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pxs Loyal user London 284 Posts |
BBC online report that a lady in Norway is receiving a $7,500 grant from the Norwegian Government to be a "witch". Her business plan involves telling fortunes, offering potions and cures and performing magic tricks. A condition of the grant was that she must not use her spells to hurt anyone!
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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
The media loves reporting stories about what seems to be a waste of grant monies. That being said, I would not doubt that someone received grant money for a project involving being a 'witch,' but I would not make any judgments until I actually read the specifics of a particular grant appliction. The media will often skew the story towards the sensational.
A friend of mine (a juggler) received a Florida State Arts grant to cover his expenses for attending the SAM convention in Las Vegas last summer. I'm sure the media would have a field day with it, but it was for professional development. I received New York State Council on the Arts funding for four consecutive years when I started out in magic for various projects. It's amazing what is available. I wrote all about the process in a special report which is one of the bonuses that comes with the Success in Magic program. Getting grants can be an important strategy for magicians. Don't forget that Doug Henning got his start with a Canadian Arts Council grant. |
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MagicCoach New user 82 Posts |
To echo what Jim said (hi Jim), the media is drawn to Grant stories. It's a soft easy target.
In the late 70's I worked on a Government Funded project for a while. We toured prisons, day cares etc. I also hooked up at that time with someone who taught me fire eating. I helped them with their juggling. A newspaper reporter doing a story on me at the time just couldn't get away from the fact that I had learnt fire eating while on the work scheme. She was so excited that she had this great hook. |
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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
I often do work with agencies of the federal government after being booked through the Humor Project Speakers Bureau (www.humorproject.com). Two years ago I had one agency that absolutely refused to contract with the Humor Project. They did not want to risk the media picking up on the fact that they had spent several thousand dollars with a "humor consultant." In order to get the booking, we had to contract through another organization. We did, we got the booking, I got paid and the media never knew!
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NJJ Inner circle 6437 Posts |
I got $5000 to create a stiltwalking magician!
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Chrystal Inner circle Canada/France 1552 Posts |
I once applied and recieved a grant from the Canadian Federal Government to pursue my field. It was an impressive amount...12,000!! The only stipulation they had after I was approved and granted (pun intended) was allowing the advisors to check my books and attend business college for 6 months. They paid for the classes!!!So the final tally was 13,000 or 14,000 dollars- free money! No payback!!! It was a tough go trying to prove I could do it as hundreds of hopefuls applied and only 25 were finally selected.
The purpose was for new business owners to get a head start their first year in business as statistics showed the majority of people fail their first year. The money given was for living expenses while all the monies I made from my magic business were to go "back into the business". Convincing them that, yes, magic was really a business was the toughest as the majority of people vying for spots in the program were consultants of some sort. I also had to write a business plan (35 pages) before the final selection process. Yikes! This was before the selection and before the business classes. While I did all the research myself I did hire an accountant to assist me with a 5 year financial forcast. It was all the money I had left but I believed I could do this! I really wanted this opportunity so the hard work was worth it. I would encourage any of you to at least give it a go. There are grants available out there...you just need to do a bit of searching. Good Luck! >>psss I'm not a witch either although I may act like it without my morning coffee! |
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12345 Loyal user 222 Posts |
Being a magician if applying for a grant are you under theatre? Visual arts, etc.?? What category do you fall under?
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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
The "category" you would apply under depends upon what type of grant you are seeking. Grants can come from government cources, foundations and corporations. Each of these have their own requirements.
A magician applying for a government arts grant might apply in the theater category, however, that is often reserved for resident theater companies with not-for profit status. Another possibility might be to for touring arts funding. At one time I had even considered applying under the "folk arts" category. I felt it might be possible to make a strong case for magic as a folk art, something nobody had ever tried. Ultimately it depends upon the specific funding guidelines established by the funding organization. They tell you right up front who is eligible. If you fit their particular funding objectives, then go for it! |
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12345 Loyal user 222 Posts |
I am Canadian, so I will be applying for Canadian grants, also seeking corporate sponsers. Now what can I use the money for? what will "they" allow me to use the grant money for? Developing routine (buying props, etc.)? Travelling to gigs? Attending seminars?
