Take your work seriously.
Find people who do too.
An online school for artists and photographers who want to develop their practice and get their work seen. Bring your work to monthly crits, learn about funding, creating your own opportunities and showing your work, and join a generous community who share what they know.
Led by Natasha Caruana, artist, trustee and Senior Lecturer in Photography at University of the Arts London.
Your first month is free when you join between 26th October and 5th November. Then £59 a month. Cancel any time.
“I can now confidently tell people ‘I am an artist’.”
Does any of this sound like you?
You’ve got work you’re proud of sitting on a hard drive that hardly anyone has seen.
You’ve applied for open calls, funding and residencies, been rejected or heard nothing back, and wondered whether it’s worth trying again.
Someone asks what you’d charge for a print and you’re unsure where to start.
You find yourself playing down your work when someone asks what you do.
You want to make time for your practice, but without deadlines or feedback, it keeps slipping down the list.
You miss being around other creatives who take an interest in your work and share what they know.
You don’t have to work all of this out on your own.
The WSG School gives you regular feedback, practical knowledge and people to keep going with.
What we know, we share.
I started Work Show Grow because so many brilliant artists and photographers I met were trying to work everything out on their own. Making the work was only part of it. There were funding applications to write, income streams to figure out, editions to price, exhibitions to organise and decisions about what to do next.
I wanted a place where we could share what we know openly, including money, mistakes and the things that haven’t worked. Somewhere you can ask questions without feeling you should already know the answers.
Ambition and drive is welcome here. That might mean a solo exhibition, publishing your first book or making regular time for your work. You get to decide what you’re working towards.
I believe
- Waiting to be discovered isn’t a plan.You can put your work forward, approach people and create opportunities of your own.
- Funding applications are a skill, not a test of your worth.You can learn how to explain your ideas and make a stronger case for support.
- Talking about money doesn’t make you any less of an artist.We need to talk about what it costs to make work, what to charge and how to keep going.
- A rejection isn’t a verdict on your practice.It can hurt. You’re allowed to pause, ask for feedback and go again, and again.
- You don’t need permission to take your practice seriously.You can give it time and attention before anyone selects, funds or exhibits it.
On the wall
These are some of the artists and photographers in the school right now, and what they’ve gone on to do.
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Vera Hadzhiyska Photography, video and installation · Portsmouth, UK Photo London 2026 with the Rethinking Eastern Europe collective, and Echoed Scenery, a duo show in Seoul, now part of Photo Fringe 2026.
“For me Work Show Grow is a life-line, a place of community and support, encouragement and inspiration.”
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Cindy Lin Lens-based artist and researcher · London, UK Shortlisted for Belfast Photo Festival and Athens Photo Festival 2026. Shows at Galería 12:00 (Bogotá), the Museum of East Asian Art (Bath) and Four Corners (London, February 2027).
“WSG has been pivotal in shifting the way I approach working as an artist.”
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Natalia González Acosta Photography · Xalapa, Mexico and London, UK Belfast Photo Festival, New Art Gallery Walsall, Photo Fringe and AIS Open: Women Behind the Lens.
“If I could summarise WSG in one word it’d be community.”
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Kate Carpenter Photography · Windsor, UK Four images from An Ordinary Sunday in the Royal Photographic Society International Photography Exhibition 167. Photobook Kaleidoscope shortlisted for the Pick:24 Book Award.
“Work Show Grow has given me the confidence, courage and know-how to promote and disseminate my work more widely.”
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Shira Bar Photography and moving image · London, UK Shortlisted for the Almacantar Studio Prize. Exhibitions and screenings at Hypha Studios, hARTSlane Gallery, Goldsmiths Cinema and The Koppel Project ANNEX.
“It is where I experienced, and still do, so much growth as an artist and as a person.”
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Stuart Leech Photography · Ramsgate, Kent [Stuart's result, awaiting reply]
“There’s no gatekeeping at WSG.”
Photo London/Belfast Photo Festival/Athens Photo Festival/Royal Photographic Society IPE 167/Photo Fringe/New Art Gallery Walsall/Four Corners/Museum of East Asian Art/Galería 12:00/Hypha Studios/Goldsmiths Cinema/The Koppel Project/Phoenix Art Space
We’ve had members all across the globe
Our WSG School artists are based around the world, including:
Artists from 41 countries have been part of WSG School since we began.
Here are some of the places our members have joined from:
- 407artists supported since we began
- 1,000publications sent around the world
- 316crits held
- 159recorded sessions in the library
- 41countries our artists have joined from
Everything inside the School
Make time for your work, find ways to share it and learn how to keep your practice going, with practical support and people alongside you.
