VOICES IN
THE FIELD

Published On :2/13/2012 8:21:46 AM

Field Dance Fund 2012 Announced!

The ladder to success is broken for most mid-career dance artists; and younger artists question why to even get on the ladder in the first place! The Field Dance Fund (FDF) aims to transform artists’ practices so that they can move from a “triage” paradigm (in which many artists work), to a more honed, outcome-driven paradigm. Overall, the FDF artists will learn to combat creative burn-out by implementing more dexterous practices to move their careers and art-making forward.

Unlike any other program in New York, and with generous support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Mertz Gilmore Foundation, FDF offers six months of individualized consulting services (valued at $4,000 per artist), critical peer support and a cash award ($10,000 each).

Who are the lucky recipients? In January 2012 (the auspicious year of the Water Dragon), The Field selected the following three FDF grantees (from more than 70 applicants) via a rigorous peer adjudication process:

• luciana achugar makes work that “celebrates being in the experience of the body in its entire sensual splendor.” A Uruguayan choreographer based in Brooklyn, she received a Bessie award for her work, PURO DESEO, in 2010, and was on Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” list in January of 2011.

• Rachel Cohen’s work “encompasses excavation, research, movement and sculpture.” She often works with inanimate materials such as clay, flour, taffy, gum, wood and paper. Her company Racoco/Rx received a NYFA BUILD Stability grant in 2010 and is currently a company-in-residence at CAVE in Brooklyn.

• Michelle Dorrance seeks to “address the class wars in dance by helping audiences to view tap dance in a new and dynamically compelling context.” After performing with the Off-Broadway production STOMP for four years, she is now focusing on her own choreographic process. Michelle is a 2011 Bessie recipient for Outstanding Production.

The launch of the 2012 Field Dance Fund is only a single manifestation of The Field’s core values in action. We are thrilled about this new adventure and we can’t wait to work with the FDF artists to help them actualize their ambitions!

Published On :2/6/2012 12:40:19 PM

“Self-affirming Ignorance” & Other Tools of the Trade

To kick off our Winter-Spring season we held an ERPA open dialogue at Joyce SoHo with artists and presenters to talk about the challenges and best-practices of presenter-artist relationships. What are the do’s and don’ts and what are the needs to be filled? Here are some reflections:

Do your homework!
• Research the venue or presenter you are interested in. Know why you are interested. Know their space. See the work they produce.
• Know what your work/process needs. Know what you need as an artist. Know why that particular venue is right for you.

Stand up for your art!
• Participate in a little “self-affirming ignorance”, says artist James Scruggs. Ask for what you really need (not what you think you can get)—even if it is huge and crazy and you think it is out of the question—pretend you don’t know any better. You might just get what you ask for. And if nothing else, you won’t have devalued your work from the get-go.
• Make your case to presenters in a real, honest, and specific way. Why are they the right fit for you? What is it about that space or that curator that is so right for your piece? As Brian Rogers, theater artist and Artistic Director of the Chocolate Factory, suggested, “make a compelling case for your needs.”
• “Know who you’re making your work for,” says Kristin Marting of HERE. And interact with those people from the seed start of the work’s development and throughout the whole process.

Some useful best-practices:
• “Don’t send blanket emails”, says Cathy Eilers, Program Manager at Joyce SoHo. Make it personal; tailor and personalize your emails and be specific.
• Keep moving to stay visible. Participate in showcases and residencies where you show excerpts of your work. Presenters often attend these as a way to see several artists’ work at once. The more active you are, the more you are seen.
• Ask about ways that presenters can help support your work throughout its development. This makes a space for you to build a stronger relationship with that presenter and gives them a chance to feel invested in their curation.
• Stay in touch with people and don’t get discouraged if they don’t respond. We are all busy and emails often slip through the cracks; keep on keepin’ on!

Thank you to those who attended, to Joyce Soho for generously hosting the event, and to Maura Donohue for her astute facilitation. To learn more about ERPA and other upcoming events click here.

Published On :1/23/2012 11:12:45 AM

Presenters & Artists: Starting the Conversation

Phew! APAP, American Realness, and Under the Radar are done. Maybe you’re still checking out COIL… but overall the who’s who mega-networking fest is complete.

What did you take away from it?

Share your thoughts with us as we gear up for
ERPA PUBLIC DIALOGUE: How Presenters & Artists Work Together
Monday, January 30, 6:30-8pm – at Joyce SoHo

The relationship between theaters and artists can easily become skewed by the imbalance of finances and ratio of artists to venues. But maybe the artists are the ones who are really best positioned to ease this strain – because it’s the artists’ priority. To quote Maura Donohue, our panel facilitator, “The artists are the ones providing the art, the reason the theaters exist.” And remembering that, valuing one’s own work, can help artists to enfranchise themselves to come to these relationships as an equal, and at ease.

Tell us your successful war stories!
When did you hit a bump in the road in your artist/presenter relationship and how did you move forward productively to a smooth finish?
Artists: How do you ask for the fees that you need? What’s that like for you?
Presenters: What kind of processes do you use in developing work with artists?

Come on! Don’t be shy!

Published On :12/5/2011 2:37:28 PM

On Sharing

Amplify Brooklyn — on Sharing from Parsons Desis Lab on Vimeo.

Published On :10/27/2011 2:17:17 PM

OURGOODS: Be your own boss!

I co-founded 2 barter initiatives in 2009/2010 that became my part time jobs in 2011 (we just received $120,000 in grant money!). I also now teach 2 undergraduate courses at Parsons, but I don’t have a masters degree and I went to a college that was tuition-free. How did this happen?

SUMMARY

1. I know what I want and I work towards it.

2. I do A LOT of research before I ask for help.

3. I reach out to people who can mentor me.

4. I show up on time and work my ass off.

5. I demand respect (perhaps because I grew up with privilege).

6. I refuse to go into Debt for school.

7. My policy: be nice to everyone.

• 1. SELF AWARENESS: There’s not too much I can say about this, except that you need to have clear intentions in order to pursue your dreams. Here’s two questions that help: What does success look like for you? What can you not, not do? (a.k.a. What MUST you do?) Meditate, go on long walks, try things out, talk to people who have careers that you think you want, whatever you need to do to be more self-aware and clear about your goals. Some people say reading this book helps: http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2011/dp/158008270X but I’ve never read it.

• 2. RESEARCH: I’m all about doing online research to find mentors in your field of interest. Mentors are great because they share your enthusiasm but have more information and connections in the real world than you do. Most of these people have personal websites, or you can find their email at the school or business where they work. Luckily, the Internet exists, so you can introduce yourself to potential mentors without waiting in line after a lecture and/or socializing at a party! This helps me because I’m a good writer (my mom taught me that) BUT I’m not comfortable schmoozing or promoting myself at parties. I’m also a woman who doesn’t conform to a lot of norms for “serious professionals”: I don’t do my hair, paint my nails, wear girl-y shoes/clothes, shave my body, or wear make-up. Basically, I think it’s best for people to learn about what I’ve done (and how it related to their past work and research) without seeing what I look like. If they respond to my initial email, perhaps we will meet in person, but then they already know that we share common interests and/or goals, so it’s about WORK and not what I look like.

