Applications for next round of funding from Britain’s Arts Council Strategic Touring Programme are now being accepted (deadline Friday 2 May 2014).
Why is this relevant to comics? Well, comic festivals offering comic creation workshops should qualify for funds from this, for a start, as might individual creators offering comic creation workshops – and I know there are many creators who happily supplement their comics work by teaching their craft.
(Former Tharg David Bishop tells us the Live Literature Fund already does this north of the border in Scotland).
The Programme provides funding to help people across England have improved access to great art visiting their local area, particularly in places that rely on touring for much of their arts provision. Projects over £10,000, that take place over a maximum of three years are eligible for funding.
At least 10 per cent of the total cost of activity is expected to come from other sources.
The types of activity the Programme will support include:
- Artistic activity including the creation of work to be toured, commissioning, re-production of work that has already been presented to the public, or ‘buying in’ touring work, including incoming international work.
- Audience development activity including research, work to address access issues, marketing materials, educational support materials.
- Skills development activity including training, mentoring, networking, opportunities to go and see artistic work or spend time with people in different organisations.
- Proportionate management and administrative costs including access support for those involved in delivering the activity can be included in an application.
- In exceptional circumstances applicants can include some expenditure on equipment if directly related to the activity.
Any organisation or individual can apply to the programme. Partnerships, networks and consortia may also apply.
These groups can include:
- Promoters
- Producers
- Artists
- Agencies
- Companies
- Marketing or audience development specialists
- Local authority representatives, or
- Any other kind of organisation or individual!
• The deadline for applications to the latest round is Friday 2 May 2014. For more information, visit the Arts Council England website: www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/apply-funding/apply-for-funding (this is the general page for funding opportunities – if this fund isn’t relevant to you, there may be others that are)
• Scottish comic creators: check out the Live Literature Fund
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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We’re told the key word with this fund is “strategic” and it is very competitive, focusing on areas with less “engagement”.