The week in Creative Money (31 July, 2020)
Financial guidance for creative professionals
Creative Money aims to have an open conversation about finances in the creative industries.
It was founded in July, 2020 in an attempt to address a frustrating lack of sound financial guidance for creative workers and is written by me, Matt Parker, a music journalist and lecturer.
The week in Creative Money
31 July, 2020
Today marks the end of the first month in the life of Creative Money, so I would like to open by saying a huge thank you for signing up to the mailing list and supporting the site in its earliest days. I'm an optimist at heart – especially when it comes to scheduling – but I did not expect the site to connect with an audience of actual human beings this quickly.
Across social networks and mailing list, we now have a community that could fill a small venue (or under social distancing rules, an academy) – and it's growing every week. I am therefore attempting to take stock of what is working so far on the site and what is not, or I will when I get a minute... If you have any thoughts on this, I would welcome them. Please do get in touch.
This week on the site, I put together a post detailing all the current and ongoing funding and development opportunities featured in previous newsletters. The newsletter will remain the most up-to-date source of this information, but I'll kick things over to the site periodically and split it out into the various creative sectors.
Today's post - How to start saving (when you don't think you can) - looks at the personal finance side, in particular ways you can convince yourself to start saving. Your ability to save – to spend less than you earn – is essential to almost every aspect of your longterm financial wellbeing, but so much of the advice out there merely tells us to start saving – and not how.
Very few of us have the natural ability to prioritise the vague idea of potential longterm gain over the immediate 'shiny thing' in front of us. It's just not how our brains function. Instead, in today's piece, I focus on techniques that might help you to change that mindset and trick yourself into a savings habit. Let me know what you think!
Until next time,
Matt
On the site this week:
How to start saving (when you don’t think you can)
UK arts funding, grants and development opportunities - see what's available in your industry
PLEASE NOTE: new additions are on the funding list below
What do you need to know this week?
We got a mention in Journo Resources!
A big thank you to Journo Resources for linking to our interview with freelance journalist Lydia Wilkins in their opportunities newsletter. If you operate in journalism/freelance writing, I whole heartedly recommend you sign-up to their newsletter and check the site out, it is in my opinion one of the best out there and has been particularly instrumental in increasing transparency about rates and editorial contacts.
Arts Council's Developing Your Creative Practice scheme returns in Autumn
Developing Your Creative Practice is aimed at helping artists and creatives take their work to the next level. The Arts Council has massively increased the budget from £3.6 million to around £18 million. More details in this impenetrably long blog post from Arts Council CEO Darren Henley.
Positive news for UK film/TV production
This week the government coughed-up some £500m to get independent film and TV productions moving again and the BBC backtracked on its initial plans and extended its furlough to freelance staff.
A six year-old and her mum launched the first UK black girl's magazine in lockdown – and sold 11,000 copies
I love magazines and found this story about six-year-old Faith and her mother Serlina launching their new mag Cocoa Girl super sweet and really inspiring. Goes to show how a good idea, smartly executed can buck the market trend.
Grants and funding opportunities
CLOSING: European Commission to support performing arts with €2,5 million for distribution
OpenCall for tender to support cross-border circulation & digital distribution of performing arts. Deadline: 31 July, 2020
CLOSING: ArtReach wants design and development for its European arts programme – LIBERTY EU
ArtReach seek tenders from providers who can deliver design, development & build services to produce a website for its ambitious LIBERTY EU partnership. Deadline: 31 July, 2020
CLOSING: Prosper North - free cultural business support programme
The deadline to join the final edition of Prosper North is fast approaching! Cultural heritage organisations in the North of England can apply until 3rd Aug and join a community of orgs who've benefited from the programme. Deadline: 3 August, 2020
CLOSING: Arts Council's £2.25 million fund for small music venues
The £2.25 million Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund seeks to ensure the survival of grassroots music venues from now until 30 September 2020. Deadline: 3 August, 2020
Youth Music Incubator Fund
Youth Music announced its new Incubator Fund, which aims to support open up sustainable music career paths for 18-25 year-olds by offering grants of £5,000-30,000 for businesses, collectives and not-for-profits working in the music industries. Deadline: 14 August, 2020
British Council Arts/BFI Films For Freedom grants
The British Council Arts has partnered with BFI Network/BFI Flare for a second year to offer three commissions of up to £20,000 to make an LGBTIQ+ themed short film in an international collaboration. The three films will be eligible to screen at next year’s BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival in March. Deadline: 16 August, 2020.
Up to £25K grants for British Council Arts UK in Australia season
All or part of the project must be presented in Australia between 1 September 2021 to 13 March 2022 and align with the theme ‘Who are we now?’ Deadline: 17 August, 2020.
Work/Leisure wants has put out a call for new and mid-career artists
Work/Leisure is inviting emerging and mid-career artists, living and working in the UK/Europe, to create new work in 2020. Successful applicants will be provided with an overall budget of £1500 and administrative and curatorial support from the W/L team, Abingdon Studios, and residency partners. Deadline: 17 August, 2020.
€1.5 million for Cinemas as Innovation Hubs for Local Communities
The Commission is launching a €1.5M call for proposals to create innovative cultural hubs around cinema theatres, notably in areas where the Covid-19 crisis has had a very strong impact. Deadline: 21 August, 2020
Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open 2021
Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open 2021 has five £5,000 grants for early-career UK-based artists and makers to develop and present ambitious new works. Deadline: 26 August, 2020.
Unlimited launches new commission round for disabled artists
Unlimited is an arts commissioning programme that enables new work by disabled artists to reach UK and international audiences. They will have £500,000 to commission work from disabled artists and companies in three strands: Main Commission awards, Research and Development awards and Emerging Artists awards. Applications don't open until October, but they're getting the word out nice and early. Deadline: 27 October, 2020
This week's to-do list:
Save evidence on how C-19 has impacted your work for the second round of SEISS. If you think you'll be eligible, you'll need to prove you business has been adversely affected since 14 July, 2020. You can claim for the second grant from 17 August, 2020.
Did you pay your taxes? The deadline for your second self-assessment payment on account is today, though due to Covid-19 you can delay your payments until 31 January, 2021 without needing to notify HMRC.