• 3. REACHING OUT: See above. Also, learn to write really well, in many different styles! How can you do this? Trade time with an editor, writer, or other proof-reader on OurGoods.org, or find a friend who will help you improve your writing skills. When you write an email to a potential mentor, use “affinity jargon.” I use the term “affinity jargon” to describe the language or style of writing your mentor uses. Find an aspect of this style or “jargon” that resonates with you, and use that style/jargon when writing to your potential mentor. For example, when I wrote an email to Lewis Hyde, I opened with poetry because he loves poetry. After catching their attention by communicated in a style that they understand, your job is to demonstrate your research and connection to their work. Once they understand that you know who they are and respect them, you should demonstrate your value to them. What have you done that they might care about? What are you about to do that you’d like advice about? Make a clear connection between what they do and who you are.

• 4. RIGOR: Take yourself seriously. No one cares about your work more than you, so do a good job. You can’t say “it was my client’s fault” that it looks so bad. It’s up to you to make your work as great as it can be, and to present your best work online (or in an attached .pdf in your email) in a way that people you reach out to will understand. If you work hard, and continue to take risks despite all odds, you are rigorous.

• 5. PRIVILEDGE: I went to a private high school and I’m white. Yes, my dad grew up without running water and was the first person in his family of tobacco farmers to go to college, but he became a doctor and that upbringing means that I’m considered “polite, reliable, confident, well spoken, well-rounded, energetic, pulled-together, with a good resume, references, and a high GPA” because I was taught upper-class manners and “standard” English, had expensive dental work, health care, and vacations as a teenager, was able to focus on my studies without having to support myself or my family, was told I could do anything, and grew up with connections to people with money. I volunteer for the grassroots economic justice group SolidarityNYC, and they help me have hard conversations about inequity. Cheyenna Weber gave me this book Classified for more information about class priviledge, and it me realize that “discrimination erases individual identity by assuming that everyone in the group is the same and deserves to be treated the same…privilege erases group identity by assuming that everyone in the group is a unique and special individual, that their uniqueness entitles them to preferential treatment.” (p/ 8 http://www.resourcegeneration.org/resources/publications) So although I do work hard, figuring out how to interact with wealthy people and to demand respect is very much related to the way I grew up. If you didn’t grow up that way, you should remember (and remind anyone who discriminates) that you too deserve to be treated as a unique individual, and that no dream is too big for you. On top of that, you might consider finding a class-ally (like me) who can talk to you about unspoken codes of conduct.
• 
  
• 6. NO DEBT: Do NOT pay more than $10,000 max. for school. If your parents are thinking of giving you any money at all, use it to get a mortgage on a building or apt. near the school you think you want to go to, and spend the next few years living with students at that school who pay rent towards that mortgage until you own a house and have tons of connections at that school. Cooper Union is free and many masters programs will pay you. Also, live with lots of people so that your rent is low and you can buy food in bulk.

• 7. BE NICE! Here’s a list of opportunities I have, and how I got them. Most of this has to do with operating form a place of generosity around everyone I know, connecting people, remembering what they need, and assuming their best intentions if/when they are flaky. When it becomes clear that you operate from a place of generosity, people will be more generous to you.

• 1. I’m teaching a class to undergraduates at Parsons. Pascale Gatzen told her Dean to consider the class. I met Pascale at Mildred’s Lane, an alternative school/residency in Honesdale, PA. At Mildred’s Lane, she heard about Trade School and OurGoods, two independent barter initiatives I’d been working on. I’d been doing them as a volunteer for 10-50 hours a week with 2 main collaborators (see #4) and others for 2 years, and reading tons of books about barter on my own at the same time. I went to Mildred’s Lane because I met the director, Morgan Puett, at a residency I went to straight out of school (Oxbow in Saugatuck, MI). I got to go to Oxbow because I applied (and worked my ass off on the application) and because my college, Cooper Union, sends students there. I got to go to Cooper Union because I applied (and worked my ass off on the application) and went to an art residency in high school called Ox-Bow (in Napa, CA) where I developed a portfolio and because I went to a private high school where I learned how to write well. My mom is also a feminist historian and helped me learn to write more than anyone.

source: Parsons/Pascale/Morgan/Ox-bow/Cooper Union/Oxbow/Wheeler/mom+dad

• 2. I’m co-teaching another class to undergrads at Parsons. Eve Mosher invited me to co-teach when her co-teacher had to leave the job at the last minute. I know Eve Mosher because I used to work for an artist named Natalie Jeremijenko when I got out of college. Natalie taught me a lot of things about being collaborative and the unhappy speed of a “famous” career. I met Natalie because I told my high school art teacher that I was graduating from college and needed a job, and she told her husband who taught at RISD, and he happened to be walking with Natalie one day and remembered to mention it to her. She then went to my senior show in college and we worked out a deal where I worked for her on a stipend that was paid through NYU (hello, library card!). I’d recommend working for a collaborative artist because I’m still friends with a lot of the people that she worked with, and it wasn’t an isolated studio practice.

source: Parsons/Eve/Natalie/Bruce/Sue

• 3. I’m working on OurGoods.org, a barter network for creative people. I got to do this because I applied for a grant to support this idea (while working the night-shift at an art studio where I could do whatever I wanted as long as I stayed awake) and got $5,000 to begin the project. I then asked the hardest working people I knew from college (Louise Ma and Rich Watts) to work on OurGoods with me, and the people who gave me the grant (The Field!) introduced me to Jen Abrams, someone who had a similar idea. Rather than rejecting her similar idea, I actively sought to bring her into the team at an early stage. We are now great friends, and she brings 10 years of grant writing experience to the group. She is 40 and we write grants together, so I’ve learned a lot from her. Now, we’ve written over 30 grants together, and just got $100,000 to make OurGoods.org our part-time jobs for our 5 person team! This is a good example of writing grants, not having connections. It’s still all about writing well though.