Work
Make time for your practiceMonthly peer crits
Bring work-in-progress, ask questions and hear how others respond to it. You’re welcome to come and listen, too. Looking at other people’s work can help you think differently about your own.
Virtual co-working studio
Set aside time for your work in the company of other members. Turn up, say what you’re working on and get started.
Slack community
A place between sessions to ask questions, share opportunities, celebrate progress and exchange advice.
Creative Conversations with Natasha
A relaxed monthly group session to talk about your practice, share how your month has gone and what you’re working through, and connect with other artists and photographers.
Show
Get your work seenSpecial projects
Opportunities to take part in exhibitions, publications, meet-ups and work-in-progress shows.
Annual retreat or residency
Time to focus on your practice and connect with others, with subsidised places for WSG School artists. Booked separately at an additional cost.
Grow
Build your knowledge and skillsResource library
Recorded sessions to explore in your own time. Find advice on the subject you’re working on now, or explore something new.
Past sessions include:
- Daily Practice for VisibilityGosia Walton
- Showing Up for YourselfRamat Tejani
- Book DesignNicholas Polli
- Artist StatementsNatasha Caruana
Monthly live workshop or mentorship
Practical sessions with invited experts on subjects such as funding, productivity and selling your work. Sessions last 45 minutes to an hour, with exercises to help you put what you learn into practice.
Then £59 a month. Cancel any time.
Your free month, week by week
Here’s exactly what’s happening in your first month inside the School. All times are UK time. Can’t make a live session? Every taught session is recorded and added to the Resource library, so you can catch up whenever suits you.
What actually happens at a crit
If you’ve never joined a crit, or have had an uncomfortable experience before, it helps to know what to expect. Ours are a chance to share work in progress, ask questions and hear how other people respond.
- Share your workBefore the session, you share a few images of what you’re working on.
- Tell us about itYou have a few minutes to introduce the work and say what you’d find useful to discuss. You don’t need a polished presentation or all the answers.
- Hear from the groupOther members share what they notice, what interests them and the questions the work raises. There’s time for discussion and different points of view.
- Take away something to exploreThat might be a new idea, a useful reference, something to try or a question you hadn’t considered.
You’re welcome to come and listen first. There’s plenty to learn from discussing other people’s work, and you can share your own when you feel ready.
“The WSG crits are such a great space to test out new ideas, see how people respond to your work and get non-judgemental feedback and advice that can help you progress a project or feel less alone in your creative practice. It’s reassuring to know everyone is struggling with something and in the crits we can help each other. Sometimes I use the crits simply as a way to connect with fellow artists, even if I don’t have a project to show, just looking at other artists’ work, getting inspired and touching base with others is a useful accountability for my own practice.”
Your work, out in the world.
The WSG School is also a place to make things happen together. Our special projects give WSG School artists and photographers opportunities to show their work, make publications and connect with audiences.
- ImagePhoto Fringe, Brighton (to come)
Photo Fringe, BrightonOctober 2026. Work by 25 WSG School artists and photographers exhibited at the Phoenix Art Space. 1,000 publicationsPrinted and sent around the world. Work-in-progress showsBringing work out of the studio and into shared exhibition spaces and book fairs. Residencies and retreatsMaking time for creative work and conversations in person. - ImagePoster party, Arles (existing)
Guerrilla poster partiesPop-up poster parties on the streets of Arles, France.
We organise a work-in-progress group exhibition and a retreat or residency each year. Retreats and residencies are booked separately, with subsidised places for WSG School artists and photographers.
Trustee, Photoworks UK
MA, Royal College of Art
Hello, I’m Natasha
I’m an artist, educator and the founder of Work Show Grow. My practice spans photography, moving image and installation, alongside my role as Senior Lecturer in MA Photography at the University of the Arts London. My work has been shown internationally, and my practice has received support from Arts Council England and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
I grew up on free school dinners, one of five children raised by a single mum. I was discouraged from pursuing art at school and became the first, and only, person in my family to go to university. I went on to study an MA at the Royal College of Art, but learning to see myself as an artist meant going against what other people thought I could become.
Since then, I’ve had breaks and fresh starts. I know the struggle of returning to your work, finding your confidence again and making space for a practice alongside health concerns, earning a living and raising a young child. I’m still working through those things too.
Along the way, I’ve learned how to create opportunities, ask for funding and run a business. I’ve secured Arts Council England investment for Work Show Grow and built a place where I can share that experience, including the mistakes and the things I wish I’d known sooner.
I lead WSG with heart and ambition. I’ll cheer you on, take your work seriously and ask the questions that help you progress and move forward. I want an extraordinary life through art, and I want to help you work out what that could look like on your own terms.
