Payment. We require payment in full to be made by credit or debit card, or BACS transfer. We are not able to take refundable deposits. We will not ‘red dot’ the work until full payment has been made, meaning it will be available to others to purchase. 

Platforms.  We work with shopify and Art Galleria to process the sales of artwork. You can read more about their privacy policies and terms for Shopify and Art Galleria. 

Exhibited Work. Work is for sale only on the condition that the Work(s) remain at the RWA until after the Exhibition closes.  

Collection and Transport. The Work(s) will be available for collection from the RWA on dates confirmed at the time of purchase and will only be given out by the RWA on presentation of the official confirmation email from the RWA, e-receipt, and photo I.D that matches the sale application.  

You are responsible for the cost of Collection and Transport.  We can offer a paid for service, supporting with the arrangement of Artwork transport. All works must be collected within a 14-day period confirmed by the gallery at the end of the exhibition. 

Editions. If you have purchased an Edition, the RWA will provide the Artist with your name, telephone number, email address, and postal address after the 14-day cooling off period. This is for the purposes of completing and fulfilling the purchase.  

All further arrangements for the delivery of an Edition are to be made between you and the Artist. 

By making a Purchase, you consent to the RWA sharing your personal data in this way. The Artist is required to handle your personal information securely, confidentially, and for the purpose of this transaction only, unless you agree to the information being used in another way. The RWA will not have any liability to any person in respect of any incorrect information provided to it by you or the Artist. 

Refunds and exchanges. We are not able to offer refunds or exchanges of artwork.  You have 14 days ‘cooling off period’ After which the sale will be non-refundable.  Work bought at auction (including our Secret Postcard Auction) is non-refundable from the point of bidding. 

Insurance and taxes. Responsibility for the insurance of artwork(s) is held by you at the point of its collection from the gallery. 

If you reside outside the UK, you must bear the transportation and importation costs and complete a customs declaration. A VAT-registered Artist is required to provide you with a VAT invoice.  

Own Art Own Art is an independent initiative that the RWA has partnered with offering an interest free loan for artwork between £100 and £2500. 

If you wish to purchase Work(s) using the Own Art  scheme  you are responsible for completing and submitting the Own Art application through Novuna Finance. The RWA will consider the sale pending until the application is fully processed and approved. If the application is not fulfilled within 7 days of the Offer to Purchase, the sale will be void and the Work(s) may be returned to public availability. Please note that the loan agreement is made solely between you and Novuna Finance, and the RWA is not a party to this agreement. 

Anti Money Laundering Regulations.  In 2020, the government introduced new legislation that affects all art dealers, galleries, and buyers. We are obliged to make identification and screening checks on you as a purchaser, like those carried out by banks when you open an account. Any sale is subject to satisfactory completion of these checks. 

Purchases of Drawing School classes and workshops 

Overview 

The Drawing School is a department of the RWA and comprises a central part of the RWA’s work. 

Tickets 
Places are limited and subject to availability. The RWA cannot guarantee your place until your place has been confirmed by us. The RWA reserves the right to refuse an application for attendance. 

If eligible, discounts must be applied when first purchasing your class and cannot be given retrospectively. Please contact us if the discount code is not working. 

Prices are available for entire courses and workshops only – there are no reductions for attending only part of a course or workshop. 

In the event of a course being full, a waiting list will be in operation on a first-come-first-served basis. 

Participants 

Participants must be 18 or over. 

If you are late attending, you may not be admitted, or admitted only at an appropriate break-time if your admittance might disturb other participants. 

Where your conduct is unacceptable (in the RWA’s reasonable opinion), we reserve the right to request that you leave the course or class. No refund of fees will be made.  

The RWA shall not be responsible for loss or damage to your personal property brought into the RWA. 

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or mental health issue which you feel may affect your participation in your chosen class, please either email drawingschool@rwa.org.uk or call 07745694563, prior to booking, so we are aware of any needs you may have. 

