Don’t delay ’til the deadline

In fact, don’t even leave it to the last day. Aim to get your application in within the last week at the latest, then if you have any technical issues we can address them in time for the deadline. We all love a bit of drama, but not when £30,000 is at stake – and anyway, you might be distracted with all things festive when the final deadline dawns...

Ask questions now, not later

If you have any queries about your application, or any aspect of the Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund brief, ask us ASAP! You can leave a comment on the brief page, or email us at info@ideastap.com or tweet us – we’re @IdeasTap. We’ve also got an online Q&A coming up on Monday 26 November where you’ll get real-time answers.

Check out the Sky Arts seminars

To help with your application, Sky Arts is holding a series of free Futures Fund seminars in Edinburgh, London, Gateshead and Dublin between 9 and 21 November, with this year’s ambassadors: Mark Ball, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of LIFT (for Creative Producing), David Micklem, Artistic Director of BAC (for Performing Arts), Godfrey Worsdale, Director of BALTIC (for Visual Art), Cameron Blackwood, Producer (for Music) and Julia Carruthers, Director of the Dublin Dance Festival (for Dance).

Make a real statement

Your 100-word statement needs to be clear and succinct. It’s the first impression we’ll have of you, before we start looking at portfolios or budgets, so make it sing – make it really represent who you are, what you do and what you’d do with the £30,000. 

Remember you’re an individual

You might be part of a company or a collective, but the Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund is meant for individuals, for your personal artistic development. So you need to be single-minded, and tell us how the money will aid in your personal creative development, not how it will help your company get staged, etc.

Selectively upload work to your IdeasTap portfolio

We need to get a good idea of what you do, but please don’t swamp us. Cherry-pick your work and upload to your IdeasTap portfolio the very best of the work you’ve done, no more than seven clearly labelled projects. (If needs be, include a link to further work from those projects elsewhere online.) The portfolio is essential in the judging of your application, so make it the best work you’ve done to date.

Finally, read the small print!

We know, we know… But only in the Terms & Conditions will you find vital info about budget breakdowns, living expenses and fundraising, all of which is essential to putting together a truly compelling, potentially winning application.

FURTHER READING:

Sky Arts’ James Hunt on being clear, concise and engaging in your application

Ambassador David Micklem on funding, pitching and getting commissioned

Five common budgeting mistakes and the creating a budget factsheet