Sky Arts Futures Fund has been renamed Sky Academy Arts Scholarships. To find out more, visit the Sky Academy website.

As a Futures Fund ambassador, what are you looking for in an emerging artist?

I’m interested in raw, genuine talent. Fundamentally, someone able to generate new ideas. However, to bring new ideas forward in new ways you have to thoroughly know the terrain in which you’re operating. I suppose it’s like any other discipline – until you know your field, how can you contribute to it usefully? I’m looking for someone deeply entrenched in the sector, with a strong knowledge base, who can do something with great clarity, intention and originality.

Which artists are you particularly excited about at the moment?

I’m always excited by the artists who are reinventing the wheel. Ryan Gander, for example, takes the exhibition format to a place I’ve never seen before. I’ve been plodding round galleries, professionally, for more than 20 years, so to see a show that’s so refreshing is very, very exciting.

Is there anything that immediately turns you off?

An artist who is entirely derivative. Firstly, they may have been to a show by another artist, gone back to their studio and copied that work. Alternatively, they might have made a work that everyone else has already seen, but they are so badly informed about the art world that they don’t even know that it’s been done before. It’s like me saying to you, “E=mc2 – whaddya reckon to that?” You won’t be taken seriously. We want to hear what’s being discovered now.

Is breaking into visual arts now different to when you started out?

There are the same fundamental characteristics – people are still very interested in the quality of the work. But the impact of new media, and the speed with which ideas can travel the world, has obviously had a big effect. The popular appeal of contemporary art is a revelation. When I started out as a curator, every challenging contemporary art show was a battle with the audience. We now have hundreds of thousands of people coming to BALTIC, passionately engaging with contemporary art. People have Mark Rothko posters up in their house, they’ve heard of Damien Hirst and Antony Gormley – contemporary art is in their daily lives.

Your first show, which included Gavin Turk, was a huge success. Why do you think you succeeded where many others have failed?

I was quite brave and approached people I admired who were doing innovative things. I also approached them at the right moment – it was timely. I persuaded them my idea was worthy of their commitment. I described the exhibition I’d devised and why I thought they were relevant to it. I think, to this day, the art world is full of positive people. So, if you have a credible idea and you’re a credible person, then 99% of the time, however established the artist, they will want to help you. 

How did you put on your first exhibition?

I was working in the department of prints and drawings at the British Museum, which was a great day job, but I really wanted to write about contemporary art and curate contemporary shows. I had a large sitting room at the time so I emptied it, painted it white and then approached a number of artists to fill it. The first one was Gavin Turk and he was kind enough to support the idea. Once I had his involvement I could approach other artists – there was an inferred value in the show. The critical thing is that I didn’t wait for someone to approach me, I just got on with it. No matter how good or right you are, you can’t expect people to come and find you.

Talking of space, do you think there’s something to be said for staying out of London?

The important thing is to never think of yourself as a regional artist. Whether you’ve got a studio in Newcastle, Norwich, Liverpool or Plymouth, you should be thinking about how to get a show in LA or Berlin. London is really important, but so are many other cities around the world. Fundamentally, wherever your studio door is, you’ve got to imagine it opens to a very wide world.

To apply for the £30,000 Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund, visit the brief.