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SC Arts Commission Grants Programs

 

What is the Artists' Ventures Initiative?

 

Purpose

To encourage and enable the creation of new artist-driven, arts-based business ventures that will provide career satisfaction and sustainability for South Carolina artists.

 

South Carolina artists (individuals and collaboratives) may apply for up to $5,000 in order to launch a new venture or significantly alter an existing venture.

 

Because this is a highly competitive process, artists considering this grant application should contact Katie Fox (803-734-8767), Artists' Ventures program coordinator.

 

Grant Eligibility Requirements

Open to artists (individuals and collaboratives) with a strong plan to launch a new arts-based business venture that will operate in an ongoing manner, to execute a temporary venture that will lead to increased audience and income, or significantly alter an existing venture. Funding will be awarded to the artist identified as the primary applicant, not to the business entity. This grant award will constitute taxable income for the artist and should be reported to the federal and state governments.

 

Applicant must be:

• A professional-caliber working artist or group of artists working in collaboration
• A legal resident of the U.S. and S.C. with a permanent residence in the state for at least one year prior to the application and throughout the grant period.

 

Additional Requirements of this Grant

Applicants whose proposals are funded in this initiative will commit to becoming part of a virtual business incubator, which will require the following:

1. Attendance at no fewer than two incubator meetings designed to further the professional development of participating artist entrepreneurs. These meetings will take place during the Fall and Winter of 2011.
2. Submission of quarterly progress reports (narrative and financial statements) over the course of the first 18 months of the grant.
3. Funded projects may also be selected to be showcased at upcoming arts conferences.

 

Match

1:2 (applicant:S.C. Arts Commission). 100% of the applicant's match must be cash. No in-kind or creative time is allowed as part of applicant's match.

 

Deadline to Apply

Applications must be postmarked or delivered in person to the S.C. Arts Commission by October 15, 2010.

 

Application Materials

1. Grant Application for Individuals form (PDF)
   (How To Use PDFs)
   
   
2. A plan for the venture that includes a summary, the venture's mission, operational strategy, product information and marketing plan. Your plan should be in 12 point type, single spaced, with 1 inch margins. Use this structure:
   
   
   1. Mission Statement
      What are you doing and why are you doing it? How will this venture help you build a satisfying and sustainable artistic career?
      
      
   2. Organizational Strategy
      
      
   1. Legal status of the venture
      Is this venture a permanent operation or a one-time event? Have you registered with the S.C. Secretary of State? Is this venture a sole proprietorship, a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), a partnership, a non-profit corporation?
      
      
   2. Management Team
      Who is managing the artistic product and operational processes required by this venture? As an attachment, please provide resumes for each. Does your venture have a board of directors or advisors? Please provide a brief biographical sketch of each in this space.
      
      
   3. Employees
      How were participating artists and support personnel selected? How will participating artists and support personnel be compensated?
      
      
   3. Product or Performance
      
      
   1. Description of Artistic Product or Performance
      Please provide a one-paragraph description of the venture’s primary artistic work. What stage of development is the venture currently in? What is the timetable for the venture during the grant period (January 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012)? Are there liability concerns to address? Have necessary permits and insurance coverage been obtained? Are trademarks, copyrights, or patents required?
      
      
   2. Facility needs
      Please describe the location(s) for your venture and explain the appropriateness of the space and location.
      
      
   4. Marketing Plan
      
      
   1. Market Research
      Describe your target market and outline the research you have done to determine this market. How large is this market?
      
      
   2. What is the competition for this market?
      
      
   3. What is your strategy for reaching this market and getting them to buy your product? How will you differentiate yourself from your competition? What distribution channels will you use? How will you price your product?


3. Financial information
   
   
   • If you are proposing an ongoing business, you must complete projections for the 18 months beginning January 1, 2011, and ending June 30, 2012. Please use the AVI Financial Projections Template.

   To use this template:

   1. Follow the link to open the Excel document.
   2. Go to the "File" menu in Excel and choose "Save as." Save the file to a convenient location on your computer or network.
   3. The document contains examples of the types of information you will provide. Enter your data in place of this sample data.
   4. Save your completed document.
   5. Print ALL PAGES of your completed AVI Financial Projections Template, to submit as part of your application packet.
   
   
   • If you are proposing a project or one-time event, you must complete a project budget, on page 2 of the Please use the Grant Application for Individuals form (PDF). (How To Use PDFs)
     
     
4. An appropriate work sample. Requirements by discipline:
   
   
• For visual arts based businesses – 10 high-resolution images submitted on CD.
• For music based businesses – a 5 minute, high quality recording of principal performers, submitted on CD. Please do not submit a video recording.
• For theatre and dance based businesses – a 5 minute, high quality video recording, preferably submitted on DVD. Please be sure the DVD will play in a standard DVD player as well as in a computer's DVD drive.
• All others, please contact Katie Fox (803-734-8767) for guidance concerning work samples.
  
  
5. Professional resumes for those managing the artistic product and support processes central to the venture.
   
   
6. Please note that applicants may be required to attend the grant panel and respond to panelists' inquiries. The panel will be held Nov. 30, 2010 at the S.C. Arts Commission in Columbia.

 

Note: Do not use 3-ring binders, folders, staples, or bind the application materials other than with binder clips or paper clips.

 

Please mail or deliver your application packet by October 15, 2010 to:

S.C. Artists' Ventures Initiative

South Carolina Arts Commission

1800 Gervais Street

Columbia, S.C. 29201

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