source: OurGoods/The Field/grant

• 4. OurGoods.org is in a project room at Creative Time. This is because the curator is friends with another group in the show, Temporary Services, and they suggested he include us. I met them because I’ve researched their work for a long time, and suggested that Oxbow in MI invite them to be guest artists one year. When they did, I applied to go back to Oxbow, and I got in and was able to hang out with them. They are great artists, and so inspiring: http://www.temporaryservices.org/contact.html

source: Creative Time/Nato/Temporary Services/Oxbow/research

• 5. I pay $250 each month for rent in a 12’ x 30’ studio in a live-work industrial space. This is because three years ago, Chrstine (someone I went to school with but didn’t know well) said “we should organize a studio space together…and my parents can loan us $35,000 to do it!” Why did she trust me? Word on the street: I was reliable. Why did I trust her? I’m an optimist, she seemed reliable, and she had the people and the money to pull off a huge project. Christine brought a bunch of friends who had attended a residency called Skowhegan together to build out the space, and we divided an 8,000 square foot space up into 30 small spaces by building walls, doing the electrical, putting in sinks, etc. For the first two years, we gave everyone who built out the space a reduction in rent, but we didn’t pay ourselves to run the LLC and the space on a daily basis. My rent was $550. After two years of organizing (finding new tenants, collecting 30 checks to pay rent, filing taxes, responding to issues on the spot, etc.) Christine got burnt out and left for grad school. We realized that the people who took a risk (me, Christine, Colin) should get paid! Now my rent is only $250 a month, and I get $25/hr for each hour I spend working on the space. Now we also buy our food in bulk from an organic distributor, which lowers costs and helps us share everything in the kitchen. It’s a BIG commitment to know that my name is on the lease for 3 more years (5 total), and that I can’t leave NY until then, but we keep rent pretty low for a bunch of artists and I met Huong and so many other great people through the space! It’s also how I met my boyfriend of 2 years…

source: Studio/Colin/Christine/Cooper Union

Published On :10/4/2011 6:08:27 PM

Money up?

Let's talk about money.

How do you make your money? For real?

Is it from performance fees, teaching, arts admin, commissions, grants, mechanical royalties? merch? sheet music sales? record label advance? or a day job at (fill in the blank)? Are there other ways you can make money from your art that fit organically with your vision and skills? Or do you want a well paid non-art job that gives you the freedom and brain space to create your art independently?

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Empower your self with knowledge. And then act on it strategically.

The music business (non- and for-profit) seems to have so many more opportunities to monetize their art (and they do, sort of) but the principles are the same I think. The super smart ladies of Future of Music Coalition shared their "Accounting for Creatives" seminar with a dynamic group of music artists at The Field's FAR Space on Monday, September 26th. They say that there are 40 streams of money for music artists (well, 29 at first but growing!) The 40 streams of money here may not be your streams. But maybe there is some area of income generation in your life that you can drive harder? or a new one you can test out?

These are four of my takeaways (some are old news but always good reminders, some are newer news that just hit me harder tonight and that bear repeating I think.)

1) develop relationships with your fans! they are your #1 source of support (financial and emotional!) (we all know this, but are you maximizing your people? and your time and skills at doing this work?)

2) we are artist-citizens: be aware of the issues in our community (all of our various communities) and act up where you can.

3) you can be middle class if you want! being a starving artist is not really romantic! what do YOU want from your art work? how can YOU achieve it?

4) knowledge is power! if you know your income and you know your expenses you can be strategic about achieving your goals (do you want to buy a house? do you want to tour internationally? or have a baby? do you want more gigs in the city? do you have health insurance?) Hiding from your own financial comprehension will not help you.

Peek at FMC's survey here and stay tuned for updates. It's all about music for now but I bet this is replicable for theater, dance, etc!

OTHER RESOURCES FROM FUTURE OF MUSIC COALITION:
Educational and Cultural Grants (more than a few artists seem to be getting these grants! this site is a bit obtuse but check it out and the next two links too)
http://exchanges.state.gov/

Rhythm Road:
http://exchanges.state.gov/cultural/rhythm.html

Jazz at Lincoln Center's webpage for Rhythm Road:
http://jalc.org/TheRoad/index.asp

Published On :9/27/2011 9:46:29 AM

OURGOODS: Sharing Power: From a Sharing Economy to Solidarity Economics

The Creative Time Summit is "a conference that brings together cultural producers—including artists, critics, writers, and curators—to discuss how their work engages pressing issues affecting our world. Their international projects bring to the table a vast array of practices and methodologies that engage with the canvas of everyday life. The participants range from art world luminaries to those purposefully obscure, providing a glimpse into an evolving community concerned with the political implications of socially engaged art."

In 8-minute presentations, we heard from artists, activists, and designers from all over the world. A moving statement came from Annenberg Prize winner Jeanne van Heeswijk: "In my work, we are learning collectively to take responsibility."

So, what are the political implications of socially engaged art? If politics is about the distribution of power (or "how we learn collectively to take responsibility"), how does socially engaged art distribute power and help groups learn collectively to take responsibility? For me, a lot of socially engaged art is like the new term "sharing economy", giving a little without changing power structures. The projects that moved me most at Creative Time's Summit and exhibition, Living as Form, truly engage communities by redistributing power. Remember, as Participatory Rural Appraisal tells us, "participation without redistribution of power is an empty and frustrating process for the powerless."

If you haven't visited the show yet, consider where each project places the participants in this ladder of participation:

- manipulate
- inform
- consult
- placate
- partner
- delegate
- participate

All of this reminds me of a conversation I had with Cheyenna Weber of SolidarityNYC...

Caroline (2010): “What’s the difference between the sharing economy and the solidarity economy?”
Cheyenna (2010): “It’s the difference between doing something that is good and doing something that is just. It’s the difference between friends helping each other and true social justice.”

Cheyenna and Caroline (2011): We all recognize that sharing is good. Sharing, lending, and borrowing help connect neighbors, encouraging isolated individuals to create community by consuming less. But the latest sharing projects all focus on wealthy neighbors. What if I’ve never had too much? How do we address social inequity? How do we redistribute power to the majority who live without it? To transform an economic system which fails to meet community needs, we have to move from a sharing economy to a solidarity economy.

What's the difference? The solidarity economy is based on democratic control and social justice, not just cooperation and ecological sustainability. It's about sharing power. Solidarity means recognizing our global interdependence, addressing injustices in our communities by replacing dynamics of unequal power with grassroots, cooperative leadership. The sharing economy is one step towards a system-wide change, where all people are empowered to meet their needs. Sharing is about neighbors helping neighbors, but in which neighborhoods? Solidarity means sharing with your neighbor in public housing by joining a credit union, supporting low income immigrants who run worker-owned businesses, and providing sliding scale pricing at events to welcome all people. The solidarity economy addresses power imbalances directly through grassroots economic justice.

In New York City we are lucky to have hundreds of examples of solidarity economy practices. Sometimes they are new, utilizing economic innovations, and other times they are a return to ancient survival strategies which have served our communities well. Together they make up a dynamic alternative to an economy based solely on profit and greed. The models vary but cross all sectors of economic activity: housing, healthcare, retail, financial services, food, culture, and transportation, to name a few.

At solidaritynyc.org we're documenting these practices and models in an online map and a series of short films portraying the stories of different solidarity economy leaders. The films, Portraits of the Solidarity Economy, include stories of food and worker cooperatives, intentional communities, credit unions, community gardens, barter networks, and participatory budgeting. Each is empowering specific NYC communities and in turn creating a solidarity alternative to the destructive economic transactions that dominant our daily lives.

