Finding your way through
Skegness Weekender artists drawing a map in the sand of their utopian community, April 2019. © UK Young Artists
This is without doubt a difficult time for artists and the creative industries, with many of the ‘normal’ channels, opportunities and work put on hold. To help guide you through we have compiled a list of resources and signposts for artists, covering financial support; health and wellbeing; a selection of online exhibitions, shows and festivals to keep you inspired; some creative and educational resources; and a selection of commissions/residencies that offer a fee to artists. We’ve also included a great list of guidance compiled by CVAN East Midlands - special thanks to them for their hard work putting this together. Thanks also to Garth Gratrix and UKYA alumni for their contributions!
We’ll try to update this list as we discover more useful information and support for artists, but If you have any suggestions or resources that you have found helpful please get in touch as we can share this with other artists across the UK.
Financial Support
The government is setting up a scheme for self-employed people to be eligible for payments of 80% of their average monthly earnings after business expenses over the last three years (up to £2,500 per month). Additionally, self-employed people are eligible for the interest-free business interruption loans, and some welfare benefits and payments. Keep checking this page for updates.
Arts Council England has launched two new emergency funds: £20m for individuals and £50m for organisations not in the National Portfolio. Artists can apply for grants of up £2,500.
Arts Council of Wales has announced a similar scheme with a £7m resilience fund for individuals and organisations. Individuals can apply for grants up to £2,500.
Creative Scotland has announced £11m of emergency funding to support those most in need at this time. Individuals can apply for grants up to £2,500.
Soundcloud is investing $15m to support its creators during the crisis, including a $10m artist accelerator program.
Spotify have announced a $10m fund to support musicians, and is working to to launch a new feature that will enable artists to fundraise directly from fans.
PRS For Music has announced an Emergency Relief Fund, offering grants of up to £1,000 for members.
a-n have brought forward their artist bursaries, and announced support for artists and organisations who make exhibitions happen.
Dance4 have put together an emergency fund for freelance dance artists and producers in the East Midlands, with 32 grants of £250 available.
The campaign, #artistsupportpledge started by Matthew Burrows is a fast growing online marketplace to help artists. You list works for sale up to £200, and when you have reached £1000 in sales, you commit to buying a work at £200 from another artist. Search for the hashtag on social media.
Grundy Art Gallery REMOTE/WORK application £1500 per artist x 5 artists. North West artists. Live until 5th May.
Health and Wellbeing
Sanvello’s toolkit of strategies and resources to manage stress, anxiety and depression are being offered for free during the coronavirus outbreak. The health and wellbeing app – which offers a number of key resources based on how you’re feeling and what help you need – has unlocked it’s premium membership access for all new and existing users.
Meditation apps, Balance, Calm and Headspace offering free meditations, resources and memberships.
Free app ‘Hear Me’ allows users to connect with a trained, empathetic HearMe listener in real-time to allow you to open up about something that’s on your mind. The service is completely anonymous and secure, so you don’t need to worry about your personal information going anywhere – just get whatever is on your mind off your chest by sitting down for a quick chat with a trained listener.
Sport England have pulled together a selection of online exercise platforms with on demand fitness content who either provide free access or have teamed up with them to offer extended trials.
This free Facebook group from mental health expert Rebecca Lockwood provides free, resource-based support for people who need help with their mental health during this tricky time.
With over 800,000 followers on instagram, @selfcareisforeveryone is the wellbeing-focused Instagram account we all need right now. Full of helpful self-care prompts, reassuring messages and relatable graphics.
UKYA is acutely aware that all of the above are experienced predominately through digital means, which is the case for our social and work-based interactions too. Some of the UKYA team’s favourite non-tech based activities include cooking, reading, pilates, sketching and dancing in the kitchen like no one’s watching!
Online festivals, exhibitions and shows
The Social Distancing Festival, a ‘site for celebrating art from all over the world, showcasing amazing talent, and coming together as a community at a time when we need it more than ever. ‘
Stay at Home Festival, ‘tune in here for an epic, open-source online music festival schedule, resources for artists to host their own shows’.
Art UK's has digitised more than 200,000 oil paintings and 16,000 sculptures, which allows you to curate your own online exhibition.
David Hockney has sprung some Spring pics on us ‘as a respite to the news’
Dezeen is putting together the world’s first online design festival, hitting our little screens from next week.
