Top Tips and Guidance

Please see below for information on:

• Top Tips - Making Funding Applications and Writing a Project Brief
• Funding Websites
• Top Tips - Writing a Successful Proposal for an Exhibition

Making Funding Applications and Writing a Project Brief

Key Project components

Inputs

Resources dedicated to or consumed by the project

Examples - money, staff, staff time, facilities, equipment, materials

Activities

What the project does with the inputs to achieve its mission

Examples - Workshops, performances, events, training

Outputs

The direct products of project activities

Examples - Number of workshops, number of participants, tourism bed nights

Outcomes

Benefits or changes for participants during or after the project

Examples - New knowledge or skills acquired, changed attitudes, career development, improved social links in community

Key application components

Executive summary

Even if you have a fixed form you need to make sure that the first few sentences can summarise the project, as this may be the only part some people read properly.

Statement of Need

Why is your project necessary? Who wants your project to happen (other than you)? What evidence do you have to demonstrate this? What research have you done to discover this need?

Project Description

Who, what, where, how, when, why.

The nuts and bolts of how the project will be implemented and evaluated. Include the key project components above.

Budget

Financial description of the project. This could be a summary budget, but may also need a more detailed budget breakdown with explanatory notes.

Make sure you show in the detailed budget breakdown how you have arrived at figures e.g. Artist 5 days @ £200 = £1000, not just stating artist fee as £1000

Make sure that everything you say you are going to do in your project description is budgeted for, and that every significant budget line is explained in the project description.

Organisation information

The history and governing structure of the organisation.Its primary purpose, beneficiaries and services. Its achievements that are relevant to the project

Other support

Who are your partners? How does your project meet the criteria of partners and key stakeholders such as the local authority? Who is providing you with in-kind support for your project?

Evaluation and the future

How will you measure the success of the project through monitoring and evaluation?

Include measurable objectives, and show how you will measure them.

Outline the future sustainability or legacy of the project. What will happen once this project funding has run out?

Funding Websites

Funding websites (24.5KB)

Top Tips - Writing a Successful Proposal for an Exhibition

Build Relationships:

• People are busy and it takes time but network and get to understand whom it is you need to know.

Understand the Gallery:

• What type of gallery is it? e.g. commercial, gorilla, institutional, independent etc
• What type of work do they display and is it individual or group works?
• Understand the galleries audience and needs e.g. social, political, economical or 'arts for arts sake'
• If the gallery provides procedures for submissions, ensure you follow them step by step. If they do not then use your creative licence to make a positive impression. A successful gallery receives many submissions, stand out from the rest.

Be Professional

• Supply C.V and exhibition history
• Think about your submission. Is it suitable, well sized, offer continuity of narrative etc?
• Choose the correct medium to deliver your information
• Use images carefully - if email then ensure they open to a suitable size, if hard copy then crop suitably
• Offer a complete synopsis of your suggested show/work. Brief but clear
• Be clear with any needs, requirements and provide a full spec list
• Use a friend, colleague who is unaware of you idea and ask them to feedback to you on what they believe your synopsis is offering a gallery. Adjust your submission accordingly to be accessible and coherent
• Follow up contact but in an appropriate and well timed manner
• Take all feedback well
• Use common sense in your approach

Finally

• A no is not always a straightforward no. Contact can lead to a working relationship down the line or to galleries passing on information to other galleries. Keep trying.
• A yes is only the beginning of the relationship!!!!