If you want more info about the Summit, watch the videos here (in particular, I'd watch Laura Flanders, Urban Bush Women, Ted Purves, and Jeanne van Heeswijk): http://www.creativetime.org/programs/archive/2011/summit/summit_presenters.html

Published On :9/9/2011 8:48:36 AM

OURGOODS: Why do artists need to share resources?

4) OurGoods exists because more work gets done in networks of mutual respect and shared resources than in competitive isolation. By working together, members of OurGoods build lasting ties in communities of enormous potential.

Three years ago, I applied for the first round of ERPA funding for the idea that became OurGoods.org. With three years of mentorship and financial support from The Field backing OurGoods up, I'm teaching a class at The New School called Barter: The Social Practice of Non-Monetary Exchange. If you're interested in reading more about barter and following the class from the blog, go to http://barterclass.tumblr.com/. Also, we just received $100,000 from The Rockefeller Foundation and will be running an analog version of OurGoods as part of Creative Time's Living as Form show. For a schedule of events there, and appointments for barter advice, check out: http://ourgoods.org/events/ourgoods_living_as_form

Published On :8/23/2011 1:24:23 PM

Grant Writing 001 for Theater Companies: How to Win your First Grant

by Ben Cikanek, co-Artistic Director of Firework Theater

To clarify, our young company does not have a long history of grant writing (or grant-winning) for that matter. We secured our first funding from NYSCA in 2011 and have a handful of other applications in the works. At a recent seminar at The Field, I offered up a few pieces of practical guidance which were fresh in my memory from our first-ever grant writing efforts and Audra asked me to articulate them for the benefit of other first-timers. So, here they are:

(1) Take a deep breath. The road is long. Expect to apply for your first grant one year from today. There is a lot to do before you start filling out forms.

(2) Initial research. Visit The Field alone or with your co-producer. There is a binder of grant opportunities which approximately mirrors the monthly mailing The Field sends out to its members. This binder will give you a sense of the annual lifecycle of application opportunities (it also includes complete copies of other member companies' past grant applications). Write down the grants that you think may be appropriate for your organization. Next, get online and visit the homepages of theater companies that are a few years further down the path you intend to follow. Write down where these companies are gaining support, as well. Track everything in a spreadsheet.

(3) Consult the guru. Set up a meeting with Audra. Run your ideas by her. For instance, you'll say "Can I apply for NYC's Department of Cultural Affairs funding?" And Audra will say, "Only if you already have your own 501(c)(3)." Audra will guide you well, but you'll want to be organized before you meet with her. Make sure you come in with a list of grants, deadlines, and your overall fund-raising goal. She may have a couple additional ideas for you in terms of grant opportunities or resources for additional research. She will definitely tell you to find less competitive grant opportunities by getting specific: What is it about your work that makes you different from everyone else? If you fill a very specific niche, and you can find a funding organization that exclusively supports this specific niche, you're on the right track. In any case, try to leave your meeting with no more than ten viable options.

(4) Research deep dive. It's time to get into the detail. Do deep research into each organization. Why do they exist? Who have they funded in the past? Who are the key members of the staff? You need to confirm, based on your research, that each grant you are considering is appropriate for your company, or will be within the next few years after you grow into your own mission and purpose. Try to narrow down your options to six possibilities.

(5) Begin to build relationships. Call the appropriate department heads from each organization on your list. Introduce yourself and your company. Let them know that you are calling because you are hoping to apply for a future funding cycle and you simply want to introduce yourself. If I'm having a good conversation with someone, I like to ask practical questions like:
• Based on my research, I feel like our company might be a good fit for your XYZ grant, but can you tell me in your own words what kind of organizations or projects you are looking to fund?
• What is the best way for us to start to build a relationship with your organization? Is there someone in particular we can invite to future shows or readings?
• Do you ever award companies their first grant, or do you generally want an applicant to have a history of past support?
• Can I add you to our mailing list?

In my experience, funding organizations do not want to review applications that are a bad match for their program. They are usually very happy to give you the raw truth: don't bother applying this year--we don't have any money; or your company really isn't a good match for us; or in a few years you guys might want to apply but you're just not a mature enough organization yet.

Right after you hang up the phone, send a follow-up email thanking them for the conversation. Even if you are a company of one, you should operate like a business professional. I went to business school, and I can tell you that everything you need to know about professionalism you learned in grammar school: be polite; be thoroughly prepared for every conversation; read and follow application instructions thoroughly; be punctual. You absolutely do not want to be the company apologizing for submitting a late application.

Log your initial (and all subsequent) conversations into your grant tracking spreadsheet. Your spreadsheet should function as a rudimentary relationship management tool. You always want to be able to start an email by saying, "We last spoke in March about XYZ topic and I am following up with you because..."

After these initial calls, you should try to narrow down your list of potential grant applications to three.

(6) Nurture your relationships. Send postcards for your shows. Make them aware of positive press attention you may be receiving.
Invite them (plus guests) to see your work. Be there when they show up. Have a reserved sign on their seat. Thank them for coming in-person and subsequently via email. Track all of this correspondence in your spreadsheet.

(7) Apply. My producing partner and I use Google Docs for our grant applications because we can both concurrently revise a single document from different locations. Give yourself a month for each application, writing and rewriting over the course of four or five sessions. If you have a supportive contact within the funding organization, ask them if they'd be willing to review your application and offer you feedback on it before you submit. If not, find someone who can. Don't forget that The Field requires fourteen days to review your application before they submit it on your behalf. We like to write in a simple, conversational tone in the first person plural. Surrender yourself to the fact that your company and its accomplishments are exactly what they are--no more and no less. Articulate yourself clearly and concisely, and then...

(8) Move on. Most organizations do not allow you to request funds in excess of 15% of your project's total budget so temper your financial expectations. As I mentioned in Step 1, the road is long and the amount of effort you need to devote to each application is significant. By the time you are done applying for three grants, it'll likely be time to start reapplying the following year.

So, that's what we have learned over the past year. I would love to hear your personal experiences and perspectives with grant writing, so please share them below!

Best of luck,
Ben Cikanek
co-Artistic Director
Firework Theater
www.fireworktheater.com

Published On :8/15/2011 3:17:31 PM

money does grow on trees?

IT WORKED!! And we couldn’t be prouder!!

ERPA was launched in 2008 to help performing artists make new revenue streams from their art and for their art.

One of our original ERPA (Economic Revitalization for Performing Artists) artists, OurGoods, is now a recipient of their own Rockefeller Foundation Cultural Innovation Fund grant!! This is trickle down (and up and sideways!) at its very best!

