Coronavirus financial support for UK creatives 💸
The week in Creative Money 2 October, 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.
This week, rather than a post a new piece, I wanted to take another look at my previous post on Coronavirus financial help for UK creatives (which offers links to various sector-specific resources).
I've given it a bit of a refresh and tried to remove anything that is no longer current. I've also taken the opportunity to include a little bit of info on the next iteration of the SEISS and self-employed tax payment options. No word on the application dates for that yet, but keep an eye on this here newsletter and I will let you know.
Finally, you might notice I've also added a little section mentioning Arts Council funding. The Covid-specific Cultural Recovery Fund window may have closed, but you can still apply for National Lottery Project grants.
If you have a union, use their knowledge to help you in your application (or check out the webinar link below) – the likes of the MU are offering to help review draft applications for their members. It's not a direct bailout, but getting a new project funded will nonetheless be an important lifeline for many.
Finally, if you're feeling as if you're currently being forced out of your industry, remember that it doesn't have to be forever and that it's no failure to just grab something that pays the bills. These are exceptionally strange times. Do it and come back stronger.
I hope the piece is useful and, as ever, if you spot something useful that should be on there, or just want to say hello, get in touch. I'd love to hear from you.
Until next time,
Matt
Creative Money
On the site this week:
Coronavirus financial help for UK creative workers
Want to know what’s available in your sector? Start here…
5 principles for happier spending
How to get more bang from your bucks
What do you need to know this week?
The Music Venue Trust is looking for 'activists' to help promote its message
FREE webinar on applying for Arts Council grants on 13 October, 2020 (Launchpad)
Managing your money using the jam-jar approach (Money Advice Service)
The lettings agency that's exclusive to homeless people (The Guardian)
Grants and funding opportunities
PRS Hitmaker fund
Hitmaker support offers songwriters, producers and music creators working behind the scenes in popular music with grants of up to £10,000 – need at least five credited works with PRS for Music. Deadline: 4 October, 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
Society Of Author's Audio Drama Tinniswood Award
Radio scriptwriters with works broadcast between 1 October 2019 and 31 October 2020 are invited to send in their entries for the 2021 Tinniswood Award. Prize of £3,000. Deadline: 4 October, 2020
Camden People's Theatre: Starting Blocks 2021 seed funding
9 seed commissions to artists from marginalised backgrounds, to support the development of innovative new theatre projects. Successful candidates will receive £750, one week’s rehearsal space (or one week’s supported digital R&D), and the opportunity to perform as part of CPT's artistic programme. Deadline: 5 October, 2020
PRS Women Make Music fund
Supports the development of outstanding women, trans and non binary songwriters and composers of all genres and backgrounds at different stages of their career. Deadline: 5 October, 2020
PRS Open Fund for Music Creators
Supports the development of outstanding songwriters and composers of all genres and backgrounds at different stages of their career with grants of up to £5,000 in the creation of new music, touring, recording and promotion. Deadline: 5th October, 2020
Neal Street Screenwriting Bursary
Open to emerging Black, Asian and minority ethnic screenwriters. Five successful writers will each receive £20,000 to write an original screenplay, which can either be a TV pilot or a feature film script. Deadline: 9 October, 2020
The Cultural Spring seeks artists/creatives to run paid workshops online
Seeking 3-4 artists or creative practitioners to develop and deliver participatory creative workshops that can be delivered online. Deadline: 9 October, 2020
The Film and TV Covid-19 recovery fund
Provides grants of £750 a month for up to six months (up to £4,500) to active workers in film, TV and cinema provide grants of £750 a month for up to six months (up to £4,500) to active workers in film, TV and cinema affected by the crisis. Deadline: 12 October, 2020
Help For Musicians Peter Whittingham Jazz Award
Provides financial grants to emerging jazz acts to support those at a career tipping point. This year will see three acts receive the £5,000 grant and, for the first time, the awardees will receive tailored 1:1 business advice sessions with industry experts. Deadline: 12 October, 2020
Opera North Resonance residencies
A workshop programme for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic professional musicians and composers, working in any genre, and based in the north of England. Offers free rehearsal space in Leeds, grants of up to £3,500 and technical support. Deadline: 19 October, 2020
Music Managers Forum (MMF)/ YouTube Accelerator Programme
A year long artist managers' training programme with up to £15,000 in funding support. the world’s first independent funding and professional development programme designed solely for artists, songwriters and producer managers. Deadline: 19 October, 2020
Factory Futures Training Academy
A new, free training programme designed to help young people from the Greater Manchester area to learn key skills through free work experience programmes, traineeships and paid internships, in order to start careers in the creative industries. Deadline: 20 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
HelpMusicians Financial Hardship Funding Phase 2
Support for music professionals facing hardship due to COVID-19 and excluded from the government's furlough and SEISS schemes. Deadline: 31 October, 2020
NEW: Brighter Sound Both Sides Now commission
Looking for two artists (one from Northern England and one from outside of England) to collaborate and write new music that explores what it means to be connected, disconnected and reconnected in today’s world. Fee of £2,000 per artist. Deadline: 3 November, 2020
Alfred Bradley Bursary Award
The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award is a £5,000 writing bursary to Northern writers new to radio and the chance of a Radio 4 drama commission. Deadline: 6 November, 2020
NEW: Drake Music Emergent Commissions 2020/21
For early career disabled musicians. Seeks proposals from Disabled musicians to create new work relating to the theme of ‘Risk’. All styles and genres are welcome. £750 commission fee on offer and mentoring from a disabled musician who is part of the DM collective. Deadline: 15 November, 2020
Hope Mill Theatre Through The Mill Playwrighting Prize
Opportunity for writers to have their work fully produced by and at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. Winner will receive a monetary prize of £5,000 plus one-to-one mentoring with award winning writer Jonathan Harvey (Beautiful Thing, Hushabye Mountain). Deadline: 27 November, 2020.
Royal Variety Charity Financial Assistance grants
The Royal Variety Charity is uniquely positioned to provide financial assistance to anyone who serves any facet of the Entertainment Industry. Deadline: ongoing
The White Pube Writers Grant funded by Creative Debuts
£500 given out monthly to a working class writer based in the UK. This grant has been set up to support writers of all ages who are early in their careers and would benefit from this no-strings attached financial support to help them in whatever they like. Deadline: ongoing
This week's to-do list:
Check your email address on HaveIBeenPwned.com. It can tell you if your data has been compromised and posted online at some point (and, therefore, if you're at risk of fraud).