FAQs

First in our series of special tutorials on how to get the most out of artsderbyshire is our step-by-step guide to creating a minisite [Word doc 1.1MB].

Other frequently asked questions are asked below.  If your question does not appear in our list of FAQs, please email editor@artsderbyshire.org.uk.

Technical

Signing-in and passwords

Artists

Events

Venues

Newsletters

Everyone

Searching

More about artsderbyshire

Technical

Q. Which operating systems and browsers are supported by artsderbyshire?
A. artsderbyshire supports the following browsers and operating systems:

  • Windows: Internet Explorer 5.5+, Firefox 1+, Mozilla 1.5+, Netscape 6.2+, Safari 1+, Opera 7.23+
  • Macintosh: Netscape 6+, Safari 1+, Firefox 1+
  • Linux: Firefox 1+, Opera 8+

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Signing-in and passwords

Q. How do I change my password?
A. To change your password, first sign-in. The 'sign-in' link is under the banner on the right-hand side of artsderbyshire. Use your current username and password to sign-in. One you have signed-in, click on the 'edit my details' link. This link appears in the top left-hand corner of artsderbyshire once you are signed-in. On the 'Edit my details' page there is a 'change sign-in details' box. Enter your current password in this box, and then enter a new password and enter it again to confirm your new password.  Then click 'save changes' at the bottom of the page.

Q. I have forgotten my password, how do I retrieve it?
A. To retrieve your password you need to click sign-in and then click 'forgotten password'. An email will be sent to your email address with a new password. Your username will be stated in the subject line of the email. You will then be able to sign-in and change your password back to one of your choice.

Q. I can’t remember if I’m signed up or not. What do I do?
A. First, look for an email from ‘noreply@artsderbyshire.org.uk’ in your email inbox. This contains the username and password that you will have originally signed up to artsderbyshire with. If you can't find this information, you can email editor@artsderbyshire.org.uk stating your name, address and email address. The editor will be able to find out if you have registered, and can remind you of your username.

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Artists

Q. Is it free to get a listing on artsderbyshire?
A. Yes. It is currently free for artists and arts organisations to get a free directory listing, and to submit events and venues to artsderbyshire. It is funded by the Derbyshire Arts Partnership.

Q. I am not sure if I am counted as an artist, can I get a directory listing?
A. Artsderbyshire is about promoting ALL arts activity in Derbyshire and Derby City, whatever the artform. You can get a directory listing whether, you are a professional or amateur, voluntary or commercial, mainstream or underground artist or arts organisation. So yes, please do register!

Q. I live outside Derbyshire but do some work in Derbyshire. Can I still get a directory listing?
A. Yes you can. artsderbyshire prioritises artists who live and work in the County, but we still want to include artists who do some work in Derbyshire.

Q. Where can I get funding for my arts activity?
A. There is a list of funding links and funding advice sites on the ‘links’ page of artsderbyshire.

Q. How do I get a directory listing?
A. To get a directory listing, choose 'get a directory listing' from the menu on the homepage. This will take you to the subscription options page. Tick the box 'add my artist/arts organisation details to the directory' (and if you want to receive newsletters, tick the ones you want to receive too). Then, click on the 'Subscribe now' button. This will take you to the artists directory form. Fill in the form and click 'Subscribe' at the end.

Q. How do I edit my details?
A. You will need to sign-in, which you can do by clicking the ‘sign-in’ link that appears on the website, just under the main banner on the right-hand side. A username and password box will appear. Type in your username and password and then click sign-in. Next, click on the 'Edit my details' link. This will appear in the top left-hand corner once you have successfully signed-in. A form will appear with your details on it. You can now edit any of your details, or add an image to your entry. Make sure you do not delete any of the mandatory fields, which are marked with an asterisk. When you have finished editing your details, click the 'Save changes' button at the end of the form. Once you have done this, the changes you have made will appear on artsderbyshire immediately.

Q. How do I add an image to my directory listing?
A. To add an image to your directory listing, you need to sign-in, and then go to the 'edit my details' page. Scroll down to the section of the form with the heading 'change the image for your listing'. Click the 'browse' button to look in the files on your computer for a suitable image. Make sure that the image you choose is either .jpg or .gif format, and that its file size is not too big - around 200 to 300KB is about right. You must also make sure that you have permission to use the image. When you have found a suitable image, click 'open' which will insert the image on the artsderbyshire form. Click on 'save changes' at the bottom of the form to finish adding your image. The image should appear immediately on your profile, so do go and check it looks how you want it.

Q. How do I become a featured artist?
A. It will help if you put a quality image on your directory listing. All our featured artists appear alongside an image representing their work and we are always looking out for eye-catching images to include in our editorial. artsderbyshire changes the featured artists regularly and pick artists randomly, ensuring a balance of artforms and arts sectors are displayed.

Q. Is there a discussion forum for artists on artsderbyshire?
A. We do not have a discussion forum right now, but are looking into developing this facility in a further phase of the artsderbyshire project. If you think that this facility would be useful, get in touch with the Editor on editor@artsderbyshire.org.uk to let us know your thoughts.

Q. I am a writer. Can artsderbyshire publish my work?
A. We don't publish fictional work, but we are always keen to receive articles for our Advice and information section, and welcome reviews and previews for our e-newsletters.

Q. Why can’t I upload an audio or a video file to my minisite?
A. We are investigating the possibility of allowing uploads of audio and video files in a subsequent release of the website.

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Events

Q. How do I find out about arts activities and events in Derbyshire?
A. You can search or browse for arts events, activities and training on the 'What's on' page of artsderbyshire.