We started with Caroline Woolard (co-founder of OurGoods) back in 2008 (with our own funding from the Rockefeller Foundation!) and since then we’ve invested $30,000 in funds in OurGoods and many many consulting hours of strategic thinking, listening and learning. In 2010, The Field received renewed funding from the Rockefeller Foundation to expand our work with OurGoods and to increase our ERPA outreach and services to other ambitious artists. And now this! What a great gift in our 25th Anniversary year!!

It’s been transformative for me personally and the whole Field organization to work with Caroline Woolard and Jen Abrams and the entire OurGoods team over these years. And there have been many highlights of our time with them: the We Are No Longer Strangers book we published in 2010 (what a challenge to tell the whole truth about ERPA!) and the Action Tank at last year’s Prelude Festival (a live demonstration of our ERPA artists' savvy skills!) to cite just two. I can’t wait to see where they go next. I am enormously grateful to OurGoods for working with us in such an intimate and dynamic way. And I am enormously grateful to the Rockefeller Foundation for their belief in us and their support of ERPA.

As Caroline told us, “I applied for a grant from The Field while working the night-shift. I was tired and felt little connection to the world. From this place of sleep-deprivation in 2008, the grant felt more like a dream whispered to the wind than a bold declaration of belief. From 2008-now, with funding and mentorship, The Field has helped me become the person I want to be, and to see that no dream is too big. I have learned to work with a team of co-founders on OurGoods, speak confidently in public, leverage ERPA funding towards grants of $100,000, and share this truth with others: no dream is too big for you.”

OurGoods' success and Caroline’s “no dream is too big for you” stance is an amazing manifestation of The Field’s services and our belief that we can meet artists where they are at and help them achieve their unique goals. Please check out OurGoods.org and please continue to support your own big artistic dreamers in your world.

Happy happy summer and thank you for all YOU do to help us help artists like Caroline and OurGoods!!

Published On :6/2/2011 7:25:12 AM

OURGOODS: 224 People Made Barter Offers on May 7th

Published On :4/21/2011 10:45:44 AM

Our brains are still cookin'!

What happens when the lemming doesn’t run off the cliff?

It keeps thinking. It becomes a non-lemming?

FURTHER DETRITUS TAKEAWAYS TO PONDER (from the ERPA: Next Gen Debate):

1. Digital natives versus Digital immigrants? (Sarah A.O. Rosner: often the immigrants have the most impact on the culture itself!)

2. The widening gap in the haves and the have-nots (Mathew Heggem: the open source revolution that must be paid attention to!)

3. Social media is still in the womb! (Mathew again!)

4. Marketing is changing in leaps and bounds! Do you still even need or want an old-fashioned paper review in the NYTimes? If you have a Board and institutional funders do you need these kinds of validators to prove your worth?

5. Pina Bausch didn't blog and look at her! (uh, uh, uh??)

6. Do audiences differentiate between "experts" and non-experts? Who/what drives your audiences ticket buying/donation practices?

7. Authority! It is all changing so fast. Who are the gatekeepers now?

8. Generation gaps? Sarah A.O. Rosner: “my brain is developmentally different from yours.” Social media changes the game. We engage differently. We create our identities differently now (online!). We are different.

9. "Why aren't they commenting on my blog post?" Because one minute they are commenting on your blog and the next on Facebook and the next on Twitter and the next on......It's not just one place and it's not just your place. Follow the bouncing verbiage......

Isn’t it amazing what cooks when you leave the pot on the stove?

Published On :4/14/2011 12:42:22 PM

Are you a hyperlemming?: Reflections on the ERPA: Next Gen Hypermedia Debate

You have to blog. You have to be on Twitter. You have to get friends on Facebook. Now.

No you don't. You are not a lemming. You have free will. Think about it and make strategic choices.

FIVE THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT HYPERMEDIA (or how not to be a lemming):

1. From the effervescent and salty-throated Matthew Heggem: hypermedia is not new! Just like so many things that "we" think "we" discovered. Hypermedia was coined in 1965 by Ted Nelson. 1965!!! Where were you in 1965? The real question is: what are we going to do with hypermedia now? The debaters pushed for conscious and strategic choices about blogging, tweeting, etc-ing. Who are you and why are you doing what you are doing? Is all that work impacting your goals? What are your goals? Think about it. Don't be a lemming.

2. From the articulate and sage Eva Yaa Asantewaa: “you can use the "I" without writing from the "I"”. Both Eva and Wendy Perron brought their years of writing experience to the debate. They encouraged (uh, demanded?) that young writers NOT use the first person when writing a review. It takes a rigor and a muscularity to write from the wider perspective. (And yet it seems most blog journalism is all about the I—as I am demonstrating here!)

3. From the assertive and sassy Brian McCormick: he is an early adapter (adopter?) of social media tools BECAUSE he is innately and organically a network kind of guy! He's a teacher. He likes to connect the dots. Social media is all about networks. So it works for him without struggle and pain. But many of his artists/clients are struggling because it isn't innate for them! So he has to work around that: even if the artist isn't into Facebook or Twitter etc., can they use these tools to their advantage? Does it help them achieve their goals? (Don't be a lemming part three!)

4. From the self-identified maximalist Sarah A.O. Rosner: creating a dance and writing her blog posts and Facebook updates and marketing her work is all the same decision-making process! It is all part of her choreographic and aesthetic development. (Wendy Perron and Ms. Rosner have had some heat on this matter in the past and it sizzled at Abrons!)

5. And from the cool and astute moderator, Kay Takeda (of the LMCC): strategy strategy strategy. She told me later that the paradigm is shifting for her! Hypermedia is shifting it! She didn't think it was! But it is!

Now, watch out for that cliff!

...But you saw that coming. You're not a lemming.

Published On :6/2/2011 7:26:27 AM

OURGOODS: Why is a significant amount of labor considered "outside" of the economy?

“What is often called ‘the economy’ (i.e. wage labor for a market exchange of commodities in a capitalist enterprise) is but a small set of activities by which we produce, exchange, and distribute values in our society. What about an economic politics that allows us to think creatively and to start here and now to make new economies? We believe that other, more just and ecologically sustainable economies are possible. Everyday people in everyday places can be part of re-thinking and re-enacting economies.”
-Community Economies Collective

For the past two years, I’ve organized Trade School (a popular education program where students barter with teachers) and OurGoods.org (a barter network of creative people) with collaborators Rich Watts, Louise Ma, Jen Abrams, and Carl Tashian. Both projects demonstrate the social nature of exchange and have been met with an enormous amount of generosity and enthusiasm. What is the larger context for these barter projects? Something called the solidarity economy, the social economy, the intentional economy, or "community economies".

