I’ve been giving considerable amounts of thought to my application to the Arts Council for a grant, which aims to help my collaborative arts project around the self-publication of Concrete Operational. It’s using up a lot of brain time, making me feel very excited, but also opening my eyes to just how much effort what I want to do, will take. So, to straighten my head out about the whole thing, I’m listening to Phil Collins and splurging my brain custard. This is a mini-manifesto of sorts that levels out the basics, and will hopefully be the first brick in a mighty pyramid that will hopefully take around 8 months to complete. WHO:
- 5 UK bands – emerging, but appreciated and followed acts
- 5 UK Artists – emerging, but appreciated and followed practitioners
- 1 UK novelist – me
WHEN
- September 2009 – exact date to be settled on
WHERE
- London – exact location to be settled on
WHAT:
- 1 UK mini-festival – to feature all the bands and art, Operation : Concrete
- 1 UK exhibition – 5 to 10 days to exhibit visual and sonic art forms
- 1 Book trailer – to promote
- 1 top entry level product package – Boxed, including; novel, audio CD, post card art, DVD trailer and making of including interviews etc, USB stick containing all content, x500 initial run
- 1 middle entry level product package – Novel and USB stick containing all content, x500 initial run
- 1 bottom entry level product package – Free digital versions of everything
HOW:
- Me – promotions & funding
- Sponsors – products & services
- Arts council grant – specialist advice & funding
IN BETWEEN
- Awesome girlfriend – be as awesome to her as possible
- Awesome friends – be as awesome to them as possible
- Awesome job – work as hard at as possible
- Blog – document all, continue with poetry and photography
ORDER:
- Find bands
- Find artists
- Find venues
- Find suppliers
- Find sponsors
- Determine costs
- Pitch to arts council
- Begin to create
- Pull content together
- Launch
∞ Be ace to everyone That’s it in a nutshell, I have to start somewhere, it may as well be with this list. I like lists; they prove to help stir great ambition and drive. The prospect is daunting, but I’m full of vitriol and spirit.
Getting started is always the hardest part. Once I’m in there, once I’ve got going, the snowball effect takes over and everything gains momentum, but starting that roll, there-in lies the key, and the difficulty.
If you’re reading this and feel you could have something to contribute, please leave a comment or email me at ricgalbraith [at] gmail [dot] com. I’m going to need all the help I can get with this one, from all the very ace people that I’ve come to know over these years.
Ready?
One Comment
1 Wes wrote:
Sounds like a grand plan old chap. Have plenty of experience in Arts Council funding and festival curation so do get in touch if you want to have a chat about any of that - will be happy to help.
Of course, I also count as a UK emerging artist with a following, so I might score on both counts. Shall follow with interest.
W
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