Download - Commissions & Grant Writing
Dr. Michael Remson, American Festival for the Arts
In October of 1992 "when Miss Battle opened the BSO season, she reportedly banned an assistant conductor and other musicians from her rehearsals, changed hotels several times, and left behind what a report called 'a froth of ill will.’”
In February 1994, during rehearsals for an upcoming production, Battle was said to have subjected her fellow performers to "withering criticism" and made "almost paranoid demands that they not look at her."[
Be on time Be prepared Be pleasant to others Be grateful for opportunities Deliver on your promises Be as good a business person as you are an artist Remember… ultimately, people will not work with
someone who isn’t the above… no matter how good/talented/famous they are…
Patiently build your resume with the experiences that will make people want to work with you
Who You Work With
Performances & Exhibitions
Competitions and Awards
Residency Programs
Grants
Commissions
Obviously, every time you have an opportunity to work with someone celebrated in your field, you should take it.
Master classes, seminars, classes, etc., all add to your resume and show others where your interests lie (and your potential influences).
Also publicize any work you’ve been able to do with established artists, organizations, companies, galleries, etc. — each one will help others get to know you.
Keep records, photographs, flyers, recordings, any physical documentation of the events
Publicize them on your resume and any other promotional materials — each one lets people know you’re serious, you’re professional and that you are good to work with (it gives people a reason to ask about you).
Hopefully, this process is already underway – performances as part of being in school are valuable ways to build your resume.
In school, seek out ensemble directors (in and out of your dept, don’t forget about ensembles for non-‐majors) as well as your fellow students; make friends with those you would like to work with.
Talk to teachers about conferences and competitions that may provide performances outside of school environs.
After school, keep up your network, see if friends are still interested in performing or showing your work – think of non-‐conventional or alternate options.
Every performance or show will impress others. Second performances and exhibitions of the same work mean even more.
Every artistic discipline has a variety of competitions that you can enter.
These are best found through the service organizations that exist by discipline (for composers, includes ASCAP, American Music Center, federal, state and city arts agencies)
Also note that many performing arts organizations have competitions for people to work with them (VOX)
While some have entry fees, be judicious and enter the competitions that you feel have the best chance of showing
Competitions that give you performances and exhibitions are most valuable (versus ones that provide money)
Be realistic – enter ones that you have shot at (you won’t win a Pulitzer if you are just starting your career)
Don’t “pay to play” — you can spot a fake at fifty yards (and if you do, do it for the right reasons)
Do your research; look for competitions that, because of restrictions on who can apply, might favor you
If you are young enough to enter “young artist” competitions, enter as many as you can while you can
Are there programs through your school programs (or for alumni)? Enter as many as you can.
Follow all instructions and reporting requirements; be as professional as possible with whomever provides the award
Find out if there are future opportunities through the same sources (additional competitions, can you re-‐apply, etc.)
If there are performances or shows, be prepared! Don’t make them come after you for what you are supposed to provide. People talk (and they know each other)
Publicize, publicize, publicize! Your resume, your website, Facebook, other competitions, invite as many as possible to any public events
Two types of residency programs: Short or long term involvement with an organization that involves studio
space and project work that generally results in an exhibition or performance. You live on your own and are responsible for your own living expenses
On-‐site residencies (usually no more than 3 months), where, in addition to studio space, you are provided with room and board and a creative environment. Usually, you travel to these places. Some of these are completely free, others have daily or weekly fees.
These programs are excellent resume builders and demonstrate that a jury of peers feel that you should be given time and space to do your work (regardless of career level)
They are also excellent opportunities to get work done and add performances or exhibitions to your resume
The best resource for finding residencies is The Alliance of Artist Communities (book and website)
Be honest about your career level (remember, a jury reviews your application)
Be realistic about what you plan to do while in residence (don’t over or under estimate)
Submit work examples that not only show your best creative output but that are also relevant to what you are proposing to do
Express confidence in your ability to get the job done (cite other examples as appropriate)
Be honest about the benefits of attending (including the fact that it is a resume builder)
Actually work… if you are not working, it will be noticed
If you get artist’s block, subtly let people know that you have it, people won’t talk that way
Get to know the staff, they are often a wealth of resources on other programs and resume builders (and frequently refer)
Network, network, network with other artists (at the appropriate time)
Publicize your involvement and stay in touch with their alumni groups and newsletters
Enjoy the opportunity for uninterrupted creative time
Grants are money that are given to you, generally for the purposes of carrying out a specific project.