Activists, households, and artists alike participate (knowingly or not) in diverse, community economies. Taking care of others, volunteering, cooking, and making things are all valuable activities that involve production, exchange, and distribution. While this labor is not tracked or calculated via GDP, it is as crucial to the function of society as any paid job. The dominant economy runs on a scarcity principal that does not serve creative people well. Most artists are motivated by a combination of curiosity, risk, craft, a desire to speak truth, produce beauty, and gain community respect- not monetary gain and atomized self-interest. We participate in economies of abundance, where respect is harnessed between peers. This does not mean that artists should not be paid (we should demand payment!), or that money is antithetical to creative labor, but it does mean that the artists who continue to work "for free" (in exchange for exposure, respect, passion, etc.) should spend more time thinking through the diverse economies that they participate in.
For example, SolidarityNYC promotes “people over profits” by mapping and connecting NYC-based worker co-ops, time banks, barter clubs, CSAs, land trusts, open source projects, and other commons initiatives that foster values of mutualism and cooperation. As a broad platform for grassroots economic initiatives, SolidarityNYC has introduced me to people who make more change in the world with less personal recognition: social workers, facilitators, holistic healers, activists, and community-based economic development leaders. Connecting with these people has helped me see how much artist collectives can learn about consensus decision making, re-distribution of opportunities, and the power of organized self-management within a culture of interdependence.

Is this all too abstract and theoretical? Well, here's some direct suggestions for dealing with a non-monetary exchange:

#1) Bartering is an experiment in value.

Published On :3/18/2011 7:56:41 AM

Stop Giving It Away for Free!

Collective Arts Think Tank (CATT) gets catty again with a rousing "Follow Up Letter to the field: small steps and current issues".

".. stop giving it away for free. THE ARTISTS need to recognize their own power, and use it. Control the supply; create demand; stop investing time, energy and money in pursuing empty opportunities. Art is a profession; and artists who do not get paid are not professionals. Period."

Published On :3/10/2011 1:14:40 PM

MAKE SOME NOISE!

From the indefatigable Norma Munn at NYC Arts Coalition:

Time to Speak Out

State budget negotiations are moving, sort of. Both the Senate and the Assembly are in the process of producing their versions of the budget. (That will give us three versions, for those who wonder about this process.)

After those additional two versions, the Assembly and the Senate are supposed to start meeting in conferences between the various committees of each legislative body. If the announced schedule is followed, those conference committees start on March 15.

Time to put some extra effort into convincing the Assembly and Senate members to restore $2.8 million to the State Council on the Arts. (Note: please refer to NYSCA as the State Council on the Arts in these communications. Experienced staff recognizes NYSCA, but not everyone has been there long enough to know the all the abbreviations.)

What you can do:

Go to http://artsNYS.com and send an email or letter to your Assembly and Senate member. (No later than Friday, please.)

If you choose the email option, send a letter on your letterhead to your Assembly and Senate member, scheduled to reach them no later than March 15. (Fax is fine.) Brevity is greatly appreciated.

Call their office on March 14 or 15th, and leave a message that you are asking them to support restoration of $2.8 million to the State Council on the Arts.

Contact two offices of the leadership, also on March 14 or 15th:

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, phone 518-455-3791. Fax is 518-455-5459, if you prefer a letter; speaker@assembly.state.ny.us if you prefer email.

Majority Leader Dean Skelos, phone is 518-455-3171. Fax is 518-426-6950, if you prefer a letter; Skelos@senate.state.ny.us if you prefer email.


We simply are not turning out enough messages, so please don’t assume that someone else will do this. And please keep these phone, fax and email addresses. This is likely to require some follow up.

AND, PLEASE, pay your membership renewal dues. Form attached. No letters being sent this year. Everything is via email. Call or email if you have questions, but FYI, member dues are 95% of our income, so it is truly important that you support us. Thanks.

Norma P. Munn
Chair
New York City Arts Coalition
809 West 181 St., #163
New York, NY 10033
212-246-3788 (phone) 646-688-3672 (fax)
information@nycityartscoalition.org

Published On :3/9/2011 11:52:16 AM

new models again? innovate shminnovate!

Good conversation on the failure of our thinking on new art/business models over at Arts Journal. I added my three cents. Add yours.

Should we dump the 501c3 model as some Brits are suggesting?
What would it really mean to be a social enterprise?
Do most artists/companies really think that they are charities? That they are doing something deeply valuable to our society? really?

Published On :2/17/2011 7:26:25 AM

Care for our Government

Dear fellow performing artists,

Last Tuesday, with a nudge from the Field, I participated in Arts Advocacy Day with the goal of asking for a reduction in cuts to the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). The day went by quickly. It began at 7am on the corner 33^rd and 8^th where I found my fellow arts advocators and we boarded two busses, a big one and a little one, bound for Albany. I really had no idea what the day entailed, but hoped I could be a good soldier and do what I was told. I have learned that when the Field staff points me in a direction outside my comfort zone, it’s generally a good idea to go.

We were briefed on the bus by Norma Munn from the New York City Arts Coalition. Read Norma’s orientation to arts advocacy on the IT Foundation blogspot, http://nyitawards.blogspot.com/.

Norma passed out packets that included team assignments, a list of talking points and a series of 20-minute appointments with legislators. We were, apparently, divided into small teams that were going to spread out over the LOB and actually speak to people one-on-one. She tried to assign us to representatives from our own boroughs, to the largest extent possible. Arts consultant Anne Dennin, would my team leader and we would be joined by Joyhdae Albert from Harlem Arts Alliance, and Nicole Sealy from Poets & Writers.

My team, while walking, came up with our “pitch”. Anne would start, in a friendly way, by explaining the impact of the proposed cuts to NYSCA and making the modest ask. Then she would turn to us for examples of why NYSCA is critical to what we do. Joydae would talk about what the Harlem Arts Alliance is doing as a re-granting agency. I would then speak as an individual artist who has benefitted from other local re-granting and service organizations funded by NYSCA, namely Brooklyn Arts Council and the Field. And Nicole would bring it home by talking about the readings and workshop programs that Poets & Writers was doing in the legislator’s home borough.

Our talking points were created in conjunction with the state group, Arts NYS. Their site is a great resource to learn about the proposed cuts, for facts about how the arts sector fits into the economy as a whole, and to send messages to legislators. We learned as we went along how to talk to people. It was an active, energizing day, frustrating only in that there seemed to me to be huge missed opportunity in the lack of voice from artists.

Today, our unified message was: Please cut us a little less than is proposed. Arts stimulate the economy and create jobs. I thought—here we go again defining ourselves in terms of anything but art … the economy, jobs, education. Even the Arts NYS button seemed to be having an identity crisis, as it tried cram together several visual messages that might appeal to legislators aligned with different issues. It read “ARTS=JOBS” and depicted a fourth grade girl holding up a heart. The message I got was “ARTS … ‘N’ CRAFTS!” There was nothing artistic about it. I am grateful that somebody was making buttons for us to wear, but we were all jealous of the cool marriage equality buttons that read “I DO” in big red letters, so my team picked up those and wore them around too.

