Intensive: Making Bank

Get your money’s worth in this comprehensive how-to, which will cover the basics of a sustainable and profitable creative practice. We’ll talk you through establishing yourself as a business, securing funding for your creative work, essential freelancing tips, and managing tax time in the arts.

10am Keynote: Asking for Money

Money can be a taboo and touchy subject to speak about openly. It’s no wonder asking for it is hard! No fear, Simon Abrahams is here to awaken our most forthright and money-savvy selves. We talk approaching clients and funders, negotiating payments and how to make the strongest cases for the financial worth of your work.

10.30am Freelancing: Mind Your Business

Congrats – you’ve taken the plunge to transition your creativity from a labour of love into a personal business. What next? Laniyuk  and Mel Campbell give you their top time, energy, and money saving tips for sustaining work as a freelancer or independent contractor in the arts. We’ll cover pitching to publications and potential clients, advice for those tough times between invoices, and how to balance your commercial and creative output to maintain a fulfilling practice.

11.30am Tax for Artists

Dreaded across the lands, tax time can be particularly challenging for those in the business of creativity. A desk job here, a freelance gig there, and a scattering of paid projects and funding in between — you’re not along if you don’t know where to start! Sam Ryan covers practical basics to ease you through tax time: from the importance of solid bookkeeping and invoicing, to knowing how and when to hire an accountant.

12.15pm Seminar: Writing a Stellar Funding Application

When mastered, the art of a strong grant application is guaranteed to take resourcing your projects to new levels. How do you communicate your project to potential funders? How can you know what funding bodies are looking for? What details make your application stand out from the rest? We hear from independent artists and arts administrators who know a thing or two about grant and funding processes to give you their top tips.

With Rani Pramesti and Chloe Turner