Sky Arts Ignition Futures Fund: Round one winners

Opera director Daisy Evans, 23, was one of the creative directors of the first Coming Up Festival (which IdeasTap organised in partnership with Old Vic New Voices) and has won with her project, a new Silent Opera production, using live vocals and pre-recorded music heard through mobile headphones.

When they told me I felt like my heart had dropped out. This is a huge, huge opportunity and if people are considering applying then they really need to believe that they have something worth speaking about and that people want to hear. The doors are there to be opened: just open them.

My advice for people applying in this round is to be really passionate about your own idea – that’s what wins out.

The animator Phoebe Boswell, 29, won £30,000 to fund a multimedia installation, Nyumbani (a Swahili word meaning “home”), which uses hand-drawn animation to tell stories based on her parents’ interracial marriage.

The realisation that I’ve won sort of comes in stages. When they first told me it honestly felt like a punch in the stomach: I was stunned.

So many people could have won that I do feel a huge responsibility. I really have to do a good job.

The main thing is to just apply. Don’t worry about whether you’re ready or if they’ll like it. In the end, it makes no difference if you don’t get it, but a huge difference if you do.

If you have an individual creative project and would like to receive £30,000 funding over a year, applications are now open for the second round of the Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund via the brief. This is a life-changing opportunity to turn your personal creative passion into a profession. 

For some top tips and frequently asked questions, visit the Futures Fund online Q&A.

For more information on the brief itself, visit Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund – What you need to know and the brief page.

Sign up to IdeasTap for more advice, funding, opportunities and our weekly newsletter – with all the latest arts jobs.