ABOUT US
Short Supply is an artist-led organisation based in the North of England, championing early-career and underrepresented artists—especially queer, working-class, and regional creatives—by creating radical, joyful, and accessible pathways into the art world.
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Founded in 2019, we’ve become a trusted platform for cultural equity, supporting hundreds of artists through exhibitions, commissions, public programmes, resources, and partnerships. We bridge the gap between emerging artists and established institutions, ensuring talent doesn’t go to waste just because it sits outside of traditional networks.
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Our flagship project, MADE IT, is the North West’s graduate art prize, uniquely focused on celebrating artists from outside London and showcasing the region’s creative strength. Alongside this, we produce a number of talks, workshops and sessions offering real-world advice and skill-sharing on how to build a career in the arts.
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Short Supply also works behind the scenes—collaborating with museums, galleries, and universities across the UK to rethink their approach to access and inclusion. Through consultancy, curatorial partnerships, and strategy development, we’re reshaping how the art world supports early-career practitioners.
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We do all this while staying grounded in community. From zines to workshops, artist swaps to peer critique sessions, we create space for artists to grow, share, and thrive without needing to “make it” in London first.
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Short Supply isn’t just about opportunity—it’s about reimagining how the art world can work for more people. We’re here to make it possible for more artists to succeed on their own terms.
MISSION STATEMENT
Short Supply’s mission is to address the barriers emerging artists’ face to education, employment and good mental health by bridging the gap between them and professional opportunities.
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This aim is at the heart of every event, mentorship session, podcast episode, talk, workshop, brew and chat.
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Through the provision of must-have skills and a supportive network, we empower communities of artists to collaborate and pursue their own goals, instigating social change by acknowledging the power of collective working. We treat artists as professionals, creating platforms for their work to increase employment opportunities.
Our core values of collaboration, imagination and equity guide us to encourage artists to take agency in their career paths, and fight back against the scarcity mindset that disproportionately holds marginalised people back in the industry.
TEAM
Mollie Balshaw (they/them) is a curator, artist, and Director of Short Supply. With a background in visual arts and a decade of experience navigating the contradictions of the UK's arts education and funding systems, Mollie is a passionate advocate for self-determination in creative careers.
Their work centres on building alternative infrastructures that empower artists to lead, organise, and thrive independently of institutions. Having experienced first-hand the instability and gatekeeping baked into the art world — including being fired from their "dream" arts job — Mollie now works to shift the narrative away from dependency and toward collective resilience, autonomy, and radical imagination.
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Rebekah Balshaw (she/her) is a curator, artist, Director of Short Supply and a dedicated creative producer with a strong track record in project management, audience engagement, and community-led practice. With a background in visual arts Rebekah has built her career supporting artists and audiences who face systemic barriers to participation in the arts. In her previous role as Learning & Engagement Coordinator at With-you, she specialised in delivering inclusive, responsive programmes that empowered people through peer-support. Rebekah brings a unique blend of administrative precision and empathetic leadership, making her an invaluable force in shaping and delivering Short Supply’s innovative, artist-first projects.
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Want to get in touch?
Contact: shortsupplymcr@outlook.com