time-consuming for a small team. No one should underestimate the amount of work that goes into entering.
So here are my top tips for award success. Chose the award you go for; check it really is the right one for your business. Study the award criteria and what the judges are looking for in a winning entry.
There's a real temptation to do a blanket application and say why your gallery is fantastic, instead of responding to the questions. Ensure that you bring out the best of what you have to offer.
If you're lucky enough to get through the first round and have a judges' visit, plan the day carefully. Ensure the judges see the areas that you want them to see. Shape the agenda to include elements that will impress. Brief your staff; tell them what will be happening and what you expect of them.
Don't be a wallflower. If you believe you can win, go for it. Remember it's the winning that counts. Coming third or fourth is not worthwhile. And don't think small. We entered the award just five months after opening and never thought we wouldn't succeed.
Marilyn Scott is the director of the Lightbox, Woking. The Lightbox holds the 2008 Civic Trust Award for community design, the 2008 Riba South East Award for architecture, and was runner-up in the 2008 RICS South East award