Rubaba Studios: Online Screening, Otolith Group, Hydra Decapita + John Akomfrah/Black Audio Film Collective, The Last Angel of HistoryThursday 23 April 2020, Online screening available for 24 hours.
AATAH (Art at the Assembly House) Instagram promoting live events one THU 23rd.
Baltic, online TRANSMISSION series weekly from 23 April
Well Now WTF. Curated online exhibition ft over 80 artists.
MattFlix at Matts Gallery, fortnightly series of online projects
ICA screenings and recommendations
Manchester International Festival have a resource online with various activities and info. Includes a Q-Club queer night link.
“Big Book Weekend” Free online Literature Festival 8-10 May via MyVLF website.
LUX- weekly online screenings
Spruth Magers Galleries growing their online resources and archives inc tours and chats
Hauser & Wirth Art for the better
Lisson Gallery online exhibitions
Experimental Artist Films
Creative and educational resources
Nikon is offering free online photography classes for April.
Art UK and The Guardian are doing a daily Great British art quiz.
Firstsite’s artist created activity packs, featuring contributions from UK artists including Antony Gormley, Gillian Wearing, Idris Khan, Jeremy Deller, Mark Wallinger.
Creative Entrepreneurs has launched ‘Zoom Dives’ with live Q&As with experts to help you get through the crisis.
Photography agency, Wyatt-Clarke & Jones is offering free portfolio reviews every day until the office reopens. The opportunity is open to all established photographers, as well as BA and MA students who are missing their graduation shows, and will take place over Skype calls.
The Design Trust has compiled their 31 recommended podcasts for creative businesses.
The Dots’ community forum enables you to ask questions to the creative community.
Isolation Art School on Instagram by Keith Tyson.
Bow Skills Online is a new series of free online training videos for the arts community.
a-n coronavirus survey to fill in and be part of the research into our futures.
Crafts Council Survey on the impact for makers.
Sonia Boyce published her freelancers guide to networking online.
Academia online: sign up for free for email alerts about subject matters and new writing about your interests as artists.
United in Isolation info hub for creatives
Artist Alec Finlay produced 'Covid 19 Creative Toolkit'
Podcasts:
Commissions And residencies
A selection of artist opportunities that are free to apply and offer financial renumeration.
Artquest WFH Residency offers £1000 to London-based visual artists. An artist will be selected each month.
The campaign, #artistsupportpledge started by Matthew Burrows is a fast growing online marketplace to help artists. You list works for sale up to £200, and when you have reached £1000 in sales, you commit to buying a work at £200 from another artist. Search for the hashtag on social media.
Absolutely Cultured has launched the ‘Creative Micro-Commissions Programme’ for artists in the North of England. Commissions of £350, for artists of any discipline. Deadline 24 April.
performingbordersLIVE20 and LADA have an Open Call for proposals for two digital conversations by curators, artists, researchers, activists, thinkers and/or other professionals working in Live Art. Artist fee £200, deadline Thursday 7 May.
Art Connect have an our open call on the theme of "Alone Together" until Friday 10 April. 3 artists will receive 250 EUR each.
Digital Artist Residency now accepting applications for residencies
Off Site Project Residency: Privacy during a pandemic
Guidance
The list below has been compiled by CVAN East Midlands
a-n‘s information and guidance for artists and arts organisers.
Crafts Council has published guidance specific to makers and designers.
Guild – artist spaces sector support programme – compendium of guidance
Anti-viral work for freelancers and small businesses is a growing Facebook group and support system set up in response to the impact of COVID-19 on the self-employed – many from the creative industries.
COVID-19 Freelance Artist resources – an aggregated list of FREE resources, opportunities, and financial relief options available to artists of all disciplines.
The Arts Marketing Association (AMA) support, sector & freelancer tips and guides, and funding body advice. AMA has also set up a Facebook Group and has a free webinar on Crisis Comms planning coming up.
My Cake’s guide to surviving COVID-19 as a freelancer or self-employed
Queercare COVID-19 food networking
COVID-19 UK-wide List of Mutual Aid Groups
Creative Industries Federation is offering free membership for the next 6 months
Arts Marketing Association (AMA) have released a list of resources with links to AMA support, sector & freelancer tips and guides, and funding body advice. They have a free webinar on Crisis Comms planning coming up.
Coronovirus Tech Handbook – virtual event resources and advice.
Nottingham’s Creative Quarter’s guidance for creative business & D2N2’s The Big House’s business advice sessions online.