Our weekly opportunities round up is here again. We have slightly altered the layout, to hopefully make it a bit easier to find things that may suit you. We are also excited to be collaborating with the Everyman and Playhouse theatres to bring you the weekly notices.
Going forward we will be keeping in information regarding the foodbanks, so if you have any knowledge of places you think would be good to share, please do let us know.
As always we hope you find something useful.
WELL BEING
The Theatre Helpline is a free (from mobiles and landlines), independent
and confidential phone and email service that provides support to people working in the theatre industry. It’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round
The number to call is: 0800 915 4617
Or visit https://theatrehelpline.org/ for
more information
Leading a movement against suicide. Open to all, they also have campaigns for males facing mental health struggles. Call: 0800 58 58 58. The helpline and webchat is open to all and can be accessed 5pm – Midnight every day, 365 days a year. Or visit their website here.
The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine has a range of services to help support the medical needs of those in the performing arts. From free clinics, information resources and a practitioner directory, they are a good resource if you may be struggling with any health situations.
To find out more about what they do, follow the link here.
The Film and TV Charity have a 24 hour helpline and chat service available to anyone who is struggling at this time. Their trained team can provide help and advice about legal queries, mental health and financial advice.
To find out more follow the link here.
The Actors’ Children’s Trust is a charity set to help those who are both actors and parents. Supplying grants to cover such expenses as childcare, support within education and to allow parents to visit their children more frequently when working long distant jobs or tours. They also offer advice and support and can signpost to other funding. To find out more about this charity and how it may be able to help you, you can follow the link here.
Young Minds offer a free messaging service for young people. They also have a parents helpline available.
To find our more about the service and other resources, you can follow the link here.
Food Banks and Places to Donate
The Liverpool Independent Delivery Service (LIDS) have a place you can directly give monetary donation to help with their programmes in collaboration with Red Neighbours.
Find out more here.
Micah Liverpool have a food bank and a volunteer programme where you can donate your time to help. For more info on both click here
The Florrie are currently in the process of reopening their food union. You can contact them for more info on this here.
North Liverpool Foodbank has an option to access it's service and to help with it's services. To do so click here.
The Knowsley Foodbank are always accepting food donations, and have a list of useful items. They also have information on how to access the services and vouchers. For info click here.
FUNDING
No Deadline to apply
Theatre
Acting For Others is a consortium of 14 member charities set up to help provide financial and emotional support to professionals within the theatre.
Get into Theatre is a one stop shop of ways into a career in theatre. They have sections on training, experience and funding.
With information on courses and funding, this website is a useful resource whether you are a newbie to it all, or an experienced professional looking for further development.
Backstage Front of House
If you work backstage or front of house
and are struggling right now then The Theatrical Guild might be a good place to look, they have set up a great resource for theatre workers at any stage of their career. It includes help with finances, funding, counselling and training. You can apply for help here, and if you aren't eligible, they will pass you onto an organisation that can help.
Playwrights and Writers
The Peggy Ramsay foundation is a charity set up to help give theatre writers the space and time to write. If you have had a play professionally produced, you can qualify for support.
To find out more details on eligibility and how to apply click here.
The Society of Authors has set up the Authors' Emergency fund.
Open to all professional authors who are resident in the UK, including writers, illustrators, literary translators, scriptwriters, poets, journalists and others. Note: those who have had ACE emergency response fund are ineligible for this grant. Find out how to apply here.
Education
Education Support as a charity who help provide effective and relevant support to all of those working in the education sector today.
They currently have grants to help those who are either working or retired from the education sector. There are a few criteria involved in applying, so we recommend reading the outline of it all here.
Various
The Responsa Foundation curates contemporary art projects exploring our intolerance to others. They support projects by either inviting artists to partake in projects, or funding proposals submitted by artists.
The Foundation's objective is, 'promote the belief that the history of intolerance repeats itself. By producing art that people engage with, we can find ways of exploring this difficult subject matter together and get it out there.'
If you are an artist who feels passionately about this, or is interested in creating work exploring these themes, you can find out more information about the foundation and their application guidelines here.
Black Artists
Creative Debuts have established the Black Artists Grant, which is on a rolling system so there is no deadline. Once a month £1500 will be given to black artists in the UK with each artist receiving £500. If you want to put yourself forward for a grant, you can find out more about how to do that here.
Music Industry
Music Support is a charity who offer support and resources for those within any area of the UK music industry suffering from mental, emotional and behavioural health disorders. Find out more.
The Association of Independent Music has opened a crisis fund for music contractors and freelance workers in the independent music industry, whose source of income has been severed without warning due to lost work in April and May as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It's an ongoing fund and you can join here to apply.
D/deaf and disabled Artists
Graeae are offering free support to Deaf and disabled freelancers thanks to support from Arts Council England and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Support includes: access support for zoom meetings, purchase or loan of technology, help getting projects off the ground, and help with personal finance applications. More info here.
Deadlines to Apply
Applications are open for the Jerwood Creative Bursaries, which is designed to support 50 salaried positions at various arts and cultural organisations. Many have been announced and are now open with some North West opportunities still to be opened. For more information and to see which are currently available follow the link here.
The Fabulous folks at Paperwork Theatre have got some new opportunities available.
Play-Dates. These are a mix of practical workshops and also a chance for a Christmas social gathering. For more details on dates and what workshops are available to attend click here.
