Finding funds is crucial to almost all students whether they need it for their degree show, the production of their work or for future projects.
Finding funds for your show, a talk bythree UAL graduates which took place on 4 March as part of Preparing for your Degree Show,covered the options in depth, and gave an honest perspective on the realities involved.
Lina Dzuverovic, Executive Director at Electra, did a great overview of the options for funding available to all creative practitioners.
Options for students included:
• Corporate sponsorship tailored to your project – you can possibly target large companies in your sector for sponsorship, e.g. a fashion designer approaching textiles companies
• Individual giving - getting people to fund you personally, a realistic approach for a show, and can be done through social media networks – e.g. micro-funding for the film The Age of Stupid
• In kind support – not asking for funds, but asking for favours and freebies. e.g. asking an actor to do a voice over for you.
Creative consultant Christina Cunningham's entrance to her talk was perfect. 'If you need funding help, take down this number right away', and she read out the number of Sally Clark, a student advisor at CSM, who she had pre-warned that 100 students may be contacting her very soon. She emphasised spending funds on your work rather than your show, and gave great examples of shows done on a budget.
Her tips included:
• Try not to get into too much debt over it – there is life after university
• Take advantages of freebies – make a website for free using www.wix.com & the British Library offer free advice and will do research for you.
• Get a good deal – find companies that will support you and offer a reasonable deal – Expocentric on Broadwick Street, Soho,for printing, Cliftons for bookbinding, Models Mayhem for models, photographers & make-up artists
• Study more – and get funded through Access to Learning
• Apply to Dragons Den online – you don't need to go on TV, but make sure your figures add up/
Aldyth Crowther, had done some research for the talk, by calling up companies to see how they could help fund or support students, but emphasised they your should be creative in the ways that you try to get funding, or solve budgeting problem. She learnt:
• Negotiate - if you can't afford something, see how you could get it cheaper, it's ok to ask and their may be a compromise.
• Trade - exchange services, or see if you can get something for free by offering them benefits you can provide
• Raise actual cash - through selling your skills or services. organise a day where you can repair peoples clothes, sell cakes decorated in your own artistic style.
• Collaborate – share resources and time, and maximise
• Think locally – promote local businesses and try to get sponsorship from them
• Follow up – most companies she called, were disappointed that they didn't get thanks for their offerings, not even an invite to the show.
So there are plenty of potential options, so find the one right for you, and make sure you do it well, because if you damage the relationship with one funding or sponsorship source, remember you can't ask them
again.
Video, blogs and presentations from Preparing for your Degree Show