Unfortunately, this discussion only seems to happen outside of the US. But lots of other countries actively fund the arts, and that can mean everything to a developing artist. Still, getting the money can be tricky. “Artists really need to know how to write good proposals," Fredrik Soroea of Datarock recently told Digital Music News in Oslo. You see, in Norway, millions aregiven to artists every year by the government and corporations, part of an export-minded mentality.
And, at Canadian Music Week, a number of funding groups were giving advice to artists. And one of biggest problems these benefactors encountered? That would be the the half-baked application—ie, spelling errors, missing sections, or a generally sloppy submission. “It makes me ask, 'is this how they do business?'" said Keely Kemp, a consultant at the Ontario Media Development Corp.
But getting past the basics, it became obvious that the winning applications required lots of time, research, and preparation. And more than that, it seemed to require experience to get comfortable and shine. Aengus Finnan of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) advised artists to write in their own voice, and convey something genuine. “There's nothing worse than a really awkward and stoic application," Finnan relayed. Instead, more authentic applications immediately jump out, and give a better sense of who you are.
Sounds difficult to achieve, especially after the first try. But the payoff can be nice. Nickelback actually got a grant for $5,000 back in the day, a nice “first round" of seed money. “They got $5,000 for their first album," said FACTOR (Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) Operations Manager Phil Gumbley. “And then they paid it back."
But another major problem quickly arose: who has the time to do all of this? These days, bands are maxed-out, especially if they're on the road. “Artists are spending all day making music, recording, and playing live," one audience member said. Yet,some desperately need some financial help to keep the dream alive.
Digging deeper, it turns out that there are professional grant writers that can help with this process. But Finnan said that the process of writing applications actually forces bands to rationalize the business side of their operations—whether or not they get the funding. “Use the application whether or not you're going to apply for support," Finnan noted. “If you are going to spend your life in the arts as your primary way of making money, it behooves you to learn how to balance basic statements and how to write grants—not for the sake of appeasing jurors but to fundamentally understand how to run your business."
And, at Canadian Music Week, a number of funding groups were giving advice to artists. And one of biggest problems these benefactors encountered? That would be the the half-baked application—ie, spelling errors, missing sections, or a generally sloppy submission. “It makes me ask, 'is this how they do business?'" said Keely Kemp, a consultant at the Ontario Media Development Corp.
But getting past the basics, it became obvious that the winning applications required lots of time, research, and preparation. And more than that, it seemed to require experience to get comfortable and shine. Aengus Finnan of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) advised artists to write in their own voice, and convey something genuine. “There's nothing worse than a really awkward and stoic application," Finnan relayed. Instead, more authentic applications immediately jump out, and give a better sense of who you are.
Sounds difficult to achieve, especially after the first try. But the payoff can be nice. Nickelback actually got a grant for $5,000 back in the day, a nice “first round" of seed money. “They got $5,000 for their first album," said FACTOR (Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) Operations Manager Phil Gumbley. “And then they paid it back."
But another major problem quickly arose: who has the time to do all of this? These days, bands are maxed-out, especially if they're on the road. “Artists are spending all day making music, recording, and playing live," one audience member said. Yet,some desperately need some financial help to keep the dream alive.
Digging deeper, it turns out that there are professional grant writers that can help with this process. But Finnan said that the process of writing applications actually forces bands to rationalize the business side of their operations—whether or not they get the funding. “Use the application whether or not you're going to apply for support," Finnan noted. “If you are going to spend your life in the arts as your primary way of making money, it behooves you to learn how to balance basic statements and how to write grants—not for the sake of appeasing jurors but to fundamentally understand how to run your business."
