Spare Bob is a micro-grant which you can use to fund training or support that will help you develop or progress your creative ambitions. Your application must describe how the fund will help you develop your skills or ideas related to a specific area of development in your artistic career.
Things like:
1. Advice, guidance or learning from others: hiring an expert for some short-term or one-off consultation or advice on areas such as engaging audiences, dramaturgy, fundraising, organisational development (such as getting support on business plans), touring, music marketing and arts-related PR, or technical skills.
Remember: we also have a mentoring scheme if you’re looking for longer-term support or advice from someone.
You could apply to spend time with a producer or songwriter to develop your sound as a musician, to test your creative ideas in a particular area or to cover your time and costs for shadowing or visiting another artist or creative.
Remember: Spare Bob is about your development, not making a ‘product’. It’s also not a fund to pay someone to do a job ‘for’ you, it aims to help you develop your skills, learning or ideas in a specific area of development for your career.
2. Training and events: fees for a short course, a specific series of lessons, a development session, attending a masterclass, exhibition, event or conference.
Remember: we can’t fund University courses or other longer-term education through Spare Bob.
3. Going places: ticket and travel costs for attending networking events, industry showcases, performances or exhibitions, inspiration trips, pitching events or meetings with potential partners, venues and galleries.
Remember: be specific about how development will occur when you go places and what you hope to get out of it.
4. Personal development: your time and costs to deliver your Spare Bob activity and develop a particular skill.
Remember: be specific about what you will do with the time and what you hope to get out of it - we appreciate everyone needs paid time to develop.
5. Equipment: buying or hiring equipment related to the art form/skill you want to develop.
Remember: be specific about how the equipment will make a difference to your development and your practice.