From pitching, partnering and working with sponsors, to finding and applying for grant funding, Remi Harris MBE (consultant and YGN founder), Lara Baker (consultant and The BKRY founder), and Julia Hayes (Creative Programme Manager, Help Musicians UK) give their advice.
Where to find funding
“For people starting out at the beginning of their careers, grant funding and sponsorship are super relevant,” says Remi.
Her advice is to start with Arts Council England, which funds both artists and projects. Other sources include PRS Foundation, and Help Musicians UK.
Help Musicians UK provides all sorts of funding, but Julia highlights the Transmission Fund, Fusion Fund, and the Do It Differently Fund as particularly good for young musicians.
- The Transmission Fund provides grants so that you can develop your artistic practice or professional development at a crucial point in your career.
- The Fusion Fund supports UK-based projects that develop or test new work and new ideas. It is particularly interested in exciting collaborations across disciplines, for example if you want to work with a choreographer or visual artist as part of a collaborative project.
- Do It Differently is a new funding stream that takes a more holistic approach – looking at professional development in terms of building a sustainable career through a mix of wellbeing and essential skills.
Applying for funding
Make sure you check the eligibility criteria, advises Julia, as you are much more likely to get funding from a funding stream that is there for you or projects like yours.
Read the information carefully, and make sure you understand what funders want as outcomes before you start writing your application.
“Make it interesting,” advises Remi. Funders read a lot, and an engaging and interesting application is a good selling point. Treat the funders like your interim audience and tell them your story. It will give them a sense of who you are, as well as how you will approach the project you want funding for.
Funders like their money to be instrumental in making a project happen, and that without their money, your project would not succeed. That’s why you should ask for what you need, according to Julia. Look at how much funding streams are willing to give, and if the maximum amount is enough to cover your project, apply for the lot.
How to start with sponsorship
For Lara, finding sponsorship starts with research. “First, look at who your audience is,” she says. Get as much data on them as you can – who they are, what they do, their age etc – and start collecting that data from the first possible moment.
Are you looking for sponsorship for your first event? Not having the data is not a problem if you can really build a picture of who they are, says Lara.
Then think about who wants to reach that audience, she advises, and what the brand wants from them. For example, drinks brands might want photos of people who represent their own target market holding the brand’s drinks.
That’s when you build your deck. This is the visual presentation with all the data, photograph and key information that you present to potential sponsors.
To make your deck stand out, learn the language of your potential sponsors. Include photos of previous events or launches if you have them. If not, make sure you paint a picture of what it will be like with appropriate images of the venue and themes.
Be clear with the offer – the package of benefits that sponsors will receive. It needs to give you what you need, and give them a good return on investment.
Then you need to stick to it. “There’s quite a lot of admin involved actually, making sure sponsors are happy,” says Lara, who suggests keeping track in a spreadsheet and ticking off benefits as sponsors receive them.
Remember
Whether you’re looking for funding or sponsorship, doing your research and finding the right match is essential.
Need advice?
If you’re thinking about a project, looking for funding or writing an application, you can contact your MU regional office for advice and assistance any time.
Like what you read?
Keep up to date with the latest from the MU on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The Musicians’ Union (MU) is proud to support the Young Guns Network. The Sponsorship & Finding Funding panel featured Remi Harris MBE (consultant and YGN founder), Lara Baker (consultant and The BKRY founder), and Julia Hayes (Creative Programme Manager, Help Musicians UK), and was chaired by Leah Davis (Presenter, Capital Xtra). Find out more via YGN.