Why ‘outsider art’ is still on the outside – and what needs to change
Over the past decade, ‘outsider art’ has been nominated for the Turner Prize, it has been included in Royal Academy summer shows, there have been major exhibitions in UK gallery and museum spaces. Yet, despite this increased visibility, it remains far from fully accepted within the cultural mainstream in this country. My research asks a simple question: why?
The result, Spaces, Places, People and Processes: the factors affecting the reception of ‘outsider art’ within the UK mainstream art world’ , draws on 35 in-depth interviews with curators, arts professionals and artists who have experienced barriers accessing the mainstream art world. Their responses have revealed a complex picture; as well as four overarching factors that continue to hamper outsider art’s reception and acceptance:
- Terminology tensions: the first is the term itself. ‘Outsider art’ is not perfect; it can be othering, reductive, stigmatising. But for some artists, it offers a sense of belonging in a world that they feel continually excluded from. For others, it is a label that has been imposed on them from the outside. The research shows that this continued tension over the term itself – the continual disagreement, confusion, ambiguity, uncertainty – is one of the key reasons the field has failed to be celebrated meaningfully wtihin mainstream institutions in this country. While the sector hesitates over definitions, opportunities are missed.
- Peripheral positioning: even when outsider art is exhibited, it is often relegated to marginal spaces. Works appear in corridors, community spaces, education rooms – even attics! Anywhere but the primary curatorial spaces of a gallery or museum. In a similar vein, outsider art has often been validated through social or health agendas rather than for its artistic or aesthetic merit. And while community engagement and the social impact of creativity is undoubtedly incredibly important, this framing can prevent the work from being considered on the same footing as mainstream contemporary art. Outsider art needs to be valued for its aesthetic merit.
- Gatekeeping: curators, critics and collectors wield significant influence over what is seen, celebrated or forgotten in the UK art world. Their cautiousness, discomfort or lack of familiarity with outsider art has had a direct impact on its visibility. Without champions inside institutions, outsider art remains dependent on a small number of advocates; a situation that leaves the field vulnerable to shifts in funding, personnel and taste.
- The art world machine: finally, there is the system itself. The mainstream art world’s structures; from funding applications to networking expectations, are built for those already within them. For artists without formal training, industry connections, or financial security, these structures are impossible to navigate. They are even harder to navigate for those also managing health issues or living on low incomes.
These four factors feed into one another, reinforcing outsider art’s status as a marginal field. The voices in my research (both artists and institutional decision-makers) make clear that change will not come from a single exhibition or short-term project. It requires rethinking how we define art, how we value it, and who gets to decide.
My hope is that this work offers the cultural sector practical insight to take action: to question entrenched structures, diversify decision-making and create pathways that don’t just invite outsider artists into the room, but actually change the room itself.
While my research is grounded in the reception of outsider art specifically, its implications reach far beyond a single category. I hope this research will serve all artists by challenging the structures that limit them. The barriers identified in the research; gatekeeping, peripheral positions, structural exclusion, affect artists across the spectrum. This isn’t just about making space for one group: it’s about rethinking the whole system. We can’t keep changing people to fit the system or making small tweaks so that a few slip through the cracks. The art world needs an overhaul. One that makes space not only physically in galleries, studios and stages, but financially, by resourcing artists properly; and temporally, by giving them time and space to create. It also means making space in our minds: valuing creativity and diversity of expression as central to society, not as an optional extra.
If we want a society that truly celebrates uniqueness and diversity, we must recognise the worth of all forms of experience and expression. And then we must create the conditions in which they can flourish.
Click here to view and download the research
Click here to view and download an Easy Read version of the introduction to and summary of the research.
Acknowledgements
I want to extend my deepest thanks to all the artists, curators, and arts professionals who generously shared their time, insights, and experiences as part of this research. Your contributions were at the heart of this work, and it simply would not have been possible without you.
I am also hugely grateful to my PhD supervisor, Hugo Frey at the University of Chichester, for his guidance and encouragement throughout the research process. A special thank you as well to the team and artists at Outside In, whose support and collaboration enriched the project in countless ways. Your generosity, creativity, and openness made this journey possible, and I am truly grateful to have worked alongside you.
About Kate Davey
Kate Davey (PhD) is a cultural leader and researcher with over 15 years’ experience across the arts, charity, voluntary and health sectors. She has led innovative projects and programmes across the UK for organisations including Clore Leadership, Outside In, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance, the British Art Network and the National Centre for Creative Health.
Kate’s work focuses on supporting artists, audiences and arts professionals who face barriers to the cultural mainstream, creating opportunities for diverse voices to take up positions of influence and drive change. Kate also regularly authors articles and book chapters. She is a regular contributor to Raw Vision Magazine, and wrote a chapter entitled ‘Arts and Creativity: Much Better than Any Drug’ in Life Beyond Crime, published by Lemos & Crane in 2017.
Kate’s recent PhD research explored the reception of outsider or ‘non-traditional’ art in the UK, examining how systemic structures, power dynamics and processes continue to exclude certain artists. Her research aims to inform practical action to make the cultural sector more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to all forms of creativity.
KDOA 
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