Cancellations, refunds and exchanges 
We are unable to offer full or part cash refunds, but you are eligible for an RWA gift voucher or transfer, minus an admin fee*, provided you notify us more than 14 days before the start of your class with us.  

*Admin fee for courses £25, Admin fee for workshops £15 

You may not resell or transfer your place on a course or class without the RWA’s prior written consent. 

Courses and workshops 

The RWA reserves the right to: 
• Reschedule courses and courses, workshops or events; 
• Make alterations to the published details of a course or class; and/or 
• Cancel a course or workshop 

In the rare event that a course or workshop is rescheduled or cancelled, we will attempt to give you as much notice as possible. Where a course or workshop is rescheduled, you will be given the option to either book a place on the rescheduled date or receive a credit note.  

For the avoidance of doubt, the RWA will not be responsible for any travel, accommodation or other costs and expenses associated with your attendance, or planned attendance, at a course or class (including a course or class which is cancelled or rescheduled by the RWA). 

Please note that this policy applies to both in-person and online/ digital courses and classes. 

Personal Data and copyright 
We will hold your data in accordance with The RWA Privacy Policy 

By booking the class or course you consent to the photographing, recording and filming of yourself and any artwork you create for the RWA’s promotional purposes. 

All materials provided to you by the RWA are for your personal use only. Any commercial use is prohibited. Copyright and other intellectual property rights in the materials provided to you during the course or class and in the course or class content at all times belong to the RWA. 

When you share your work from a course or class with us by email or on social media you: 

(i) grant to the RWA a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce and modify your drawing, for use in any media including on the RWA website and social media channels,  

(ii) warrant that the drawing is your own original work and you have the right to make it available for the use described; 

(iii) agree to waive any moral rights in your drawing, including to be acknowledged as author (or where any such rights cannot be waived, not to assert such rights); 

(iv) allow the RWA to use your name and / or social media handle on the RWA website and social media channels. 

Purchases of Tickets to Exhibitions and Events including free events 

Overview 

The RWA events programme comprises both paid and free talks, workshops and private views and some special events to complement our exhibition and learning programme. Tickets are available to purchase online. 

All RWA ticketing procedures are correct at time of publication, but are subject to change without notice. 

The RWA also offers Friends and Art Pass Memberships which include entry to the Galleries and access to certain events.  Support Bristol's First Art Gallery | Royal West Of England Academy | RWA Bristol 

Purchasing Tickets. The RWA offers single use tickets to exhibitions where entry is not free.  Tickets are available to purchase in person from the RWA ticket desk. 

Please present your email confirmation with you (on paper or on your phone) to the event entry. 

Date of Entry. Single use tickets for exhibitions can be used on any date within 12 months of purchase.  Event tickets are only eligible for the specified date.   

Reductions. Certain reductions are available. Please see our ticket information Tickets and Art Passes | RWA Bristol Please bring your proof of status to show on the door of the event. 

Under 18s go free to all RWA exhibitions and must be accompanied by a fee-paying adult regardless of party size.  

Group Bookings. We can accommodate up to 10 people in a group. If you require more than 10 tickets we will book them for the closest time slots possible, depending on availability. Please contact info@rwa.org.uk to make a booking of more than 10 people. 

School Visits. We can accommodate up to 20 students in a group for a pre-booked school visit. If you wish for more students to attend,   

Cancellations, refunds and exchanges 

A request to exchange or cancel tickets must be made no less than 14 days before the time and date of entry for those tickets; you will not be able to exchange tickets or request a refund after this time.  

Exchanges and cancellations are subject to an administration fee of £1 per ticket.*  

Please note that “with donation” tickets are treated differently (in order to comply with HMRC rules). Please contact us on info@rwa.org.uk if you wish to cancel a “with donation” ticket. 

Requests to exchange tickets are subject to availability. If the cost of the new tickets is different to the cost of the tickets being exchanged, you will be required to pay the balance if the new tickets are more expensive; or will receive a refund of the balance to “on account” credit (subject to deduction of any administration fees) * if the new tickets are less expensive. 

