Artist Insurance

Specialist cover for artists from £5 a month*

  • Fast, easy online quote in 90 seconds

  • 24hr legal advice helpline and legal hub

  • No hidden fees or cancellation charges

Whether you specialise in paintings, illustrations, textiles, ceramics or any other art form, every item you create is a labour of love.

At Markel, we’re here to help you protect your work, and the income it brings. We offer artists’ insurance to cover everything from your studio and materials to your finished pieces.

With over 25 years’ experience as an insurer, you can rely on us to provide the protection you need at a price you can afford. We’re here to help you through the unexpected.

What is artists’ insurance?

Artist insurance is there to protect you against a whole range of risks associated with making, displaying and selling artwork to the public. Whether you’re a self-employed painter or you’ve set up a business selling textiles or ceramics, there are many threats to your finances. From the damage or theft of your art to accidents that happen when you’re working with members of the public, you need to be prepared for anything. To reflect this, there are many different types of cover available to artists, from property insurance to public liability protection.

Do I need artist insurance?

Whatever your passion as a creator, you’ll want to protect your business against risks. You can’t always prevent unwanted events from happening, but with the right insurance, you can make sure that they don’t stop you from doing what you love.
 
For example, unless you would be able to cover the potentially significant costs associated with replacing or repairing your studio, equipment and materials in the event of fires, floods, thefts and so on, then you should strongly consider taking out property insurance to protect against these risks. Also, if you come into contact with members of the public, for example if you display your work in galleries or sell items at craft fairs or market stalls, it’s advisable to take out public liability insurance. This is to protect you if a third party takes legal action against you because your work causes them to suffer injury or property damage. In some cases, you might be required to provide proof of this type of cover before you’re allowed to sell at a craft fair or market stall.
 
It's also important to be aware that if you employ people, you’re legally required to have employer’s liability insurance in place for at least £5 million.

Why choose Markel for artists’ insurance?

You can trust Markel to give you the protection you need as an artist. Here are just some of the reasons why it makes sense to choose us for your artist insurance.

✔ Quotes in as little as 90 seconds

Simply complete our quick and easy online form and get a quote for your artists’ insurance in under two minutes.

✔ Impressive customer satisfaction ratings

We know exactly what our customers want, and this is reflected in our reviews online. Take a look at our high customer satisfaction ratings on Feefo.com to see for yourself.

✔ Round the clock legal advice

If you find yourself subject to legal action, you don’t want to have to wait to access expert advice. To ensure you can speak to a specialist straight away, we provide a 24/7 helpline run by experienced solicitors.

✔ Transparent pricing

As well as relying on us for competitive prices, you can be sure that when you come to us for cover, you won’t be hit with unexpected fees. Our pricing is fully transparent.

✔ Experience you can trust

With more than 25 years of experience in providing insurance to a full range of businesses and freelancers, you can count on us to provide the financial protection you need.

How much does artists’ insurance cost?

The price of artist insurance differs depending on a range of factors, including the nature and size of your business and the types and level of protection you need. At Markel, we offer insurance for artists starting from £5 a month.
 
To find out how much you can expect to pay, simply get a quote today. 

*Price based on an artist requiring £1 million of public liability insurance.

Customer reviews

4.8/5

Rated 4.8 stars from 351 customer reviews at Google

Cover starting at £5 a month

Tailor your artists’ insurance in minutes with these covers

  • Public liability insurance

    Public liability insurance for artists provides protection against claims made by members of the public who have their property damaged or are injured as a result of the activities of your business. Our public liability cover also comes with product liability included, giving you protection if members of the public take legal action because they are injured or have their property damaged by your products. You can choose from limits ranging from £1 million to £5 million.
     
    Example of a claim:
     
    At an exhibition of your art, some of the containers holding your work fall over, causing injury to a member of the public. They bring a compensation claim against you.

  • Professional indemnity insurance

    If you offer professional services for a fee as an artist, you might also benefit from having professional indemnity insurance in place. This covers the costs of defending you against allegations brought by clients that you have made errors in the services or advice you have provided to them. For example, this could apply if you give curation advice to galleries or other institutions.

  • Employers’ liability insurance

    If you employ people, you are required by law to have employers' liability insurance cover of at least £5 million. This protects you against compensation claims brought by your employees if they are injured or become ill because of the work they do for you. We offer cover of up to £10 million.

    Example of a claim:

    A worker strains their back while carrying boxes of equipment at your studio. They seek compensation for their injury and loss of earnings.

  • Property damage insurance

    Property damage insurance covers the cost of replacing or repairing your buildings and their contents in cases of accidental loss, destruction or damage caused by events such as floods, fires, storms and thefts. It also covers the value of your stock at the time the claim is made. You can choose to extend your cover to portable equipment too, protecting you for the accidental loss, damage or destruction of these items anywhere around the world. For more information, see our office and business equipment insurance.

