CBC at the Black Country Business Festival 2021
CBC will be hosting 4 sessions at this year’s Black Country Business Festival during October to help you make the most of funding opportunities.
All the events will be hosted online via Zoom with a panel of experts, creatives and advisors to help inspire and answer your questions.
You’ll need to register for each event direct at the link via the festival website to attend. All tickets are free.
Image by Kate Green courtesy of DASH
Demystifying Accessible Marketing Communications aka Making Your Messages Clear with Paula Dower
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6 2021
10:30 AM — 11:30 AM
Do you see the same faces at your events? Do you want your messages to reach a wider audience? Do you have a limited budget? Then this session is for you!
DASH’s top five tips are easy, quick and will not cost you a penny!
AGENDA:
Introduction to DASH and my experience - 5minutes
Why make your marketing accessible? - 10mins
What are you required to do? Unpacking your responsibility and the Equality Act - 10 mins
A rough guide to print and digital accessibility, looking at examples - 10 mins
DASH’s top five tips - 10mins
Tools for free – 5 minutes
Q&A - 10 mins
SPEAKERS: Paula Dower - Operations Director at DASH (Disability Arts In Shropshire), a Disabled led visual arts organisation.
Register for your space here.
U Island’s U Are Here exhibition
U Island’s Arts Council England Project Grants Funding Journey
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7 2021
10:30 AM — 11:30 AM
Are you interested in applying for an Arts Council England grant but are unsure as you’ve not applied to a big funder before?
Join Creative Black Country (CBC) as they talk with community group U Island about getting their Arts Council England grant last year. Hear about the challenges and triumphs the group faced, and how support from members of the CBC team and Sandwell Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), meant they weren’t doing this daunting task alone.
We will also have Jill Brown from Arts Council England joining the discussion and she’ll be sharing information on ACE grants, what details are needed and initial pitfalls to look out for when applying and top tips on using ACE’s Grantium system.
AGENDA:
10.30am to 10.35am: Housekeeping
10.35am to 10.45am: Introductions of the guest speakers
10.45am to 11am: U Island (predominantly) discusses their ACE funding journey with Libby and Rich discussing their roles within the process
11am to 11.15am: Jill Brown to discusses ACE grants, why ACE asks for detailed information, initial pitfalls to look out for when applying for ACE grants and gives top tips on using Grantium including a slide of the Top 5 tips
11.15am to 11.30am: Q & A with attendees and share online feedback survey link
SPEAKERS:
Irina Oshenye - U Island CIC
Jill Brown – Relationship Manager at Arts Council England
Richard Franks – Creative Black Country Creative Advisor for Sandwell and Walsall
Libby Mahoney - Small Groups Development Officer at Sandwell Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)
Creative Connections Commission ‘Positive Postcards’ by Ruth Turnbull - supported by Paycare
Two Worlds – Creative and Business Sectors Communication and Partnerships
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13 2021
10:30 AM — 11:30 AM
Two Worlds - the meeting of the creative and business sectors in the region to improve communication and opportunities for both. Come along and find out what the potential could be for your organisation.
This session will bring together two local sectors - the creative sector and the business sector. To understand and explore how better communication and partnerships could offer mutual benefit.
This event has a huge benefit to local business and creative communities by facilitating opportunities to interact, build networks and partnerships. It showcases what the Black Country has to offer in terms of creative landscape, and strengthens existing partnerships while forging new connections and future potential partnerships.
Target Audience: Those from the creative sector and business sectors who want to find out more about the benefits of cross-sector partnerships and developing relationships.
AGENDA:
Introductions
Short presentation from speakers from creative and business sectors
Some prompts or exercises to discover what each sector needs
General discussions to build a Black Country plan to improve communication and promote opportunities to develop cross-sector partnerships.
SPEAKERS:
Yvonne Gregory CBC (Chair)
Kevin Rogers (Paycare)
More TBC
Yam Cams - a Creative Connections commission - image by Jay Mason Burns
Fund your Creative Project - a Practical Guide on how to Navigate Arts Council's Grantium
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14 2021
10:30 AM — 11:30 AM
Thinking of applying to the Arts Council? Do you have a creative idea but unsure how to apply to the Arts Council?
This session will provide Practical Support and informal training for community groups and artists who are applying for the first time, or who need additional support and advice to navigate the application process and portal.
Attendees will learn how to transform the creative idea into a fundable project. Practical 'how-to' guide to navigate the application process. A take away 'tool-kit' with advice and practical suggestions. networking with other similar groups and creatives. Attract more funding and investment to region.
Target Audience:
Local Artists/creatives and community groups who deliver creative activity and who are interested in boosting their funding.
The hour session on Zoom could include:
Grantium – how to get started – application profile and eligibility
Include ‘cheat sheet’ and project definition template to help artists explain their projects succinctly
Budget template and how to build a budget – match funding/support in kind etc
The rest of the application such as Activity Plan – drop down boxes etc
If time – look at how groups are constituted and how that affects what funding they can apply for – demystifying CIC’s, CIO’s, charities, etc.
SPEAKERS:
Yvonne Gregory (CBC and chair)
Matt Andrews (BCT and speaker)
Register here.