Do it Differently Fund Covid-19 round

The Covid-19 round of the Do It Differently Fund recognises that musicians are having to work in innovative ways due to the restrictions around social distancing. This fund aims to do the following three things:

• Offers a package of support for professional, creative and wellbeing development
• Enable creative independence for music creators who wish to explore working innovatively through digital methods
• Encourage new habits and good practices of sustainable wellbeing

We work collaboratively with other partners across the sector, including British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM), ThinkMusic and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC). We want to fund music creators who are open to exploring different pathways in music, who are entrepreneurial in their creative endeavours and mindful of the importance of maintaining their health and wellbeing.

Please read the application guidelines for further details

We’ve already witnessed musicians across the UK respond to the pandemic crisis with resilience and innovation, but we also know this requires energy and resource. The Covid-19 round of the Do It Differently Fund, offers a bespoke package of funding and expert advice designed to help you adapt and sustain your music through this time. Offering a grant of £3,000, musicians will be supported to navigate the current uncertainty due to the Coronavirus outbreak, and to find new ways of remaining creative and productive during the downtime created by self-isolation.

For example you may:

• Need to reshape your current business plans in the context of the changing domestic and global situations.

• Have lost work you had planned for the coming months and want to repurpose this time to focus on your creative ambitions.

• Already be exploring ways of using technology to support your next collaboration or recording and need some support to get this up and running.

• Be wondering how to promote your planned release in a time of uncertainty and change.

• Want to take the opportunity to adapt to a changing commercial environment and consider new and innovative ways to distribute your music and build an online fanbase.

Usually we ask that marketing and PR should not make up more than 50% of projects. For these special rounds of Covid-19 round of the Do it Differently Fund we are relaxing this requirement acknowledging that musicians may find this a very valuable time to spend working on their online presence, developing promotional activity and reaching new audiences.

Please read the application guidelines for further details on what we can and can't fund.

Alongside £3,000 of project funding, supported artists are also given a day (6 hours) of business advice sessions with a range of experts that are specially tailored to their particular needs.

These sessions are delivered by ThinkMusic. Read more about the specially adapted topics here.

We partner with the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) who will consult with awardees to help them reflect on their health and welfare needs.

Awardees are also given one year free Pro membership with Featured Artists Coalition (FAC).

Remember that we cannot fund retrospectively, so please check when the funding period begins before making your application.

Application round	Applications open	Deadline	Results	Funding period begins
Round 2	Thursday 16 April 2020	Friday 1 May 2020, 5pm	Tuesday 26 May 2020	Monday 8 June 2020

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 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.

You will be required to provide recent examples of your music as weblinks.

You must also supply a reference from a reputable 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 music, projects and supporting reference.