    Example of a claim:

    A burst pipe in your studio causes serious damage to your high-quality paints and canvases, as well as several finished artworks. This leaves you unable to fulfil orders and facing a significant bill to repair or replace the damaged items.

  • Legal expenses insurance

    Our legal expenses insurance protects you if you’re involved in legal disputes such as tax enquiries, contract disputes, personal injury claims, debt recovery cases and more. We provide cover with a limit of £100,000.

  • Cyber insurance

    If you sell your artwork online, you may want to take out cyber and data risks insurance. This type of cover offers protection if you are the victim of a malicious attack on your computer systems. It covers the costs of meeting ransom demands, restoring data and equipment, informing affected customers and covering legal fees and damages owed to third parties. It also covers lost profits.
     
    Example of a claim:
     
    Your IT systems are infected with ransomware, which encrypts data including customer details. The attacker then demands a ransom payment in exchange for the return of this data.

  • Occupational personal accident insurance

    We offer occupational personal accident insurance designed to support your income if you can‘t work because you suffer an injury at work or while on the way to or from work. Depending on the nature of the injury you suffer, this cover provides either weekly payments or a lump sum.

  • Money and personal assault insurance

    Money and personal assault insurance covers you for the loss or theft of money from your premises or while in transit. It also includes protection for those injured in the event of a robbery.

  • Directors and officers insurance

    Directors and officers insurance is there to cover you against the costs of defending yourself in your capacity as a business director or officer against allegations of wrongful acts, and to cover damages that might be awarded against you. We offer limits ranging from £100,000 to £5 million.

Need some help?

0800 640 6600

Mon - Fri 08:30 - 17:30

Local rate and mobile friendly

Frequently asked questions

Contact us

Cover starting at £5 a month

Frequently asked questions

  • Do I need insurance if I sell handmade crafts?

    If you sell handmade crafts, there are a number of different types of artists’ insurance that you might need. For example, it may be important to take out public and product liability insurance to protect you against claims made by customers or members of the public who are injured as a result of your products or the activities of your business. And if you employ anyone to help you make or sell your handmade crafts, you are required by law to have employers’ liability insurance in place. You may also want to protect your premises, equipment, materials and stock with suitable property insurance.

    If you are unsure which types of insurance you need, don’t hesitate to ask our expert team for information and advice.

  • Do I need public liability insurance to sell at craft fairs?

    When you are selling your work at craft fairs or stalls, there is a risk that you will injure members of the public or cause damage to someone else’s property. Although it’s not required by law, it is therefore strongly recommended to take out public liability insurance for artists. It’s also important to be aware that some organisers of craft events may require you to have this financial protection in place as a condition of entry.

  • How is Markel regulated?

    Markel is regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority. If you want to read more on this topic, take a look at the Financial Services Register.

Access exclusive services for your arts business - included as standard

In addition to comprehensive cover, insuring with Markel means you enjoy access to unique services for your arts business at no additional cost (when the relevant section of cover is purchased).

24 hour legal helpline  24 hour legal advice helpline

When you insure with Markel, you'll benefit from 24/7 telephone access to a qualified solicitor at no additional cost. Expert legal advice can be costly when you're working for yourself and it's difficult to know who to turn to for a trustworthy answer. Whether it's a question on health and safety, employment law, legal structures for your business or how to handle a difficult client, an experienced team of solicitors are on hand day and night to help you with any business-related legal queries. Included as standard with all policies.

Legal hub access Markel Business Hub access

In addition to our 24 hour legal helpline, you'll have access to the Markel Business Hub - an award winning online resource of legal and business guides, templates and content written and created by our team of expert solicitors. Instantly download ready-made contracts, policies, procedures and guidance you can use for your business - without paying any expensive legal fees. Included as standard with all policies.

  Fee dispute service

As every self-employed artist knows, customers don't always pay on time and chasing unpaid fees/invoices costs time and money. Mindful of the impact this has on your business, we offer our policyholders access to a unique fee dispute helpline operated by one of the UK's leading law firms, who will provide specialist legal guidance and support on fee dispute issues. Included as standard with public liability and professional indemnity insurance.

  Public relations crisis management service

In today's 24 hour news culture, public relations disasters can occur at any time. Having to deal with the press whilst managing a difficult situation can be hugely stressful as well as being a potential minefield. When there is a risk to your business as a result of negative press attention, our specialist public relations crisis management firm, The Counsel House, will work with you to help manage allegations of fraud, injury caused to employees or the public, and official investigations into your company's affairs. Included as standard with public liability and professional indemnity insurance, directors and officers insurance, cyber and data risks insurance and legal representation and employment disputes insurance.

Cyber response helpline

If you're the victim of a targeted cyber attack, our cyber response helpline provides access to specialist solicitors and information security experts who will give expert legal and technical IT security guidance on the issues arising from cyber and data protection risks. Included as standard with cyber and data risks insurance.

Cover starting at £5 a month

Related articles