I'm scared if they ask me what do you need $2,000 for and I say well I saw this trick "saturn levitation" its like $1,500. |
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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
You really need to do some research. I am not familar with grants in Canada. Crystal (see her post) could probably give you some better information, but I assume one source would be the Canadian Council on the Arts.
You ask the question, "Now, what can I use the money for?" That's an important question. The answer depends upon the particular objectives you are trying to accomplish. Some organizations specifically prohibit spending money on capital equipment expenditures, i.e. buying props, others have no such restrictions. It really depends upon who is granting funds and why? You should not be afraid to state clearrly and honestly what you intend on using the funds for. In fact, you will be required to final reports that document precisely that. Grant writing is an involved process. You need to start learning the basics. Tow good places to start are: http://www.fdncenter.org and http://www.libraryspot.com/features/grantsfeature.htm Good luck. |
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12345 Loyal user 222 Posts |
Thanks Jim I have subscribed to both yours and magic coach newsletter and expect to make purchases in the near future.
Thanks for the advice! |
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Chrystal Inner circle Canada/France 1552 Posts |
Hi,
I wish I had kept all my notes (I've passed along the info a couple years ago to someone that was interested in pursuing it). So here goes: what I remember from the grant I had. I received it in 1998 but as far as I know it is still available although they now have cut the amount to living expenses for 6 months only. I'm not sure if they would allow the purchase of expensive equipment with the grant money such as you mentioned as the money given was supposed to be for living expenses. The money you made from your business was then supposed to go back into your business to purchase things as props, promo material and anything else needed to run a business.So in theory you could only purchase that expensive equipment if your financial resources from your business allowed for this purchase. That was the requirements of this particular grant as Jim said you would have to look into what they require as each is different. If I remember they classified my business under "Service Industry" although in their newer listings I am now under "Entertainment". Most grants that I am aware of are approved if they see some kind of community benefit from it. I listed that I would visit schools,hospitals and seniors homes during the day time hours. In the evening I would be able to hire teens to assist me with larger shows. Myself and another person started an club for Entertainers in our area which allowed for networking and support amongst our peers. I joined the IBM and SAM. (They seem to like if the business owner associated with other professionals in the same field.) The best advice I can give (not that it's the best...but what worked for me) is be resourceful and community minded. I combined a number of various talents I had under one company. For a few years I was under contract with the Humane Education Society visiting schools and community centers with an assortment of pets. They allowed me have this under the "umbrella" of my own business although it was not magic related but when doing so I could promote my otherentertainment services. I also listed I built special effects props for businesses and schools..for various holidays. I didn't have to continue doing this after my first year as my magic business took off but it proved to the grant people that I had other things to back me up should the magic business be slow at times the first year. Apologies for the long post everyone I'm just trying to remember things off the top of my head... Whatever you do believe in yourself!! (I was originally turned down several times and kept going back.) I am a believer in what goes around comes around. For a few years prior to this I did many shows for non profit agencies when I was a hobbyist. I asked them for help. In return I was armed with 17 letters of recomendations from various groups acknowledging that I had helped them and should be allowed to be a participant in the program. See!!! It helped me in the long run!!!! The powers at the grant office decided to take another look at me...helping all those other groups in the past was a good thing!! I hope I don't sound big headed in this post..just relaying my own personal experience with this particular grant. I have applied and recieved grants for other non profit agengies that I was involved with (they were different from the one I applied for). Although these grants were to benefit the community as a whole and not just for a sole person. For example...I applied for a literacy grant (10,000)from the government and (2,000) from Starbucks which helped set up free tutoring for disadvantaged kids. The other was a grant to build a playground in a park ( I think that was also 10,000). Both had very strict requirements as to how the monies could be spent and records of expenditures were checked. It's a bit easier for non profit organizations to apply for grants yet I would still encourage anyone that is interested to try. Yes it's a lot of red tape and paperwork but well worth it! Did you know that grants exist to visit hospitals and cheer people up...perfect for a magician! Please feel free to PM me if any of you have questions. Again, I'm not an expert at this stuff compared to others on this thread, just listing my own experiences. Chrystal |
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MagicCoach New user 82 Posts |
We also got a grant to buy a van that was pretty helpful back then.
