Important announcement affecting artists selling their services

In short, the venue has said attendees cannot exchange cash for services/goods inside the venue premise.
We have known for a while that the “not-dealers-den-wink-wink” going on at the artist alley was in a limbo state. We turned a blind eye and encouraged discretion precisely because the formation of a dealers den would require a license from trading standards and possible VAT/tax collection which unfortunately the venue does not have the licenses nor resources to extend to us.
Policy henceforth is that the artist alley will just be an artist alley where anyone can use the tables to draw and show off their works.

Here is an easy to digest list of some of the things that can and cannot take place now:

Yes
- Collect artwork
- Create artwork
- Show off artwork (discretion on mature art subjects)
- Exchange artwork
- Hand out business/calling cards
- Conduct commissioning talk
- Show goods (tails, furpaws)
- Hand out receipts

No
- Cash being exchanged inside the venue (coins, notes, cheques)
- Credit/debit Card tractions
- No price lists being laid out on the table

The venue has said if they catch people in the act of exchanging money for goods/services they will escort them off the premise. You will be on your own if you get caught and we will not defend you if it is clear to us you broke the rule.
If we catch you, we will remind you that cash cannot be exchanged and we will encourage you to use an acceptable alternative means of exchanging cash. Arguing and repeated willful breaking of the rule will get you in trouble with us.

Suggested acceptable means of exchanging money

- Payment prior to the meet
- Exchanging of goods/services for goods/services (as long as the goods isn’t cash)
- Agree to pay after the meet
- Electronic online transaction payment, including:
- Paypal
- Bitcoin
- Direct bank payment
- etc

If you are a Barclays bank account holder, you can send money from your mobile to the recipient even if they don’t have a Barclays bank account by using their payment service Pingit

Note: In the unlikely scenario you have a credit/debit card reader that you can hook to your mobile phone this is regarded by the venue as a “locally” committed transaction happening in their premise and so is not an acceptable means of exchanging money.