Following the post about first four steps I would need to add the post about where to scan and print photographs after finishing university. Also, the darkroom facilities I might need when using film camera and if ambitious enough to make everything myself. I have looked for professional printing places and all I came up with apart from Bower Ashton's Digital Darkroom was the Photographique. I usually print my photographs there anyways, and they are good quality images, but their film developing abilities are not that good, I have to say. My 120mm films always come back with 'moons' and scratches, but don't get me wrong, 35mm film developing is excellent at Photographique. It's just I wouldn't trust them with my important films.
It might be because of the rush (they can develop your film and print your images in half an hour), but it is just not acceptable when you are paying for it and if you want to use your images for an exhibition afterwards. So for a bigger film developing I would definitely find another place. In fact, I know one - Peak Imaging, it was suggested to us by our technicians at university. Of course, films wouldn't be developed in one day, you would need to send them by post and wait at least couple of days for them to come back, but they also develop the large format films, and it is quite hard to find the trustworthy place to give away your large format film to be developed, especially when you spend a lot of time by taking image with a large format camera which is really heavy and not that easy to use, plus, large format films are very expensive. At least I wouldn't like it to be ruined. But for scanning I would try Photographique's service, they are one out from a very few who do scan medium format films. I have also found another company called NegScanner. They also scan large format films.
I have also looked for the darkrooms around Bristol and everyone recommends the darkroom which is in St Pauls area. You can work with any film (colour or B/W, 35mm to large format) at one out of then enlargers they have, there are also the B/W film developing facilities. It is a pity that I like to shoot in colour, it would be so much easier to develop the film myself. The Membership prices are really good, only 42£ for 12 months which then gives you access for 10£ per session, down from 16£ for non members. You can find more information on Bristol City Council website.
On the other hand, nowadays when everything is so expensive, it's not really smart to photograph with film format camera, because you need to buy the film, and process it somewhere, then scan it. It takes a lot of time and patience, whereas with digital camera you would just need to pay for prints. For those sillies, like me, who chose to photograph with film cameras there are loans companies, so that they would not need to start from scratch and would have a start up point. There is a company called the Arts Council, working in partnership with The National Lottery, which can provide you a grant of no less than £1000 if your application is successful. Like all loans companies, they ask for supporting material about your project which requires funding; certain points, i.e. duration of the project, where the project is to be carried out (Inside/outside EU) determine the eligibility for the application. Even though, I am not that kind of person who would ask for grant or loan, you can never know. Their website:
P.S. I have got the answer from the Alma Tavern. They said that you need to book the place in advance, because there are many local artists who would like to exhibit their work, but if they sell the piece work, they do not take any percentage from you and they do not have any other fees. The owner wants to encourage the artists to exhibit their work in Alma Tavern to help them to show themselves and the only profit Tavern gets is the decoration on it's walls. How amazing is that?
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