Artist insurance

Public liability insurance for artists

In case someone gets injured or their property gets damaged as a result of your business.

What’s typically covered by public liability insurance?

• damage you cause to another person’s property while you’re working, or due to your artwork
• injury you cause to another person while you’re working, or due to your artwork
• accidental damage or injury caused by someone you’ve hired (remember, if you have employees, you’re legally required to have employers’ liability insurance in place)

For example:

• you’re painting a mural at a client’s property and a pot of paint leaks over their carpet, which has to be professionally cleaned
• a client accidentally cuts their hand open on a sculpture you’ve sold to them
• you knock over another artist’s sculpture at an exhibition
• your assistant is trying to hang a piece of art at your client’s property, and they damage the client’s wall by mistake

What you’ll need additional cover for

• hosting your own exhibitions or events

Read more about public liability insurance

Employers’ liability insurance

In case your employee gets sick or injured while they’re working for you.

What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• an employee falling ill or suffering an injury as a result of their work for you
• “employee” includes temporary staff and casual workers as well as permanent full-time members of your team

**Employers’ liability insurance is required by law if you have people working for you. Without it, you could be fined up to £2,500 a day for each employee.**

For example:

• your apprentice trips over a floor standing easel at your studio, resulting in a sprained wrist
• your assistant cracks a rib by falling off a step ladder while they’re trying to fetch a pot of paint from a shelf

Tools insurance

In case your tools are lost, stolen or damaged.

What’s typically covered by tools insurance?

• the tools you use as an artist (especially handheld tools and portable electronic tools), whether on site or stored at your business premises
• theft of your tools
• flood, fire, or accidental damage to your tools

For example:

• you’re working on an art installation at a public library and a fire breaks out, destroying your sculpting tools
• your studio is burgled and your paint brushes, easel and palette are stolen

Read more about tools insurance

Stock insurance

In case your artist materials or pieces of art are lost, damaged or stolen.

What’s typically covered by stock insurance?

• loss, damage or theft of the materials you use to carry out your work as an artist
• loss, damage or theft of the artwork you’re planning to sell to customers

For example:

• a suitcase containing your paint, clay, varnishes and screen-printing inks is stolen at an industry event
• a pipe bursts at your business premises, leading to a flood that damages a stack of finished canvases

Read more about stock insurance

Business and office equipment insurance

In case your business and office equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged.

What’s typically covered by business and office equipment insurance?

• – the equipment you use to run your business (particularly operational equipment such as laptops, tablets or printers, rather than the tools you use to create your art) while stored at your business premises
• theft of your equipment
• flood, fire, or accidental damage to your equipment

For example:

• you spill oils over your printer, so it stops working
• someone breaks into your workplace and steals your business laptop

What you’ll need additional cover for

• any items with a value that exceeds your limit for a single article – for example, your single article limit is £800, but your laptop is worth £1,500

Read more about business and office equipment insurance

Legal expenses insurance

In case you’re faced with legal costs in the running of your business.

What’s typically covered by legal expenses insurance?

• legal expenses that you’re responsible for paying as the owner of your art business
• legal claims related to property damage, nuisance or trespass
• support with HMRC investigations, and tax and compliance disputes
• help to protect your reputation as an artist, including a tax advice helpline, a 24/7 confidential legal helpline, and crisis PR support

For example:

• a client is over two months late in paying you for an art production contract, so you want to take legal action against them to recover the money they owe
• your business’s tax accounts are being investigated and you need a hand dealing with HMRC’s enquiries

Read more about legal expenses insurance

Personal accident insurance

In case you or anyone you’ve covered has an accident

What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?

• the injury or death of anyone you’ve chosen to cover in your policy – either at work or outside of work
• lost income, hospital bills, or other medical costs associated with the accident

For example:

you break your arm by tripping over the curb on your way into work

• your employee twists their ankle at an event over the weekend, leaving them unable to drive to your studio
• your apprentice dislocates their shoulder on a night out

Read more about personal accident insurance

Which type of workers do I need insurance for?

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ people.

If you have people working for you, including bona fide subcontractors (BFSC), labour-only subcontractors (LOSC), part-timers, or full-time staff, employers’ liability insurance is required by law.

Read on for our simplified guide to the difference between labour-only subcontractors and bona fide subcontractors.

Will tools insurance cover all my equipment?

Depending on what you use to do your work, you may need other covers.

You may need more than tools insurance – for example, business equipment insurance if you have a work laptop, plant insurance if you use machinery.

Does artists insurance cover my work correctly?

Make sure you’re picking the right cover to protect you properly. It’s important to know that if you have another trade or job, you’ll need additional cover. For example, do you need to consider private tutor insurance or craft insurance

Do I need cover for other types of work?

If you provide other services, make sure you’re covered:

• Art gallery insurance
• Art dealer insurance
• [Arts & crafts shop](Quote form only)
• [Painter (artistic, sculptors or potters)](Quote form only)
• Musicians insurance
• Band public liability insurance
• Makeup artist insurance

Other types of insurance

• Self-employed insurance
• Freelance insurance
• Consultant insurance

Which public liability cover limit should I choose?

Think about the maximum possible loss your business could face in the event of a claim, and make sure you take legal fees and damages into consideration. You can choose from three levels of coverage – £1 million, £2 million, or up to £5 million.