$5,000 was quite a lot of $$$ in the late 70's! There is money out there if you are doing the stuff people see as important. Word of warning however. I've seen some very talented performers spend all their time, effort and energy chase funding or "free money" and burn out. There's a lot of forms and paperwork and applications and meetings and... Sometimes it's easier just to do a decent job and get paid some decent money. Timothy |
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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
Crystal gives some excellent advice, as does Timothy Hyde (hi Crystal & Tim ).
The funders will be looking for how much community support you have - letters of recommendation, cooperating agencies, etc are all very important. They will also be looking for a track record. They want to know that you can actually accomplish what you intend to do, and that it is not some pie in the sky idea. I have to agree with Timothy regarding burnout. After receiving grants for four years, I decided that the paperwork was too much of a hassle and that it was eaasier to sell my act and get paid. On the other hand, the community contacts I made working on various projects also proved valuable. You will have to decide if it is worth the trouble. My recommendation is to go after corporate sponsors. The process is similar to philanthropic funding, but with less paperwork. |
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12345 Loyal user 222 Posts |
Wow you guys really know your stuff. I will be going after a grant (with no expectations) and no time limits. If I get it great, if not no big deal.
But as Jim said, I do plan on going after corporate sponsors for sure. How do I appoarch them... Go ito their business and do something visual and quick? (like dancing?) hahah j/k |
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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
For a good article on applying for corporate sponsorship visit:
http://www.performers.net/library/me-sponsor.html The real key is to demonstrate that you reach your client's target audience. Corporations are interested in "stealth marketing" that can create "buzz." In other words, non-traditional channels that get people talking about their product or service. If you can accomplish that, they will be interested in your proposal. Most likely you will be presenting to the Marketing and/or Public Relations/Community Affairs departments. You should look at your "pitch" as a show and plan accordingly. You will need a written proposal (see the above article for an outline), and most likely will need to sell yourself in person also. That could involve both a live demonstration and video. It all depends on your approach. Good luck. |
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Chrystal Inner circle Canada/France 1552 Posts |
Hi Jim,
Thank you for your kind words. It's one of the reasons why I frequent the Café, so many people offering to share their expertise or experiences. Your contribution Jim and Magic Coach are invaluable and really set the spirit of the Café - Magicians helping Magicians. Thanks everyone whom posted here as it made for an enjoyable read and Good Luck to you 12345. |
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12345 Loyal user 222 Posts |
I feel soo articficial when you guys call me 12345.... just call me 1, wink wink!
Heres my idea, you know the healed and sealed trick I am going down with proposal and showing a selected few soft drink companies in my area and hopefully they will bit the bait and sponser my magic goals and ideas. Oh yeah I need to learn healed and sealed, can I download it from somewhere? I hate waiting for orders. |
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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
Dear 1,
I'm sure Healed and Sealed will get the attention of sof drink companies, but again, the question in their minds is how will you reach their target market. Soft drink companies are always trying to get a presence in school systems, so it would be natural to try to persuade one to sponsor a school show. That of course assumes you have an educational program target at schools and can work in the soft drink as a logical part of some other educational message. That's a little tricky. If you don't have much experience doing school programs, definitely check out http://www.magicsuccessseminars.com We will be doing one more in Florida next week and recording it also. You might want to consider either attending or purchasing the tapes when they are done. Another possibility is to get them to sponsor a show for fairs and festivals. And, of course, offer to work their booth at any food shows or other industry trade events as part of the sponsorship package! Good luck. |
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Cabrera Special user Seattle 513 Posts |
For myself, I would never bother getting money from the government, unless I intended to pay it back monetarily or with x number of free shows . It's really the people's money and there's people that need it much more than I do.
I just worked a couple of part time jobs for two years until my magic base became big enough for the plunge. That's just my philosophy, but I feel better about it.
"The quilt of life is woven with many different threads"
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