In their words
“I didn’t really have a practice before I joined WSG. I didn’t know how to get support to help make work or get out there. I felt massive imposter syndrome … as a lot of artists do. Through WSG support my practice has changed completely. I’m finally pursuing a career as an artist. I can now confidently tell people “I am an artist”. I feel a real community at WSG. I feel supported. People are happy to share feedback in crits, as well as their own knowledge. There’s no gatekeeping at WSG. The WSG community has helped my confidence - I have my own cheerleading squad.”
“Since joining the School, I have applied for several grants and funding, and I’m happy to say I have recently won a mentorship award. I have submitted my first application for an Arts Council funding grant. None of this would’ve been possible without the support, encouragement and knowledge that I gained through the Work Show Grow School, and I’m thrilled to be part of the School.”
Is this for you?
The School could be a good fit if
- You want thoughtful, useful feedback on your work, and are open to hearing different perspectives.
- You want to learn more about funding, open calls, pricing, showing your work and creating opportunities of your own.
- You’d value regular sessions and a community to help you keep making work, while choosing the parts of the programme that suit you.
- You’re happy to meet artists and photographers online and build connections over time.
- You enjoy sharing ideas and experience with others, as well as learning from them.
It may not be right for you if
- You’re looking for someone to do the work for you.
- You want a formal qualification or certificate.
- You don’t want to share your work or hear responses to it.
- You’re looking for overnight results. Developing a practice takes time, and WSG School is here to support that ongoing work.
Then £59 a month. Cancel any time.
One membership. Everything included.
WSG School
£59 a month
Your first month free · Cancel any time
- Monthly peer crits
- Monthly live workshop or mentorship
- Creative Conversations with Natasha
- Resource library (159 sessions)
- Slack community
- Virtual co-working studio
Then £59 a month. Cancel any time.
| Live expert workshop or mentorship | £57 to £97 |
| Peer crit | £35 |
| Creative Conversations with Natasha | £15 |
| Resource library, 159 sessions | £500 |
| Slack community | £5 |
| Virtual co-working studio | £5 |
| Every month, up to | £657 |
Your School membership: £59 a month.
A one-to-one mentoring session with me costs £200 for 1 hour. Your School membership also includes a monthly workshop or group mentorship, peer crits, Creative Conversations, the resource library and Slack community.
WSG School artists can take part in special projects, including exhibitions and publications. Places and any additional costs vary by project.
The annual retreat or residency is booked separately, with subsidised places for WSG School artists.
Your first month is on us
Doors are open from 26th October to 5th November. Join in that window and your first month in the School is free.
- You’ll add your card details when you join, but you won’t be charged until your free month ends.
- If it’s not for you, cancel before your free month ends and you won’t pay a thing.
- If you stay, it’s £59 a month, and you can cancel any time.
The free first month is only available when you join by 5th November.
Free first month
26th October to 5th November
Then £59 a month. Cancel any time.
Doors close 5th November.
Questions you might have
Is this for beginners or established artists?
Both. Our members range from people just starting to build a practice to artists who have been exhibiting for years. What they share is a desire to keep making work and find ways to get it seen.
I’m not a photographer. Is it still for me?
Yes. The School is for artists and photographers working across many forms, including moving image, analogue processes, ceramics, screenwriting, drawing and painting.
What if I can’t make the live sessions?
All sessions are recorded and added to the Resource library, so you can catch up when it suits you. The only exception is the crits, which aren’t recorded.
What time zone are sessions in?
All times are UK time. The monthly Monday session is at either 9am or 8pm. Crits take place from Thursday to Monday at the start of the month, with times varying. Creative Conversations run on the last Friday of the month, at either 9am or 1pm.
When will I be charged?
Your first month is free. Your £59 monthly membership starts when that month ends.
How do I cancel?
There’s no minimum term, so you can cancel at any time.
What happens after I join?
You’ll receive a welcome email with your login details and invitation to Slack. Come and say hello, then add the next live sessions to your diary.
Are the retreat and residency included?
No. They’re booked separately, with subsidised places for WSG School artists.
If you’ve read this far, perhaps you’re looking for a way to give your work more time, attention and company.
You don’t need anyone’s permission to call yourself an artist or photographer. But it can help to have people around you who take your work seriously, share what they know and make time to talk about it. That’s what I hope you’ll find here.
Come and spend a month with us. Bring your work, ask your questions, join in where it suits you and see how it feels to be part of the School.
Natasha
P.S. Join between 26th October and 5th November and your first month is free. After that, it’s £59 a month. Cancel before your free month ends and you won’t be charged.
Your first month is freeThen £59 a month. Doors close 5th November.
Start my free month