Ikigai Journal #025
Funding Opportunities Delivered to Your Inbox.
Issue 25!
Welcome to all the new members of our community. This week during conversations with our community, we have been talking a lot about deepening our understanding of Ikigai and Japanese culture.
Japanese culture is a mix of Buddhism and Shintoism. The Zen philosophy is about sophisticated simplicity – and attention to detail. The Shinto value is about being connected with nature.
This is how Japanese are expert at bringing nature and technology together: it is a union of man and nature – not man versus nature.
What I discovered through their philosophy is the ability of Japanese people to take the body and mind to the next level, according to one’s ikigai.
In Japanese culture it is commonly believed that everyone has an Ikigai, which means a reason to get out of bed each morning.
I hope that in this weeks newsletter you find ways to fund your Ikigai.
Solomon.O - Editor
Pears Short Film Fund by UK Jewish Film
Deadline – 11 January 2021
Funding range – Up to £13,500
Two grants of up to £13,500 are available for the production of a short film - drama, animation or factual - with a Jewish theme of significance to both Jewish and general audiences. The fund focuses on supporting the production and exhibition of short films that reflect British-Jewish stories, life, history and culture. Areas of relevance include identity, interfaith, assimilation, integration, antisemitism and racism.
Maximum length - 10 minutes. The judging panel is drawn from experienced professionals in the British film and television industry and the scheme is open to all filmmakers resident in the UK.
Right Here by Scottish Doc Institute
Deadline – Ongoing Basis
Funding range – £22,000 - £27,000
Right Here is a talent initiative run in association with Screen Scotland and the BBC that offers Scotland-based filmmakers a unique opportunity to create a 30-minute creative documentary for broadcast on TV. The initiative is for two years, giving the opportunity to six filmmakers to air their film on BBC Scotland.
Email righthere@scottishdocinstitute.com
Short Film Fund by The Film Fund
Deadline – Ongoing Basis
Funding range – Up to £7,500
Get up to £7,500 to produce your independent short film by writing one sentence. They are ready to fund filmmakers to make their shorts. All based on one sentence. And that number doesn’t even include in-kind prizes like post-production services or equipment rentals from their sponsors.
Why are they giving away funding? Their founder, Thomas Verdi, struggled to fund his indie film projects when he first started out. He entered contests and submitted to grants, but he quickly learned that established writers and filmmakers dominated most contests and funding opportunities. The Film Fund was born out of this frustration with the industry. Contests, grants, and crowdfunding campaigns are great, but there’s a simpler way to fund a film.
They are providing funding up to £7,500 per project for short films in a way that’s a lot simpler than screenwriting contests, crowdfunding, or applying to grants, because they are sick of seeing these funding avenues dominated by industry experts.
Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers by Creative Scotland
Deadline – Ongoing Basis
Funding range – Case-by-Case
The Scottish Government’s £5 million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers has re-opened for applications. The fund is designed to support creative freelancers working in the arts, creative and screen sectors who are experiencing immediate financial hardship due to the loss of income as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funding by The Royal Opera House
Deadline – 18 December 2020
Funding range – £2,500 - £7,000
The Royal Opera House Bridge has committed funds to help cultural organisations based in its region to make a step-change in their children and young people’s learning offer, recognizing that in the current time of change, learning departments will need to respond, adapt, and consolidate their learning offer. A limited number of awards will be made of between £2,5000 and £7,000. Awards will be made in two rounds (September and December 2020)
The purpose of the award is to help cultural organisations to develop, adapt, diversify, sustain and consolidate the quality and range of children and young people’s (aged 0-19) creative and cultural learning opportunities. It can be used to support your organisation with strategic or business development activity that embeds or sustains a children and young people’s offer into your organisation’s longer-term business model or programme.
They also welcome applications from organisations who seek to develop their approach to embedding Arts Award and/or supporting schools on an Artsmark journey.
Postgraduate Awards by Help Musicians
Deadline – 3 February 2021
Funding range – £1,000 - £5,000
Intensive postgraduate study is vital if the next generation of musicians are to achieve their potential, but the costs are astronomical. Taking living expenses and tuition fees into account, the cost of a two-year postgraduate degree can easily reach £40,000.
The Open Fund for Organisations by PRS Foundation
Deadline – Ongoing Basis
Funding range – Up to £10,000
The Open Fund for Organisations supports new music projects led by promoters, talent development organisations, venues, festivals, curators and large performance groups. Projects must involve the creation, performance and promotion of new music and enable songwriters, composers, or solo artists, bands, producers and performers of all backgrounds to develop creatively and professionally.
