Archive for 'funding / institutions'

Funding tips

October 8, 2008 by ric, under funding / institutions, marketing / dissemination.

Andrew Shoben from Greyworld gave us, MFA students, a talk on how to approach funding bodies and what type of attitudes to have towards making artwork where money plays a fundamental (if not the most fundamental) part of the process.

Here are some of the notes I took during this meeting, I will be adding and correcting to this list as I go along with my experience as an artist:

  1. Think of how to position yourself when approaching funding bodies;
  2. Think of the type of audience you would attract depending on your position;
  3. How can you increase your audience size and types;
  4. Create different CVs for different situations;
  5. Approach local council and find out who manages the yearly funding;
  6. Consider the local community you are going to engage with, include them in the funding application;
  7. Re consider the perspective of how you look at your art project;
  8. Invent people or fictitious equipment like a multiplexer, to full in your funding needs;
  9. Creative partnerships;
  10. Have funding proposals ready to go;
  11. Make it a weekly routine: Access Web, Artists Newsletter, FlashArt, Arts Council England (including the Arts Council weekly digest);
  12. Constructing the installation around the funding body;
  13. For big projects: say if you are receiving funding from other sources;
  14. For smaller projects: maybe no say if you are receiving other funding;
  15. Budget your project very well, this needs to be crystal clear on your application;
  16. Even if you phone the funding body directly always double check with the written instructions on the application;
  17. Be clear, concise and always direct on your aim, dates of the event. If you are not sure of anything just (don’t express that you are not sure of something);
  18. Some bodies put examples of successful application on-line, maybe I could phone them up and ask them for an example;
  19. Think of the projects legacy, think of the ephemeral;
  20. Say it will be documented and archived - in a recognized institution;
  21. Photocopy all application before sending;
  22. Electronic / Performance / Music + Visual Arts / Film Festivals - good source for funding, become associated with festivals that support similar interests to mine;
  23. Elaborate personal list of funding body that suits me. prsfoundation;
  24. For Kit/Equipment: Local Retailers are normally more keen to support you with kit than bigger corporations;

National Funding Bodies:

Arts Council England (Principal funding body of Arts in the UK. Should be first port of call)

British Council (British Council’s remit is to further cultural relations between the UK and the rest of the world. Support is only likely to be offered within this context, and there is no formal application process. Do offer Frants for Artists for people with offer to work overseas.)

Scottish Arts Council (Principal channel of arts funding in Scotland. Good avenue, but requires that applicants be based in Scotland.)

Prince’s Trust (Funding and mentoring available to those aged between 18-30)

Reference Sites:

British Arts (The British Arts website gives a good overview of funding bodies.

Visiting Arts (Whilst specifically aimed at overseas artists wishing to present in the UK, useful for its international scope.)

Other avenues:

Local authorities – Arts and culture departments for public art commissions

Galleries – Can and will co-fund art creation

Festivals

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