I wished that I could invoke Arlene Goldbard, who beautifully conveys the necessity of art on its own terms. It made me wonder, “Where are the artists on Arts Advocacy Day?” The bus seemed to be full of program staff from different organizations and not the artists themselves. Playwright Rogelio Martinez was there. He gave a great speech at the press conference that closed the day. You can read here on ART NY’s Facebook page.

It was so simple, and so necessary to communicate with legislators, but as an artist I have not always understood my place in the system. We are used to defining ourselves by our aesthetic, or our discipline, or our individuality, and not as a workforce or as a group of constituents. From spending time with the lovely Audra Lang on the ride up to Albany on Tuesday, I know there are about 2200 of us that the Field serves. NYSCA needs us more than we need them right now. If you are now jealous of me, and wish you had joined, here’s a way to make your voice heard. Just come to the Field starting Friday and pick up a stack of pre-stamped cards, write down your name and your artist-occupation, and pop them in the mail. Or email me at theproducer@avantgarderestaurant.com.

Until we have distilled our voices into a new message, let’s join the message of the day. Here’s what I’m asking you to say:

ARTS = JOBS

February, 2011

Dear [Senator/ Assembly member So-and-So],

I am a(n) [Occupation: playwright, painter, dancer, musician, etc.] from [Borough].

As an artist, I am part of a workforce that generates approximately $25 billion and 200,000 jobs for the state of New York each year. I contribute to our economy and quality of life.

I am writing today with a modest ask: Reduce the cut to the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Aid to Localities budget from 10% to 2%, and reinstate $2.8 million to NYSCA. Governor Cuomo’s proposed cuts will disproportionately affect NYSCA, slashing the agency’s already stretched grants budget of $35 million by 10%. NYSCA expends 88% of its entire budget in grants to arts organizations and has already lost 30% of that allocation over the past four years. Another 10% reduction will shake the infrastructure of the arts community.

Artists are real people. We make wise use of limited resources, and we give back to our communities exponentially—in dollars and in inspiration. Please protect New York’s investment in the arts and preserve our ability to do our good work in the future.

Your sincere constituent,

[Name, Address]

Published On :2/7/2011 1:44:41 PM

Arts Day

I hate to admit it but I am often a cynic about advocacy. I just don't fully believe that the big boys who run the machine (and it still feels like an old boys machine) are really listening to us small peeps. But still I send my e-petitions and I go to public hearings and I speak up.

And this year The Field is sending 3 artists and one staff member up to Albany to talk the talk and walk the walk!! Connie Hall, Whitney V. Hunter, Will Rawls and our own Audra Lang will be at 33rd and 8th Avenue at the vigorous hour of 7am to ride a sleek bus up to Albany to meet with the fancy folks who make the decisions (is my cynicism sneaking out?). Add your e-voice to their voices and
SEND YOUR OWN E-PETITIONS HERE.

It's true: the whole arts sector (and that's YOU!) is at risk this year. If you haven't heard, New York State is slashing the budget in every possible nook and cranny. It will hurt. Speak up now and maybe maybe it will hurt a bit less.

Published On :2/9/2011 12:06:07 PM

OurGoods: Past, Present, and Future

Recently, I asked a mentor of mine if he'd be a reference for me on an application. He said, "Sure, but why don't I get regular reports about OurGoods? How IS OurGoods doing?"

So, this post is a report in 7 parts.
(I should do this more often)

In 2008, I applied to get funding from The Field's ERPA initiative for the idea that became OurGoods. As The Field explains, "ERPA (pronounced ur·pah) grows from the premise that the traditional non-profit model of fundraising does not support the majority of performing artists in New York City. ERPA aims to thus revitalize performing artists’ and arts organizations’ economic lives for long-term impact." In 2008, The Field took a risk and gave me $5,000. By the end of 2009, OurGoods.org had 5 co-founders (Jen Abrams, Louise Ma, Carl Tashian, Rich Watts, and myself) and an alpha site built. Jen Abrams and I applied for the next round of ERPA funding on behalf of OurGoods.org, and we recieved $10,000 for ERPA in 2010. We just applied for ERPA funding in 2011, and we are absolutely thrilled to hear that The Field is giving us $20,000! That's $35,000 in three years for five people, or just over $2,300 for each of us per year.

#2) We just received a $20,000 grant for ERPA Phase 4!

Thankfully, The Field understands that Economic Revitalization can mean an increased exchange of goods and services via barter, not just cash. OurGoods connects creative people who want to trade skills, spaces, or objects. And yes, even barter websites need legal tender to pay for web hosting, materials, and some labor. We encourage a hybrid economy, moving between non-monetary exchange and the cash economy. OurGoods gives creative people more opportunities for non-monetary exchange, and funding OurGoods with a little cash creates a lot of valuable non-cash exchanges for a lot of people.

#3) Online participation always increases with off-line events (in real space).

We have 1182 people using OurGoods and it's been open to the public for 3 months, so I'm glad that many creative people are interested in barter. But we have far fewer completed barters than we'd like. To really engage people in OurGoods, we need more live events. We had a handful of "live barter workshops" in November and talked openly about the awkwardness of action-oriented conversations about value, so that helped bring thoughtful users to the site. We also spent time helping people identify valuable skills (most people say they don't have anything to offer), and that helped people use the site more fully as well. Tomorrow, Trade School will open again, so increased face to face time with a barter-interested community should help build trust and energy around OurGoods as well.

#4) A major site upgrade is coming soon.

We are overdue for another interface design upgrade. Co-founders Carl Tashian, Rich Watts, and Louise Ma will be integrating the "dashboard" (what you see when you first go to OurGoods) in March so that a first time visitor to OurGoods.org can browse the site more deeply without having to make a profile. Co-founder Jen Abrams and I will be calling individual users to ask them what works and what doesn't. Here's a chart we use to gauge how we're doing.

#5) We started working with other organizations as partners for our events.

Lots of groups have sent one or two emails about us (especially in the theater/dance community) for the live barter events, and some of them list us as an opportunity of their website (Queens Museum, Exit Art, BAX). I feel supported by generous people at many organizations, who all care deeply about cooperation and reciprocity. I'm still not sure we're asking them to do enough, or engaging them properly though.

#6) I continue to read about barter, money, alternative economies, and corporations.

I've been reading a lot of economic anthropology texts and connecting to grassroots economic organizers. Do you know SolidarityNYC? Through a meandering research path, I met people who connect land trusts, co-ops, alternative currencies, and others under one framework: the solidarity economy. On another note, I hope to teach a class about the morality of barter and its relationship to identity, trust, and mutual aid. I'm writing about barter as a space between gift and market economies, and hopefully I will be confident to post about that sometime soon!

#7) Meet me in person at Trade School!