Some grants (MacArthur, Guggenheim, Pew, etc.) are given just because you’re a good artist, but they are much harder to get and usually carry expectations of completing some type of work
There is no expectation that you will repay the money unless you fail to complete the project
You will, however, be expected to provide status reports on your progress and some kind of report as to how the funds granted were spent
Remember… creative projects can be found in a variety of settings, you can write music, you can write a book, you can curate, there are lots of options – your creative AND your scholarly background can be sources of grants (and help build the resume)
When you find a grant that looks interesting, check eligibility and how they give money. Some groups will give money directly to artists
Others prefer that you apply under the rubric of a sponsoring organization —almost always must be a non-‐profit 501(c)(3)
If you can, cultivate relationships with area arts organizations who might be willing to apply on your behalf
Check factors like age, gender, ethnicity, location, etc. — many grant programs have restrictions in these areas (which can be a plus or minus)
City and state arts agencies (not only their own programs but also list opportunities from other) Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, Mid-‐America
Arts Alliance, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities
Service organizations that serve as clearing houses for available grants American Music Center, Aaron Copland Fund for New Music, College
Music Society, Nat’l Association of Composers USA (NACUSA), Opera America, ARTS-‐USA, Springboard for the Arts, Warhol Foundation
Arts organizations in the area you want to work or with whom you want to work Look for groups with similar “artistic values”, if you are a performance
artist a la Karen Finley, chances are the local Gilbert & Sullivan Society is not going to be receptive to collaboration
Arts groups that have short and long-‐term residency programs In Houston, look at Diverse Works, Lawndale Arts Center, Mitchell
Center for Interdisciplinary Arts, Center for Contemporary Craft Local Foundations and Endowments
While generally difficult to obtain as most don’t fund individuals, some may be approachable for certain types of projects.
Think of ways you could collaborate with an arts organization that could apply on your behalf with you as primary artist
Professional membership organizations and/or unions Houston Musicians Union, ASCAP, BMI, Dramatist’s Guild, Author’s
League, Visual Artist Guild Web-‐based resources
Simple web searches might lead you to a variety of programs and opportunities
Complete the application fully, honestly and on time! Answer the questions that are asked, don’t provide lots of
ancillary information Follow the instructions (if they ask for a one page summary,
give them one page, not three) Be candid about your career stage (remember, these are
judged by peers) Be realistic about your project and goals Are there grants that might fund specific areas of your
project (e.g., composing, scoring, performance)? Give a realistic time frame
With the Funder
Be sure you understand what is expected (no shame in asking questions)
Do what is expected – you will not get a second chance
Be competent, collegial and, if needed, ask for help
Stay in your budget — there is no more money!
Do updates as they are requested
File all final reports completely, accurately and with gratitude
Beyond that…
Promote the fact that you received it (if allowed), press releases, web site, bio, facebook
If there’s a performance/exhibition, make it successful
Invite other grant-‐givers (even if they don’t come, it’s publicity)
Document, document, document
Watch your taxes (get a good accountant if you need one)
Similar to grants, which come from foundations or public funding entities, commissions are when a private company or individual provide money to fund a specific project or performance
Commissions are specifically designed to help artists with living expenses (and as appropriate, materials) to successfully complete the project in a given timeframe
Depending on the size of the commission, several individuals or groups may be involved
The artist or artists receiving the commission are responsible for all aspects of getting the project done. More funds may be available but only under very specific circumstances
Commissions are difficult to get. In general, you can not directly apply for commissions How do you get them?
Resume building. Win awards, go to residencies, win grants, etc. Publicize yourself and your accomplishments… regularly! Take every opportunity to publicize yourself that you can… it’s almost
a separate career to keep yourself in the public eye so choose judiciously
Cultivate relationships with organizations, artists, performers, etc., anyone who is in a position to commission you
Remember that anyone you meet could be the next person to commission you (or recommend you).
Develop a reputation as a professional and as someone that people want to work with
Recognize that your first commissions may be for very little money – every artist has to decide what they are and aren’t willing to do in order to gain exposure
Explore the possibility of creating works for free if there is a guaranteed show or performance involved (since a performance or show is worth something) and if you can say it was a “commission”
Consider beginning a piece on spec in the hopes of obtaining additional funding for it
Market yourself to your rolodex — make sure people know you receive commissions and are open to the process (which in many situations involves collaborative processes)
Price yourself accordingly. Several organizations produce guidelines for commissions from which you can scale yourself accordingly (see Meet the Composer)
Ultimately, it’s all about getting noticed!
Be honest about:
Who you are and what you’ve done
What kind of artist you are
What stage of your career you are in
Don’t over-‐sell yourself or shoot too high
Build accomplishments step by step
The big things will come
Resume
Work your network (including friends, fellow artists, teachers, colleagues, etc.)
Website and other internet resources
Social media
Performances and exhibitions
Press releases/articles in local papers
Advertising (given budget)
Appearances of local media (KUHF, etc.)
Alumni groups (school)
Newsletters (for organizations you’ve been involved with)
Membership organizations
Other aspects of your career or job that can promote your work
Find the resources: it’s almost a certainty that someone has done the research for you
Start local: where possible, local grants, residencies, performances, etc. will be easier to obtain and will help build the resume
Start small: Look for lesser known groups, agencies, residencies where your application is more likely to be successful
Work your network: Your colleagues and friends are going to be your best source of work, referrals and new contacts
Know Your Limits: All of this can become a full time job, allocate your time to the most important and focus on your art!