Membership letters are usually dispatched within 10-14 working days. Please note there may be some delays over the Christmas period. 

If a membership remains lapsed for over one month, the membership will automatically cancel. If your membership has been cancelled, you will need to purchase a new membership.  

Lost Membership Cards Friends of the RWA may collect a replacement card at any time in person at the RWA free of charge.  

Payment. You can pay for your Membership online by credit card, or by setting up a Direct Debit. Staff at the Welcome Desk at the RWA can help you through this process if needed in person, or over the phone.  

If you pay via Credit Card, your card details are automatically saved by our payment providers, and you will be charged automatically for renewal unless you elect to cancel. Friends are notified at least 14 days in advance of renewal via email, with the option to cancel membership. You can cancel your membership online, or by contacting the RWA. Members are responsible for being aware of when memberships may renew and cancel or update payment methods when necessary.  

The RWA does not accept responsibility for the mistakes of our payment providers, Stripe and Go Cardless, and will strive to work with third parties to correct mistakes where possible.  

Membership. Your Membership will last for one year, unless otherwise stated, until the end of the expiry month specified on your Membership card. After that you may renew your Membership for subsequent periods of one year and you acknowledge that the price for Membership may increase and the terms change.  

Your Membership is non-transferable so that only you will be able to use it. In the event of card misuse, the RWA reserves the right to withdraw your Membership (with payment for Membership being forfeited) and restrict you from joining in the future. 

You acknowledge and accept that, on occasion, the published dates of Friends private views may be changed or, where exhibitions are exceptionally busy, we may require you to make a timed booking to see an exhibition. In addition, there may be some days on which the RWA is closed to the public, for example for the installation of a new exhibition. You will be notified by email if we hold your email address, but please also check the website for up-to-date details of opening times and bookings required. 

Redeeming the cost of an exhibition against a Friends Membership. If you have bought a ticket to one of our exhibitions and then decide to buy a Friends Membership on the same day, you may be able to redeem the cost of your exhibition tickets from the price of Friends of the RWA Membership.  This can only be done on the day of your exhibition ticket use.  Please speak to a staff member to do this. 

Private Views and Talks. Friends must book a ticket to attend private views and Friends talks. Attendance will be given on a first come first served basis at the time of booking and we cannot guarantee that all Friends will be able to attend.  

Cancellations, refunds, exchanges. Friends of the RWA memberships are a donation to the RWA and therefore are non-refundable. It is possible however to cancel the automatic renewal of a recurring membership paid for by Direct Debit or Credit Card before expiry of the current membership year.  

The RWA reserves  the right to revoke Memberships without refund at any time if the member has displayed unacceptable behaviour to members of staff or other members of the public. 

Discounts for RWA Shop and Drawing School. Friends receive a 10% discount in the RWA Shop for RWA branded products and a 5% discount for Drawing School classes. To use this discount in person, simply show your Friends Membership card to the RWA Shop staff.  

The Friends discount cannot be applied to on-sale items and also excludes Art Sales, limited-edition prints or custom prints, limited-edition books and merchandise, magazine subscriptions and gift vouchers. It is not valid in conjunction with any other discount or promotion. 

Amendments. We reserve the right to amend or revise these Terms at any time without notice. Any changes to the Terms apply to your Membership with immediate effect from the date of publication on the RWA website. 

Your data 

You have provided us with your personal data for your Membership. Your personal data will be managed respectfully and responsibly in accordance with our privacy policy

You are responsible for updating the RWA with any changes in personal details such as address, name and email. The RWA is not responsible for any correspondence which is sent to outdated addresses provided. You are welcome at any time to elect not to receive post, and hard copies of newsletters. 

How we will contact you 

If possible, we would like to be able to contact you by email because we feel it is the most efficient and productive way to communicate with you about the wide range of programmes and offers from across the RWA. 

We will contact you by email if you have given us your email address and we are emailing you in connection with your Membership. 

