Do it Differently Fund

What is the Do it Differently Fund?

Following our recent research into the support needs of musicians in the UK and our new approach to a holistic Creative and Health & Welfare Programme, we have designed the Do it Differently Fund to:

• enable creative independence for music creators 
• offer a holistic package of support with professional development 
• encourage new habits and good practices of sustainable wellbeing for recording and touring musicians

The Do It Differently Fund is designed to help independent, entrepreneurial music creators build their career by providing grants of £500 - £3,000 to fund professional development opportunities and creative projects at a crucial point in their career. We can support opportunities relating to Recording & Releasing and Touring & Live Development including PR & marketing costs, time to create and access to creative spaces.

In addition to this, successful applicants will be able to access a suite of wellbeing and development services worth up to £2,000, including business development sessions, education around “healthy” touring practices, online CBT and wellbeing tools, specialist hearing assessment, bespoke hearing protection and short-term treatment of performance related conditions.

Who can apply?

The fund is open to professional musicians of all genres and disciplines, with a focus on independent music creators who are controlling one or more aspects of their career (e.g. self-managing, self-releasing, self-producing). Applicants can be a solo artist, composer, group member, songwriter, producer or a multidisciplinary artist. We can also support bands or ensembles of up to 6 members.

To apply you must:

• Be aged over 18
• Be based primarily in the UK and be eligible to work here
• Have been a resident in the UK for at least 3 consecutive years
• Be in financial need and without significant backing (by this we mean not receiving significant financial backing from a record label, publisher or private investor)
• Be an independent music creator or group approaching a career tipping point

You must already have an active career and track record to apply to this fund and we want to support music creators who can clearly demonstrate the following:

• Exceptional ability within their discipline
• High quality musical output
• Regularly working (performances, commissions, releases) at a professional level (getting paid for their work)
• Achievement or the potential to achieve a national or international impact
• An entrepreneurial spirit and dedication towards their career i.e. an openness to record and tour in a sustainable and holistic way
• Control over one or more aspects of their career (e.g. self-managing, self-releasing or self-producing)
• The difference this grant funding will make to their career as an independent music creator. This could be by including evidence of new audiences around the release of new music, for example.

If applying as a group:

• All group members should be based primarily in the UK and eligible to work here
• At least 50% of your members must meet the criteria listed above
• You must have been established and playing together regularly for at least 1 year
• The group should be made up of no more than 6 members

 

What can we fund?

Through the Do It Differently Fund we can offer grants towards developmental activity under the following two strands:

Recording & Releasing

• Recording costs (studio hire, engineering, mixing, mastering)
• Session musician fees
• PR & Marketing (including social media campaigns and radio plugging)
• Content creation (video, audio, promotional photography, artwork and design etc)
• Manufacture and distribution
• Merchandise (design and production)
• Access to creative spaces (rehearsal and writing rooms)
• Time to create
• Costs of musical equipment, production and composition software/hardware

Touring & Live Development

• Touring expenses (accommodation, transport and fuel costs, venue hire, ticketing)
• Session musician and crew fees
• PR and Marketing (including social media campaigns)
• Content creation (video, audio, promotional photography, artwork and design etc)
• Merchandise (design and production)
• Session musician fees
• Access to creative spaces (rehearsal and writing rooms)
• Time to create
• Costs of musical equipment and performance related technology

 

What can’t we fund?

Below is a list of activity that is ineligible. Please read through this section thoroughly before applying. If you apply for funding toward any of the below, your application will be automatically rejected and will not be shortlisted.

• Organisations
• Activities that are not primarily music or career development focused
• Formal courses of study, training or research (this includes undergraduate study, postgraduate study, year-long courses, costs associated with PhD study)
• Short courses, mentoring or time limited training (for opportunities of this nature, please see our Transmission Fund)
• Regular 1-1 lessons
• Attendance at showcases already supported by the International Showcase Fund or similar funding opportunities in the nations (SXSW CMJ, A3C, WOMEX, Reeperbahn, Folk Alliance International, MIDEM, Canadian Music Week)
• Costs associated with entering competitions
• Activities that have already occurred (we can’t fund retrospectively so please check the deadline dates)
• Opportunities already funded by Help Musicians UK through our network of partners.
• Although we won’t exclude applications that are asking us to contribute to a wider project, the Do It Differently Fund shouldn’t be seen as a top-up fund for larger funding bids
• Applicants who have already received Do It Differently funding in the last 12 months
• Applicants who are already receiving significant financial backing
• Ongoing overheads, for example rent, utilities and insurance
• Costs for using your own spaces, facilities or equipment
• Buying or insuring vehicles

 

Development & Wellbeing

The Do It Differently Fund includes access to a suite of wellbeing and development services (valued at £2,000) in addition to the project activity grant. The wellbeing package includes:

• Opt in access to the pilot Healthy Touring programme in association with the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) preparing music creators to go on tour and consider risks to health, develop strategies for things to go well and have a plan for what to do when things go wrong.
• Opt in access to health assessment and short-term treatment of performance related conditions via the Emerging Musicians Health Scheme if required.
• Opt in access to specialist hearing assessment and bespoke hearing protection via the Musicians Hearing Health Scheme (delivered in conjunction with Musicians’ Hearing Services and the Musicians’ Union).
• Opt in access to online CBT and wellbeing tools, debt and legal advice via Music Minds Matter.

As part of our holistic approach to grant-giving, all successful applicants will also be required to participate in our new business development sessions to help ensure a path of long-term sustainability in their careers.

Delivered in collaboration with Jonathan Robinson, former Programme Director at industry think tank MusicTank, the offer will provide 1 day of business development advice with an industry expert.  This will enable the recipient to work on ideas following an initial consultation with opportunities for subsequent feedback.

Of these additional services, and as part of their grant agreement, successful awardees must participate in the business development sessions to receive the final instalment of their grant. The other services are non-compulsory, though we encourage applicants to see this as an opportunity to consider their own wellbeing and improve their knowledge of how to maintain their wellbeing throughout their careers.

 

How to apply

Firstly, please read the application guidelines which set out in detail what we’re looking for.

Application is by online form. You will be asked to provide a biography outlining your artistic achievements and career highlights to date along with details of the specific project or activity you wish to apply for funding for (including information about the costs associated with this opportunity) and a summary of how this activity will benefit your progression and future career as an independent music creator. You should also be able to evidence the elements of your career to date in which you have displayed self-sufficiency, and how this creative independence will factor in to your upcoming project. We understand applicants will have different preferences in how they communicate their ideas, and therefore, you will have the option of answering some of the key questions either in writing or by video upload. Please be sure to observe the word counts and accepted file types in this section of the application.

You will be required to provide supporting evidence of your music in the form of recordings, videos and weblinks.

You must also supply a reference from a renowned musician or industry professional not connected with your application. 

All materials including your reference must be received by the closing date otherwise your application will be considered ineligible.

Once the deadline for applications has passed, applicants will be shortlisted for consideration by a panel of industry experts who will inform the final decision based on the strength of their applications along with their supporting reference. Applicants will be informed if they have been successful by Friday 30 November. Successful applicants will be required to participate in a ‘get to know you’ session upon acceptance of the grant. In this, your will discuss the delivery your project alongside the suite of additional wellbeing and development services and which of these you will be accessing to support you to do things differently.

Successful applicants must deliver their funded projects within 12 months of accepting the grant. All grants awarded are exempt from VAT.

Please note you can only receive one Do it Differently Fund grant per 12 month period. You are welcome to apply to other Creative Programme opportunities during this time.