Music Grants by The Fenton Arts Trust
Deadline – Ongoing Basis
Funding range – Up to £6,000
As they re-open their portal to new applications, they welcome applications that fulfill their normal criteria but will only consider projects that demonstrate a thorough consideration of and adhere to Covid-19 restrictions.
Covid-19 Funding by Voices4Change
Deadline – 4 December 2020
Funding range – £5,000 - £10,000
Voices4Change England is pleased to announce a grants programme. This is for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community groups and organisations, working to deliver Covid-19 services in England.
The grants programme has three sections: delivering Covid-19 services. Groups can apply for help with current costs, if their funding has been affected by the pandemic. Delivering mental health and well-being services, particularly to those who have been further impacted by Covid-19 and delivering sports activities to tackle BAME inequalities and help with the impact of Covid-19 including well-being initiatives.
Winter Social Wellbeing Fund by Impact Funding Partners
Deadline – 29 January 2021
Funding range –£500 - £3,000
Grants of between £500 and £3,000 are available to local organisations supporting people in Glasgow City who may be isolated over the winter months. Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership have made funding available through the Winter Social Wellbeing Fund for activities which support individuals most at risk of social isolation and loneliness as well as those most impacted by coronavirus such as women, vulnerable young people, older people, minority ethnic people, disabled people, homeless people, and people with long term health conditions.
Thriving Communities Fund by The National Academy for Social Prescribing
Deadline – 8 January 2021
Funding range – £25,000 - £50,000
The National Academy for Social Prescribing and Arts Council England have announced the launch of a new £1.4 million Thriving Communities Fund, established to develop local social prescribing activities across England. Social prescribing is a way of connecting people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support.
Funding will encourage partnerships led by voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise groups and organisations working in the arts, nature, sport, financial wellbeing, and health and care to increase social prescribing activities that benefit their communities and provide support for people impacted by Covid-19, particularly Black, Asian and ethnically diverse communities. Grants of between £25,000 and £50,000 will be available and partnerships will need to provide 20% match funding.
Emergency Fund by The Weir Charitable Trust
Deadline – 4 December 2020
Funding range – Up to £25,000
The Weir Charitable Trust has launched a one-off emergency fund totalling £200,000 to be directed to support the most vulnerable people across Scotland. This is in addition to the normal 6 monthly cycle of awards.
The Trust will prioritise one-off awards to support projects addressing loneliness and isolation; mental health support, food and fuel poverty, supporting people with additional support needs, young people and families facing financial uncertainty due to redundancy. To be considered for the award groups and charities must be in a position to use the funds immediately to provide direct support in their communities.
The closing date for applications form Scottish-based community groups and small charities is twice a year. Applications are accepted at any time but they will only be considered at those times. To apply, complete the application form in full online.
Portrait Artist of the Year 2021 by Sky Arts
Deadline –29 January 2021
Funding range – Up to £10,500
Raoof Haghighi
“Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year is an exciting experience. I had a wonderful time during the competition and got to meet lots of wonderful artists! I didn’t know how it was going to be - painting amongst the artists and cameras, and against time - but this experience brought out a new quality in my work compared to painting on my own in the studio.”
Aine Devine
“The competition has changed me as an artist, my focus has shifted from ‘trying hard’ and putting in the hours, to aiming to do less and make the marks I do make count. My confidence in my work and teaching has grown enormously.”
Portrait Artist of the Year offers you the chance to win a £10,000 commission for a major British institution and £500 of art materials from Cass Art. The judges will view artists’ submissions on a screen so they are keen for all photos to have the maximum impact and do the paintings justice.
Unleash your inner competitor and let loose that artist temperament which is open to amateur and professional artists aged 16 and over.
Submit your work to - portrait@artistoftheyear.co.uk
Artist in Resident by St. Johns Waterloo
Deadline – 1 December 2020
Funding range – £250/day + £400 bursary
They have launched Waterloo Well, a programme of creative and wellbeing activities for homeless and vulnerable people, and they are looking for an artist to work within a local homelessness centre. They are looking for an artist to complete a residency programme in collaboration with a day-centre in Waterloo of London. This project is one of the series of exciting ventures they are launching in the coming weeks as part of Waterloo Well.
At the core of this commitment are 12 days of in-house work at a Waterloo day-centre for the homeless, spread over a 5-month period between January and May 2021. The artist, who will report to the Artistic Director of St. John’s and the day-centre’s Support Engagement Officer, will be asked to curate sessions which engage the residents through creative means. The artist will be asked to document their stay for both internal and external use.
They are particularly encouraging applications from people living or working within Lambeth and Southwark, those with backgrounds that are currently under-represented or under-support within the arts sector as well as people with knowledge or experiences of homelessness. They do not have a set preference for the genre of art within which the artist usually works though they are particularly interested in artists with experiences and/or interests across several fields.