It's so nice to open Trade School again, especially now that OurGoods.org is open to the public (last year it was in a closed alpha phase during Trade School). It seems like teachers and students are just as enthusiastic about trading knowledge for goods this year as we are. Plus, we'll be featured in the Wall Street Journal tomorrow, for our opening day! I love imagining barter on Wall Street.

Published On :1/21/2011 10:38:23 AM

More nuggets-o-wisdom from the wise Morgan von Prelle Pecelli!

In the final class of Project, Proposals and Pitches, Morgan asked students to bring in a 2-page proposal containing a project description, artist statement, artist or company bio and an image representative of their work. Once in-class, students were asked the following questions to measure the efficacy of their proposals and find new ways to better communicate their work.


First Impressions:
Clarity: did you understand what you read?
Impact: did the text express an urgency and clear outcome?

Second Read through:
List the questions you had for the writer. Whatever questions came to mind as you read the 2-pages no matter how minute or conceptual. (not suggestions, questions).

Indepth interrogation:
1. When reading their bio paragraph did you get a sense of their
- history
- values
- vision for the future

2. When reading their project description did you understand
- what the project was?
- how the audience would experience it?
- who was working on it?
- what support it already had?
Did you "see" the project in your mind?

3. When you read the artist statement paragraph did you understand why the artist needed to do this project
- for themselves? (personally and professionally)
- for their audiences?

4. When looking at the image did it
- inspire interest?
- reflect the text/ideas described?
- reflect the artist's voice?
- make you want to see more?
What did it tell you?

5. When reading the entire 2 pages
- did you understand WHO the reader should/could be?
- what if anything was really not clear?
- was the layout (font and format) easy to read? did it also reflect the artist?

For more tools and tips from this Morgan, visit www.idratherwatchthefatkiddance.blogspot.com/

Published On :1/5/2011 8:14:47 AM

Under the American Presenters' Radar of Realness

Are you showing work at APAP, UTR, Coil or American Realness or __________ this year?

Do you plan on getting gigs at the Walker or Jacob's Pillow or the Red Cat or __________?

Or do you hope to chat it up with Mark or Mark, Vallejo, Ben, Philip, Ella or _________?

How are you going to make it happen for your 2011?

I usually find this time of year so distressing. Too many quickie excerpted shows with terrible lighting and no sets. Too many desperate artists hawking their undervalued wares. too too too much.

When I read the Belarus news today though I was reminded of how luckyluckylucky we are to do all the things we do.

Congratulations to all the artists and arts-lovers who worked hard to free the Belarus Free Theater. Now go see their show at LaMaMa.

Published On :12/10/2010 8:31:20 AM

Crowdfunding and Fiscal Sponsorship? Oil and Water or Eggs and Toast?

How many Kickstarter campaigns have you seen lately? Yikes. Everyone and the sister is doing one.

Published On :11/30/2010 7:43:33 AM

kahlil almustafa: Funders Need Romance Too

It was more than a year ago that the astounding Fran Kirmser gave me this bit of Fundraising 101 advice: “Your application should not be the first time a funder hears from you.” Duh! Of course, that sounds right. Imagine inviting someone to a cozy movie on the couch without a first date. Imagine inviting someone to lovely candlelit dinner without a history of awkward laughter and accidental hand touching. Not a good idea. The same goes for funders. Before you wham-bam-thank-you-Ma'am ask for money, it is a good idea to try to get to know your potential John first. Here is a simple breakdown of Pre-Proposal Contacts with funders.

First Step, initial contact with the Program Officer. Each grant has a contact person. This communication has two objectives: 1) obtain the application forms and guidelines to follow should you decided to submit a proposal, and 2) it is the first step in building a relationship. You want to find out a couple things from the Program Officer: the names of past grant winners, and the names of past grant panelists. This is not the time to overwhelm the Program Officer with excessive questioning or your life story. That is no way to get a first date.

Step Two, contact a past grant winner. Most people are hesitant to take this step, especially us New Yorkers who compete with each other for everything from seats on the train to corporate and government funding. Truth is though, most artists feel a shared camaraderie and would be glad to help you storm the funders gates for the hidden treasure. This is not a time to receive feedback on your proposal. Your main objective here is to get information that would be helpful towards developing your grant application. Some questions to ask: “Who was most helpful on the staff in developing your proposal?” “How close was your initial budget to what you were awarded?” “What would you say was the most important to pay attention to in the grant guidelines?”
(The pros might suggest you contact past panelists next. I’m not up to that stage yet.)

Step Three, back to the Program Officer. Early in your communication with the Program Officer, you should find out their preferred method of communication: email or phone. Thank the Program Officer for their prior assistance, let them know briefly who you are and let them know you have some additional questions. Some important questions to ask during this follow-up phone call are: “Would you review a pre-proposal and give feedback?” “Who reviews the final proposal?” “What is your process for reviewing applications?” “What are some of the most common mistakes people in the applications you receive?”

Contrary to this blog entry’s title, these pre-application communications are less about romancing the funder as much as it is about acknowledging the steps it takes to build an intimate relationship. And receiving money from a funder is definitely a partnership. At best, it is a long-lasting, googly-eyed love affair. At worst, it is you turned down yet again because you have not taken the necessary steps true love demands.

Published On :11/23/2010 12:22:24 PM

kahlil almustafa: The Art of Business

Once I began to approach business in the same way I approach my art, everything became, well, poetic. For several years I studied the business of art: money management, time management, grant writing, networking, and marketing. Though my skills improved in all of these areas, it all clicked when I began to study, The Art of Business. Here are some insights I found applying my art as a performance poet to handling what my momma would call, “my bizness.”

First, I asked myself a question: “What do I need to do to conduct successful business?” The answer: communication, communication, communication. I began using my approach to poetry to my emails. My poems are often meant to honor people and share my visions, so I started to include a sentence acknowledging people’s hard work, insights, or commitment, and a sentence articulating my vision in emails with partners and collaborators. I also started a tradition, “Thank You Fridays,” to put in random calls thanking one or two people a week, just because. This poetic approach transformed my relationship with key partners. They instantly had more leniency for my sometimes inconsistent communication, and more importantly, were increasingly staked in my artistic vision. Score 1 for Poetry!!

Second, I thought about applying similar rituals to my business as I do to my art. For years, I’ve used a special Black & White composition notebook to scribble down words that eventually evolved into poems. Now, I have a dedicated notebook to write down my business ideas, and a green pen to write with. Two of my favorite poets, Langston Hughes and Pablo Neruda wrote with green pens, so it is an homage to them as well. My other ritual was to light a candle when I started handling business in my office. The lighting of the candle helped transition me to my work day. The blowing out of the candle helped me close out my work day.

These are two simple ways I’ve incorporated my approach to poetry to business. More important than these two examples is the overall transformation to my relationship to conducting business. No longer am I a novice in an unfamiliar world. I am an experienced poet exploring my artistic practice in real time with people.