preparing/funding

In order to carry out this project, there are several things i need to think about before heading to Scoraig. Most importantly, I need to think about how to financially back myself for the several weeks that I will be working on the project. To travel to and from scoraig, Im looking at just under 100 pounds a trip. Working weekends in a pub doesn't quite cut the mustard for this one, so i have to think about other ways to financially support this final project.

Funding is one of the avenues I have gone down to try and raise money for the project. Several funding projects online ask for a fee of money just to enter your images for a chance to win some funding. I however have tried to source funding opportunities that don't ask you to put your hand in your pocket to ask for money. I don't quite understand that concept.

I came across the Scottish Arts council when I was looking at different places to possibly exhibit the work once I had completed the project and found they did funding of up to £15k dependant on project type. I initially submitted a proposal for a small amount of funding for just £500 pounds but I was very quickly answered with the problem that the lowest they could fund to a project was £1000! Well i guess the only thing to do was a resubmission of a £1000 application for funding. The issue with this, is that the funding application process for the Scottish arts council takes up to 8 weeks. My thoughts were, if i continued to try and make the project happen on my basic earnings and won the funding, I could put that towards exhibitions and book making after the project was over. I'm not thinking about this project as a university submission, I'm thinking of it as a professional work. So planning for after university is vital to push the project forward.

I next applied for the Quay Arts funding programme which is a smaller funding programme in my home the Isle of Wight, I was excited to receive a great reception from my project idea, the organisers asked me to show them the final project once it had been completed, however, I had sent my application apparently a day after the deadline, and to consider mine would be unfair to other applicants!

I am waiting on the reply from the Scottish arts council funding programme to see if i have been successful but if not, I will have to continue working hard in my pub job to save up the funds for Scoraig trips one at a time.