Submit your work to - bridgeadmin@stjohnswaterloo.org
Online Creative Competition by The John Byrne Award 2021
Deadline – 31 January 2021
Funding range – Up to £7,5000
The John Byrne Award is a free, online competition, exhibition, and community, welcoming people who seek a deeper understanding of the beliefs and ideas that drive our actions. Their mission is to create Scotland’s most inclusive creative platform, and to promote the discussion of ideas through the creative arts.
The John Byrne Award champions creativity and curiosity. They accept any creative work, 365 days a year, from everyone over 16 years old living in Scotland. All their creative entries question values. They award annual and quarterly prizes to the most reasoned, constructive, and compelling entries. All entries are exhibited in The John Byrne Award online gallery.
Rapid changes to our society and technology pose pressing ethical and moral questions. They hope that the creative entries on their platform start conversations that change attitude and behaviours for the better.
The John Byrne Award is a project of The Iris Initiative, Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, SC 043568
The Pastel Society Exhibition by The Pastel Society
Deadline – 18 December 2020
Funding range – Up to £1,000
Artists are invited to submit work for exhibition alongside members of The Pastel Society at their 122nd Annual Exhibition 2021.
The Pastel Society seeks the best in contemporary dry media, combining traditional skills with creative originality for their Annual Exhibition. Acceptable media is pastels, oil pastels, charcoal, pencil, conte, sanguine, or any dry media.
The exhibition offers several prizes and awards, open to all participating artists. It presents the opportunity to exhibit at a prestigious gallery in the heart of London alongside well-established artists and have your work seen by thousands of visitors, including buyers and collectors.
Project Grants by National Lottery | Arts Council
Deadline - Open and Rolling (1 application at a time)
Funding Range £1,000 - £100,000
National Lottery Project Grants supports thousands of individual artists, community and cultural organisations. Until April 2021, the fund will focus on the needs of smaller independent organisations and individual practitioners
Grant for Performance Artists by The Theatrical Guild
Deadline – Rolling Basis
Funding range – Case-by-Case
The Theatrical Guild is a UK charity for backstage and front of house workers, with over 125 years’ experience helping people. Talk to them about practical help at any stage of your career - from welfare and debt advice to financial support and counselling.
The fund supports any kind of stage technician or engineer; company and stage manager; stagehands; anyone involved in costume, hair or makeup; designers and makers of set, props and puppets; and ushers or box office staff. Applications can be made via a short online form. There is no current guidance on criteria or amounts you can apply for.
It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out, or if you’ve been doing it for years: whatever your age, background, or circumstances, they are happy to hear from you. If in doubt, drop them a line - if you are not eligible for their support, they will pass you on to an organisation that can help.
UK Grants by The Rayne Foundation
Deadline – Ongoing Basis
Funding range – £10,000 - £20,000
They help encourage inspiring individuals and organisations who can build bridges within our complex world. They aim to enlarge sympathies through increasing tolerance and understanding, to reduce exclusion and conflict, to bring people together for the good of society, and ultimately to help create a more comprehending and cohesive world.
The Rayne Foundation makes grants to charitable and not-for-profit organisations across the UK tackling a variety of social issues. They are especially interested in performance arts. As an independent funder, an important part of their role is to support work which is untried, tests new approaches but has clear objectives. They favour work which could change the way issues are tackled in our society and which could have lessons for others beyond the funded organisation.
They will consider applications in the fields or performance art in its widest sense, and those that cover social issues. Their focus is to connect communities, building bridges between marginalised groups and mainstream society, and to enable individuals to reach their full potential.
Developing Your Creative Practice by ACE
Deadline – Rolling Basis
Funding range – £2,000 - £10,000
Developing your Creative Practice (DYCP) is back open for new applications. The fund is for individuals who are cultural and creative practitioners and want to take time to focus on their creative development. If you’re thinking of taking your practice to the next stage, DYCP can help by supporting research, time to create new work, travel, training, developing ideas, networking or mentoring.
DYCP has a budget of £18 million to distribute across the next 12 months. You can apply for between £2,000 and £10,000 and there will be 4 rounds through October 2020 till 2021. Changes have been made to the fund to increase and support during these times, so don’t forget to read their guidelines on their website.
I remain humbled and grateful to be part of a community of creators actively trying to build their boldest visions, always ready to solve problems and deliver urgent works of creativity. If you ever want to talk through your project or need any further assistance don't hesitate to get in touch
- Solomon O
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Thank you so much for putting together this newsletter, it's very helpful for independent filmmakers such as ourselves!