Own Art – North East Art Collective

The Own Art Scheme allows you to borrow between £100 to £25,000 interest free over 10 months. The scheme is designed to make owning original artwork affordable for all.

Here at North East Art Collective customers can apply for an Own Art loan in person or online. If applying in person, please remember to bring a form of ID with you such as your driver’s license or official letter with your current address, as well as your bank details.

If you would like more information about this, please contact us using this form, or phone us on (+44) 191 2312483.

What is Own Art?

Own Art is a membership scheme for galleries and retailers of contemporary visual arts and crafts. The Scheme allows us to offer our customers an interest free loan between £100 and £25,000 to be paid back over 10 months.

Who runs Own Art?

The Own Art Scheme is operated by Creative United through Hitachi Capital Finance in partnership with Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The Scheme is managed delivered and subsidised by Creative United.

What are the aims of the scheme?

The aims of the scheme are:

To make buying artwork more affordable for everyone.
To inspire more first time buyers of contemporary art and craft
To promote the presentation and sale of high quality works of art through a network of visual arts venues and galleries across England Scotland and Northern Ireland
To Support contemporary artists and the galleries that represent them by encouraging increase sales of work across a range of practice

Do I have to live in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland to be eligible for an Own Art loan?

Yes you must be a UK resident, aged 18 or over, in order to apply for an Own Art Loan.

Can I apply for an Own Art loan if I am a student or unemployed?

If you are a student or unemployed you are not eligible to apply for an Own Art Loan. However if you co-habit with a working partner then you are able to apply as a ‘house person’ on the condition that your partners consent and employment details can be provided. Furthermore if you are a medical student or part time student with a regular income working 16 hours per week or more then you are qualified to apply for an Own Art Loan.

If the customer pays 0% interest on the loan, who does?

The scheme funders have ensured that the cost of the loan is subsidised by themselves. This makes the scheme affordable for their member galleries to operate as well as guaranteeing the 0% interest rate.

Can I use Own Art to buy a piece of work directly from an artist?

No. The Own art Scheme is only available through galleries, museums and other arts organisations that have been approved to be registered members of the scheme.

What are the consumer eligibility factors of an Own Art loan?

To be eligible for an Own Art loan consumers must:

Be a minimum age of 18yrs
Be a UK resident for more than 12 months
Own a personal bank account from which Direct Debits can be taken
Be in permanent employment, working a minimum of 16hrs per week
Be Self-employed, retired person, on a disability allowance, registered carer
Be unemployed and house person, with consent of co-habiting working partner
Have an e-mail address

You will not be eligible for an Own Art loan if you are:

Unemployed without a spouse/ partner in full time employment
Temporary positions/ agency workers
Unregistered child-minders
Foster cares without a spouse in full time employment
Full time student, other than trainee nurses and doctors
Supply teacher without permanent contract to specific school

What Can I buy with an Own Art loan?

An Own Art Loan can be used to purchase Original Paintings, Original Drawings, Limited Edition Giclee prints with a run of up to 150, Sculptures, Ceramics, Glasswork, Textiles, Metalwork, Designer-made Furniture and Jewellery.

The Own Art Scheme cannot be used to purchase open edition prints, limited edition prints with a run of over 150, reproductions or artwork produced by an artist that is no longer living.

What is the minimum amount that I can spend with an Own Art?

The minimum allowance with the Own Art payment scheme is £100. This can be used to purchase a single item or for a group of items where the combined value is £100 or more.

Can I use Own Art to buy a piece of art that costs more than £25,000?

Yes, can pay deposit of the remaining balance to reduce the cost of your art work to £25,000. You can not use multiple loans to cover the cost of a single piece of work.

Can I include the cost of framing and/or delivery as part of the Own Art loan?

Yes, if the gallery is organising additional services for you and you wish to include these as part of your Own Art Loan, please inform the staff before processing your application to ensure the total cost is correct before applying.

Can I use the scheme more than once?

Yes, there is no limit to the number of times that you can use the scheme. However, you will normally have to allow at least 4 months between loan applications in order to establish a repayment record with the bank.

What happens if my loan application is unsuccessful?

An application for credit may be turned down by Hitachi for a number of reasons. If this happens you will be given a letter to explain their decision..

Do I need to pay a deposit?

No deposit is necessary when applying for an Own Art loan, but if you decide to pay a deposit then this will reduce your ten monthly payments, so is sometimes a popular way to approach a purchase.

When will I need to make my first payment?

Your first payment will normally be debited from your account around 4 weeks after the date on which you signed the agreement.

Can I change the date of my monthly direct debit?

Yes. You can do this by contacting Hitachi Capital Consumer Finance directly, once your first payment has gone through.

Are there any charges if I decide to pay off the loan early?

No. There are no early redemption charges for Own Art loans. You can arrange to pay off the loan at any time by contacting Hitachi Capital Consumer Finance.

Credit is available on items valued between £100 and £25’000

Credit subject to status and affordability. Terms & Conditions Apply. Credit is provided by Hitachi Personal Finance, a trading style of Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Services Register no. 704348. The register can be accessed through http://www.fca.org.uk

Own Art: Make Buying Art Affordable.