The week in Creative Money (7 August, 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
7 August, 2020
This week I published a great conversation with Manchester DJ, presenter and new music champion, Shell Zenner.
I've known Shell for a few years now and she's always impressed as an example of someone who seems to be able to spin multiple plates without, er, breaking them. She spent 10 years building up a career in music media and broadcast (alongside a day job in engineering) and then went full-time in music work in 2019.
It's so easy to self-edit when we talk about money, to round the edges off or obscure points to cover our own lack of knowledge, but Shell speaks with real clarity and a generous spirit – exactly the sort of helpful, open insight I wanted to publish under the Creative Money banner. It's also inspiring to hear a story of someone who has made the jump from a day job into the music world, building up all manner of skillsets and income streams in the process.
Check out Shell's How I Make It Work piece for insights on how she savvily pulls together different kinds of work to generate a sustainable income in the music industry, her thoughts on keeping track of your cash and how she networks to get work...
Finally, the site passed its first major milestone this week with 1,000 page views! This is great given it's only been live for a month. I hope you're finding it useful. As ever, if you've got any questions about money in the creative industries, please get in touch and ask away!
Until next time,
Matt
On the site this week:
How I Make It Work: Shell Zenner – DJ/presenter
Manchester’s mainstay DJ and new music obsessive on how she makes, saves and tracks money from a range of music jobs.
How to start saving (when you don’t think you can)
What do you need to know this week?
New union for influencers and digital creators (The Creator Union)
The Actors Centre is running a free tax webinar for actors on 11 August
Southwark Playhouse is running a series of 'Setting The Stage' freelance theatre workshops
Fingers-crossed you won't need it, but debt charity Step Change has updated it's guide on what to do if you're made redundant and how to handle debt
Government recovery fund aims to retain status quo, not freelance workforce (The Stage)
Grants and funding opportunities
CLOSING: Theatre Community Fund
Support for theatrical artists and professionals whose livelihoods and creative futures have been threatened in the wake of Covid-19. Grants of up to £3,000 for two strands: financial hardship and 'creative and innovation'. (Reviewed monthly so check back if you miss the deadline). Deadline: 7 August, 2020
CLOSING: PRS Sustaining Creativity fund
The 3rd round of PRS' Sustaining Creativity Fund is now open for Black music creators impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Deadline: 10 August, 2020
CLOSING: Ivors Academy Music Creators Mentoring Programme
A pilot mentoring scheme for members of The Ivors Academy (you can become a member for £8/month and bursaries are available). Deadline: 12 August, 2020.
CLOSING: 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
Silent Uproar Writer's Support Plan for theatre writers
Silent Uproar has earmarked £20,000 to support writers who meet one or more of the following criteria: born, raised and/or live in the North of England; have already completed one full-length production (60+ mins) and/or one full-length commission; whose identity is currently under-represented in modern theatre. Deadline: 12 September, 2020
Society Of Authors' Audio Drama Imison Award
A prize of £3,000 for audio drama scripts by a writer new to the medium which were broadcast or made available online between 1 October 2019 and 31 October 2020. Deadline: 4 October, 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:
Donate to the Mind The Gaps fundraiser - raising money for the Samaritans in order to aid those who have fallen through the gaps in government support
Sort out your tax savings system. With the July deadline passed and inspired by the aforementioned How I Make It Work piece with Shell Zenner, now is a good time to establish a system for your tax savings. If you want a simple option, try Shell's method: set up separate savings accounts for each tax year and syphon off 30% of every payment as soon it hits your account.