Skye Kelly-Barrett: Putting artists first

6 Dec

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INTRODUCTION

Skye Kelly-Barrett is the founder of Roar Illustration Agency; a boutique art agency representing a carefully curated selection of the most talented artists, both established and emerging, within the creative industry.

Clients include: Vans, Nike, The Guardian, FA Cup, Riot Games, Virgin, BBC to name a few.

Alongside running Roar, Skye also curates and manages exhibitions and events, having recently taken over as curator for the Mothership venues including: The Book Club and Colours, Hoxton.

This interview took place over video call in October 2020.

Why have your friends and artists affectionately named you as ‘The Designated Arsehole’?

Oh man I have to stop telling that story, this is NOT a great legacy to leave without context… hahaha. To me it’s one of the best ways to describe why having an agent is such a positive thing, it means that you have a buffer between you and the client / person with whom you’re communicating, which means that I am able to be more stern about T&Cs, contracts, money, and everything that is in place to protect creatives – I should point out that I am not an asshole in person or communication (I hope!) but it means that at the end of the day, I am the person who is able to take on that role, and leaves the creative to do what they do best; be creative.

Tell us how and why you came to start Roar?

I started Roar in early 2018 as a means to create a new place for a different style of artists to be represented and championed. I wanted to try and create a place that supported the artists we worked with, not just got them work. We have a store and run exhibitions and other PR activities that we hope bring new eyes on the work of the artists, as well as trying to support and help grow an artist's confidence and career to a place where they are happy.

Given the overwhelming amount of portfolio submissions you receive every month, what are your top tips for any artist trying to secure an agent?

This is a very hard question to answer because there really isn’t a fast rule of what will or will not “get” you an agent, but:

Research the agencies before contacting them: many agencies will represent a style, or type of artist so make sure you fit in with what they’re doing, but also be aware if they have a lot of people whose work looks like yours as you may get lost amongst the board.
Direct your contact to the agency name, or someone within that agency specifically and try not to send blanket, non-personal emails. Most agencies will have the name(s) and email(s) of someone to reach out too. Without sounding petty, agencies put a lot of time, money and energy into the artists we represent, so we want to know that you’re as excited to be part of the agency as we are to represent you, and taking a few moments to research the agency shows that.
Have a website, or a portfolio site, or a selection of work on a PDF that we can see, not just an Instagram! We need to be able to see your work, and Insta’s are great for an overall feel, but we also want to know which pieces you love and feel happy with, and how you present yourself within your portfolio.
Be polite! Treat people how you would want to be treated ☺

What is your ‘Artist First’ approach all about, and why do you think it’s so pivotal to the agency?

At Roar we have two main ethoes; “Artists first” and “Know Your Worth” – With every job, project or discussion with our artists it’s always about what makes sense for them. We never push an artist to take on any work they are not happy with, and we’ll happily turn down work if the fee is not on par with the work, or we feel that it’s taking advantage at all. Clients are of course super important, and we have been lucky to work with some of the most incredible people and brands in the world, but at the end of the day, without the artists they are commissioning they wouldn’t have the incredible content they have, so we really try hard to make sure that it’s appreciated and created in a safe and as stress-free as possible space as we can.

“At Roar we have two main ethoes; “Artists first” and “Know Your Worth” – With every job, project or discussion with our artists it’s always about what makes sense for them.”

Do you believe that animation should have a place in every illustrator’s skillset?

If it’s a skillset you’re happy to learn, then absolutely! Moving image is becoming more and more important (thanks social media!) and even if it’s just learning some small GIF style animation, or how to create and prep your files so they can be animated by someone else, it’s a great tool to have in your toolbox to offer commissioners.

Do you encourage all your artists to be proactive and use social media?

We actually try not to push our artists to do anything on social media, it’s totally up to them how they run their social approach. The only thing we are really keen to make sure is that they have a website other than the agency portfolio, but social is 100% up to them.

From Roar’s perspective we use our social media to promote all the artists we represent, and that’s the most important thing for us. We have been very lucky to not have any clients or work come in that states that an artist must have a certain amount of social media presence, and if a client requests that an artist must post or engage then it’s considered part of the job commission and we cost against that. No artists should feel the fear of posting on social media. Life is hard enough!

“No artists should feel the fear of posting on social media. Life is hard enough!”

We spoke candidly about the negative impact social media has on our feeling of self-worth as creatives. What advice do you give to your artists in this position?

Remember that numbers do not mean money, commissions, or worthiness. Some of our most commissioned artists barely use social media! And whilst it’s an amazing tool to reach new people, it does not define who you are as an artist or person. It should be used in a way that makes you, the creative feel comfortable and empowered, and the moment it starts to feel anything other than that, then a small breakaway is always good for the brain.

“Remember that numbers do not mean money, commissions, or worthiness.”

We all agreed that growing up, our exposure to the expansive world of creative careers was limited. What do you think can be done to improve the awareness of job opportunities at school-level?

This is a really interesting point, and it’s something that I have been working closely with at the moment with other UK-based art and illustration agencies and agents (coming in Jan 2021) to try and work out how we can better reach and inform the younger generation before they get to university.

We have found that the expansive and often very successful positions that are available in the creative industry are not really talked about, and so the knowledge of what to study, or how to approach those positions are limited to those who are already in the industry, and because of this, it feels like we’re missing out on so much creative and exciting talent.

“We have found that the expansive and often very successful positions that are available in the creative industry are not really talked about”

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that schools have a hard enough time as it is, and it’s not top of everyone’s list, so it’s really about finding ways to access and support the teachers and guidance councilor’s, sharing information with them where we can and creating events and activities like workshops, literary materials, roundtable discussions or talks etc. to get the information out there, and of course making sure all this is available and accessible online for free.

Tell us about your involvement with The Collective and what this initiative aims to achieve?

I have been a mentor with The Collective now for 3 years (currently in my third) and it’s been the most amazing experience. I have met, worked with and learnt so much from this incredible group of hugely talented and supportive women I almost forget that I am there to mentor!

My main goal within this group is to offer advice where I can and run workshops and talks on everything from working with clients, contracts, portfolios, curating exhibitions, being strong with negotiations and understanding how to know your worth as an artist to hopefully further your career.

Given the chance to go back in time, what advice would you have given your younger-self just starting out?

Honestly to stop being so scared that I wasn’t doing a good enough job, or that I wasn’t good enough to be doing the job I was doing – I have worked in the fashion and creative industry for most of my life and have always felt like I didn’t quite belong, like I slipped in somehow and was waiting for someone to be like GET OUT!

“I have worked in the creative industry for most of my life and have always felt like I didn’t quite belong, like I slipped in somehow and was waiting for someone to be like GET OUT!”

But this year I stood back and looked at my career, my education, the things I have done and achieved and for the first time actually patted myself on the back thinking “Damn Skye, you’ve done good” – Which is funny, because it’s such an un-English thing to congratulate yourself for your successes, and this forever apologetic feeling is so ingrained in us, but imagine if we stopped and actually looked at all we do, even getting out of bed is a huge achievement (especially right now). So, just being kinder to myself and appreciating all the hard work when it’s done, not years later!