Chris Frantz (Talking Heads) on money and music
The week in Creative Money 15 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 I have been talking to the kids. Or rather the students. I teach on a few degree modules at a private music institute in Manchester. A few days back I started to deliver an optional course under my Creative Money alter ego, offering some ideas on setting up their finances as students and, hopefully, beyond.
This generation have been defecated on from a significant height for some time now - simultaneously accused of being both 'snowflakes' and for having a wilful disregard for safety, depending on what suits the day's agenda. In my experience both the sentiments above are baseless.
It's been fun to talk to them about some of the stuff I'm covering on Creative Money and see how it connects with them. The thought of being able to pass on some ideas about how they might be able to take a little stress out of their student finances and establish some useful habits for the future is exciting to me. But I am a little odd like that.
At the other end of the spectrum, on the site this week you'll find an excerpt of an interview I did with Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club man Chris Frantz, in which we talk about getting financial tips from Brian Eno, avoiding a costly contract with Lou Reed and the principles that have helped him stay the course across some 45 years in music.
The big news in the creative industries this week (apart from that ad campaign) is the distribution of the Cultural Recovery Fund. I hope that if you applied, you got some help and some of that £1.57bn winds up where it is most needed. If not, just, please... don't retrain in cyber.
Until next week,
Matt
CreativeMoney.co.uk
On the site this week:
How I Make It Work: Chris Frantz (Talking Heads)
The principles that have helped him to survive 45 years in music
Day jobs: Linz Hamilton (Vodun) musician/ electrician
The NZ guitarist on the merits of his side-career
What do you need to know this week?
Coronavirus: 1,300 arts organisations to share £257m survival fund (The Independent)
Government pulls controversial ad suggesting ballet dancer retrain in 'cyber' Ad was tone-deaf - they just didn't know it yet. (HuffPost)
Ways to take guilt-free vacation time as a freelancer (Jenni Gritters/Twitter)
Fatboy Slim: "When the bankers went down, they weren't told to retrain. They were bailed out" (MixMag)
Money and Mental Health Special (Which Money podcast)
HelpMusicians has announced it will extend financial hardship support to March (HM Twitter)
I'm self-employed but confused about whether I can claim that my business is adversely affected by coronavirus (MoneySavingExpert)
Grants and funding opportunities
NEW: Welsh Cultural Recovery Fund Freelancer Grant
Well done to Wales for recognising the need for tailored support for freelancers in the creative industries. If you need it, move quick as phase one is approaching capacity. There will be another phase in due course. Offers £2,500 grant. Deadline: ongoing
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
NEW: Brighter Sound Leaders Network call-out
Brighter Sound is inviting women and non-binary people from the North of England to take part in their new leadership development programme led by Remi Harris MBE. For people who may or may not consider themselves as ‘leaders’ but are creating, managing, doing, organising and running things in some capacity.
Deadline: 30 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
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: British Music Collection Climate. Sound. Change. grants
Three £500 grants for artists working with sound and music to create new works that respond to the climate emergency with a minimum of one of those grants reserved for a young person aged 16-21. Deadline: 15 November, 2020
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:
If you haven't claimed for the second Self Employment Income Support Scheme grant and are entitled to do so, jump on it. The application deadline is Monday (19 October, 2020)
Support #MakeMusicWork from ISM, which is campaigning for a financial package that will support freelancers with grants and a guaranteeing payments if shows are cancelled