Q. How can I tell people about my arts event?
A. You can submit your arts event to the 'What's on' section of artsderbyshire. Follow the 'add an arts event' link on the homepage and the 'tell us about it' link on the 'what's on' search page. Follow the onscreen prompts to fill in the form. All arts events will be published within seven days of receipt, at the discretion of the Editor. Some arts events are also included in the newsletter that goes out to audiences and the general public. If you send an image for your event to editor@artsderbyshire.org.uk it will stand a better chance of being chosen as the 'featured event' on the homepage of artsderbyshire.

Q. My 'add an event' form is returning with an error message, but I can't find the error.
A. If your form is returning with an error, you should be able to see all errors marked in red, above the problem field in question. Common areas that are overlooked are:

  • Near the bottom of the form, there is a choice of repeating your event or not. It is a yes or no choice and you have to choose one of these options.
  • The web address must be in a format similar to the following http://www.mywebsite.co.uk or ftp://ftp.mywebsite.com (where the 'transfer protocol' is needed as well as the wwws. A 'transfer protocol' is the http:// or ftp:// part of the web address)
  • the time should be in 24 hour clock format eg: 24:00 or 07:30 (you will need to enter a colon and not a full stop between the hours and minutes)
  • email addresses should be keyed in - occasionally if cut and pasted from another program such as Microsoft Word, the copied characters and fonts can cause problems. Do not put any spaces before or after your email address, also a common mistake.

Q. My arts event is happening outside Derbyshire but involves Derbyshire artists. Can it be included in the what's on section?
A. Yes it can. We are able to include events that feature Derbyshire artists outside the County, but, sorry we can't include events outside Derbyshire that don't feature any Derbyshire artists.

Q. Can I join a mailing list to be kept informed of what's on?
A. Yes. If you would like to receive regular information regarding up and coming events you can 'subscribe' to any one of the three artsderbyshire email newsletters.

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Venues

Q. How do I add an arts venue to artserbyshire?
A. You can submit your arts venue to the 'find a venue' section of artsderbyshire. Follow the 'add a venue' link on the homepage or the 'tell us about it' link on the 'find a venue' search page. Follow the onscreen prompts to fill in the form. All arts venues will be published within seven days of receipt, at the discretion of the Editor.

Q. How do I find a venue?
A. To find a venue on artsderbyshire, go to the 'find a venue' page, and then either search for your specific requirements, or browse for a venue using the right-hand side panel. The browse feature allows you to browse by venue type, seating capacity - standing or seated, facilities, and accessibility.

Q. How do I get to an arts venue  by public transport?
A. Derbyshire has an excellent public transport network.
Maps of public transport in Derbyshire can be found at www.derbysbus.info
Traveline offers a telephone service on 0871 200 22 33 from 7am to 9pm daily. Calls cost 10p per minute. visit www.traveline.org.uk for more information.
The East Midlands Journey Planner is an on-line bus and train information service.
The Timetable Finder can display and print out complete timetables for particular bus services.
Information is also available from the bus companies who operate in Derbyshire: Trent Barton, Stagecoach and Arriva.
The Derbyshire Wayfarer is a day rover ticket allowing virtually unlimited bus and train travel throughout Derbyshire for a whole day. 
 Cycling along Sustrans cycle routes is a great way to visit arts events in Derbyshire - Sustrans is commited to including public art along their cycleways, and some fine examples can be seen on their Derbyshire routes. Cycle maps of Derbyshire are availalbe free, from Sustrans.

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Newsletters

Q. Can I join a mailing list to be kept informed of what's on?
A. Yes. If you would like to receive regular information regarding up and coming events you can 'subscribe' to any one of the three artsderbyshire email newsletters.

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Everyone

Q. I am looking for an artist for a commission, workshop etc. How do I find the right one?
A. The directory of artists and arts organisations on artsderbyshire will help you narrow down your search. If you are clear about what you want, you can search for an artist who does the kind of work you are looking for. You need to make contact with artists directly to decide which one will best suit your project. Alternatively you can send your commissions or calls for artists to editor@artsderbyshire.org.uk for inclusion in the artists newsletter. This way, you get to tell artists exactly what you are looking for and how they can apply if it fits in with their skills, interests and work programme.

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Searching artsderbyshire

Q. I didn't find what I was looking for. How do I get better search results?
A. You can add special characters and search terms to your search to make it more effective:

  • use speech marks to search for a phrase. For example "Live and Local" will find every occurrence of the phrase 'live and local', while if you search for the terms 'live' and 'local', you will find every occurrence of the term live and the term local.
  • use an asterisk to search for words with a common root, for example artist* will find artists and artistic.
  • use boolean operators AND +  NOT  -.  Please note that boolean operators must be uppercase.
  • use the wildcard character * or ? to search for a word that is commonly spelt wrongly, or spelt differently in British and American English, for example pomegan?te will find pomegranite and pomegranate, and organi*ation will find organisation and organization. The ? will find a single character, while the * can find multiple characters.
  • use speech marks and the tilde symbol ~  to search for terms that appear near to each other, for example, use "poetry environment"~10 to search for the terms "poetry" and "environment" within 10 words of each other in a document.
  • use the caret symbol ^  to boost the importance of a term, for example the search 'poetry^4 environment' will give 'poetry' more relevance than 'environment'.

For a complete guide to the search terms available for use on artsderbyshire please visit this website

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Who is artsderbyshire?

Q. Who is artsderbyshire?
A. artsderbyshire is managed by Derbyshire Arts Partnership. 

Q. What is the Derbyshire Arts Partnership (DAP)?
A. DAP is a consortium of local authorities and Arts Council, England. It is managed by a board made up of members of each partner authority.

Q. What does DAP do?
A. DAP was formed in 2004 to achieve a more integrated approach towards support for, and the development of, the arts in the County of Derbyshire and City of Derby. Further information on DAP and its projects can be found on the about us page.

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