We may in addition contact you for marketing purposes by email if you have given us your consent to do so. This may include requests for your support through a variety of different fundraising initiatives such as requesting donations, inviting you to attend special events, or encouraging you to purchase tickets or products. 

If you have provided us with your postal address or telephone number we may send you direct mail or telephone you about our work and our fundraising campaigns, unless you have told us that you would prefer not to receive such information. We will carry out a legitimate interest assessment to ensure that we are satisfied that you would reasonably expect such communications from us and would not consider it to be intrusive. For example, we may want to post you an invitation to an event we think you may be interested in. 

Events outside the control of the RWA. If an event occurs which is outside the reasonable control of the RWA, for example strikes, failure of a utility service or transport network, act of God, war, terrorism, riot, civil commotion, malicious damage, compliance with any law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, accident, breakdown of plant or machinery, fire, flood, storm or default of suppliers or subcontractors, we will not be liable to you as a result of any delay or failure to perform our obligations under these Terms.  

Selecting a future start date for Friends Membership. Choosing to select a future start option for Membership may only be available at certain points in the year, the RWA reserves the right to remove at any time. For members who have chosen a future start date, Membership is not active and benefits will not be available until the start date specified. Membership lasts for one year from chosen start date to the end of the month specified on your membership card. 

Purchases of Secret Postcard Auction artworks 

Overview 

The Secret Postcard Auction (SPA) is one of the most anticipated events in the RWA’s annual calendar – and a brilliant way to support art, artists, and creativity. 

This exciting fundraising exhibition features hundreds of original, postcard-sized artworks by leading figures in the art world, RWA Academicians, emerging talents, and surprise contributors. But there’s a twist – all artworks are displayed anonymously, with artists' names only revealed after the auction ends.  

All proceeds raised by the sale of the cards will go towards supporting the RWA (Registered Charity 1070163) 

Participating Artists.  A full list of artists will be updated frequently on the Secret Postcard Auction page on our website Here 

About the artworks. Unless otherwise stated, all pieces measure c.7" x 5" (19 x 14 cm) 

We have done our best to present the most accurate representation of each artwork, but colours may vary from what is shown on screen. Works may be exhibited at the RWA during the course of the Auction, visit the website to find out more. 

Authenticity. All works will be signed on the reverse, so you will know who created your work after the auction has closed.   

Bidding. We will advertise the start and end date and time of the Auction on our website well in advance.   The Auction will be held on a third party auction site.  We work with 32Auctions. 

Please note, to help items achieve their full value and to reduce ‘auction sniping’, our auction platform automatically extends the end time of an item by 3 minutes when it receives a bid during the final 3 minutes. This process repeats until no new bids are received during the final 3 minutes of the item bidding window, or the auction has been extended for a maximum of 30 minutes beyond the original end time. 

Full information on how to make a bid, including the use of proxy bids, will be update on the event page in advance of the auction. 

Making Payment. If you are the winning bidder, you will receive an email confirmation directing you to pay online for your winning lots. Please be sure to check the email you signed up with. 

Please note if you have not paid within 48 hours of the auction ending then we reserve the right to offer the item to the second highest bidder.  

A bid on this item is considered a contract, and should you win the item you are obliged to purchase it. The name of the artist will only be revealed once payment for this item has been received. Please ensure that you have read the shipping instructions before bidding.  

We are not able to remove bids while the auction is in progress and bids cannot be removed once the auction has ended.  

Artwork Delivery. Most postcards will be sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery Signed For, insured up to the value of £1000.  We pass on the cost of this to the purchaser.  Large or heavy postcards, including multiple purchases, may incur slightly higher postage fees – we will contact you if this is the case. International delivery is also available.  

Insured delivery may be requested in special circumstances by contacting grace.hannell@rwa.org.uk 

You can tell us if you want your postcard sent to you or if you want to pick it up, when you pay for your bid. We will confirm the earliest date that you can collect your work in person in advance.