Script Surgery. A chance to get some dramaturgical advice of a work in progress. Successful applicants will be able to have a one to one meeting to get advice on their work. To upload your work and apply follow the link here.
Tea Cup Commissions. The pot has reached £100 so applications are once again open for theatre makers to apply. Upload a 1 min pitch about your idea by 5pm Thursday 19th November. For more info and to be able to apply, follow the link here.
Comics Youth are hosting Free spoken word poetry workshops over Discord every Friday 5-6pm for those aged 16-25.
If you are interested in attending then give them an email at hi@comicsyouth.co.uk for more information.
45North are offering free gifts of £120 for freelancers who will be struggling through lockdown. The next round of gifts will be on the 17th November 2020.
Follow them on twitter to be able to see it when it happens here.
If you're a playwright you'll be pleased to know there is a new prize from the wonderful people at Hope Mill Theatre called Through the Mill. The winner receives £5000, and their play will be produced by the theatre. The finalists will receive on to one mentoring with Jonathon Harvey. Find out more about how to apply here.
Deadline for submissions: 27th November 2020
Live
The Live Work Fund is a collaboration of various charities and organisations and has been set up to support at least 33 individuals over a 12 month period.
Awards up to £20,000 to support creatives in order that they can adapt their approach to making and sharing live work. It is for artists, creatives and producers with no more than ten years’ experience, based anywhere in the UK, whose practice pre-Covid-19 focused and relied on live performance.
It is free to apply, and you can find out more information about the award, including an eligibility quiz, by following the link here.
Deadline to apply: 5pm, Monday 16 November 2020.
Various
The lovely folks at Open Culture have put an open call out for LightNight2021. The theme is Play and they have artists commissions and In-Kind Programming available to apply for.
For more details, follow the link here.
Artist commission deadline: 6th December 2020
In-Kind Programming and Late Openings deadline: 17 December 2020
ORA Singers is launching an Emergency Composers’ Fund.
It is essentially a commission for £1.500 for 8 composers living in the UK to write a new choral
There is no age restriction and other than being a UK resident, there are no other entry criteria.
All eight commissions will be announced on a rolling basis throughout the next 3 months. Composers are encouraged to register as early as possible to be considered.
For more information and how to apply follow the link here.
RESOURCES/TRAINING
With Deadlines
The Octagon Bolton currently have an online writing workshop for only £7 with playwright Sarah McDonald-Hughes. Happening on the 25th November.
Blackburne House are a Liverpool based charity designed to support the development and upskill of women.
They have a range of courses available, and some are funded such as the wellness ones in the picture.
You can check out other course information here.
The Studio Widnes have a range of sessions online during the 2nd Lockdown. If you want to take part you can do so by contacting them on the email or texting the phone number in the flyer.
Continuous
Have an outdoor show ready to book? Outdoor Arts UK have created an online directory for shows that are able to be performed in the current climate accounting for social distancing and safety measures for both artists and audiences. It’s a straightforward form to fill in, which you can do here.
Open Hire is a new initiative set up by Josh Roche and Derek Bond. It is about opening up the approach of hiring freelancers, and making it a more fair and transparent process.
It is asking theatres to sign up to the Open Hire guidelines, and make this a new way of working.
You can find out about the scheme here.
You can sign up to find out about jobs here.
The guys at Equity have put together a financial guide for all things Covid related. It includes things such as how the government financial schemes work, but how to apply for benefits and how to get help.
It may be of use, and you can read it here.
Screen Skills have a range of opportunities and resources available to those interested in the Film and TV industry.
Ranging from free zoom events, study modules and training courses, there is plenty to have a look at. you can do so here
One of the things to happen during the lockdown was the creation of the Freelancer Taskforce. It involved many people doing sterling work to champion the plight of freelancers. (We had some great representatives in Liverpool supported by the Everyman and Playhouse.)
Co-founders of the blog The Uncultured, Ashleigh Bowmott and Laura Sweeney were members of the taskforce and have created a document, which is a really interesting read. It reflects upon how organisations can help with supporting freelancers and gives great food for thought.
The blog itself is also worth checking out as they offer support for bid writing and one to one consultations.
Manchester based artist?
Seen a show at The Royal Exchange?
If so then joining the Open Exchange may be a help. An online community designed to connect other local artists and offer resources and training opportunities, you can check it out here in more detail, to see how it could help you.
Collective Creative Initiative is a project created by the people behind Pearson Casting.
A fantastic project, it is in essence, a bucket load of FREE resources for everyone consisting of 30 hours of online classes and workshops. All webinars are free and fully funded until December 1st 2020.
To check it out and see what webinars, online classes and Q&A's are happening and how to access them, follow the link here.
If you work within the arts sector, or certainly have a professional interest, you may find Arts Professionals a good place to find content.
It has sections on Jobs, News and Professional Development.
Out on the page is a place of support and connection for LGBTQ+ writers.
It offers many resources including Writing Retreats, Networking, Information sharing, Q&As with established LGBTQ+ writers and Online Events.
You can find more information about them, and a list of what events are happening here.
The Bruntwood Prize have published a fantastic toolkit for anyone who wants to make a start or develop their practice with writing a play. Check it out.
That's us for this week!
MFTA x
Heard about a great opportunity, or have an opportunity to offer?
You can let us know by sending us a email - info@marchforthearts.com
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