Support for the Individual Artist Programme
Minority Ethnic Individual Artists Awards
Information Sheet
March 2013
The SIAP Minority Ethnic Individual Artists Awards is a grant scheme
provided by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The grant is for Artists of all
disciplines and in all types of working practice who identify as being
from a Minority Ethnic community who have made a contribution to artistic
activities in Northern Ireland for a minimum period of one year within the last
five years.
This information sheet will focus on information relevant to your application.
Key Points:
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Know what you are applying for
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Read the guidance notes carefully!
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Provide as many relevant details as possible
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Stick to the limits when working out your costs
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Itemise your budget
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Enclose evidence
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Provide a comprehensive up to date CV
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Proof read your application and enclosures
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If in doubt, ring the Arts Council
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Edit your application in word initially and save!!
The current SIAP awards are open until 4 April 2013 at 4pm.
Minority Ethnic Individual Artists Awards (funded through the National
Lottery)
The New Minority Ethnic Individual Artists Awards commenced in 2012 as
part of the ACNI Intercultural Strategy. This award can include a range of
possible expenditures, for example exhibition costs, purchases to support an
exhibition and project expenses.
The award is framed within Six Strategic Themes:
 Intercultural Engagement – Promoting exchanges between different
cultural groups within society
 Developing the Minority Ethnic Arts infrastructure –develop
collaborative working through arts and cultural activity between new and
existing communities
 Using the arts to develop Community Cohesion - Working to promote
cohesion and integration for a shared and better future for all
 Using the arts to increase awareness of Diversity – develop
understanding of the diversity that exists in Northern Ireland
 Developing programmes that use the arts to develop Good Relations
working to develop good relations between new and existing communities
in Northern Ireland
 Using the arts as a vehicle to tackle Racism – Working to tackle racism
between new and existing communities in Northern Ireland.
The following points should hopefully provide further clarification when
completing your application form:
Guidance and Eligibility
Full guidance and application forms are available from the Arts Council
of Northern Ireland website http://www.artscouncilni.org/award/siap_minority_ethnic_individual_awards.html
The common criteria for assessment uses numbered criteria listed on page 4
of the Arts Council SIAP guidance notes. It is important for applicants to use
these criteria and relate these on the application form.
Ineligible applications
You cannot apply for:
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Self Commissioning or publishing costs.
Prolonged study at centres of further and higher education
Work that forms part of under-graduate or post-graduate study or is
intended to be assessed as part of an academic course
Work which forms part of your professional or academic employment.
This does not exclude those working in an academic institution or
statutory body who are continuing to pursue their artistic practice
Study leading to a professional qualification
Applications to fund or establish websites
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Applications relating to projects/commissions already in receipt of Arts
Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery funds
Applications relating to residencies or rent of premises at venues
already in receipt of Arts Council funding (for example, residencies to
the Tyrone Guthrie Centre).
Costs for the purchase or manufacture of musical instruments.
(Individual artists seeking to purchase musical instruments can access
the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s “Take It Away NI” loan scheme
which is run in association with Arts Council England. The scheme
provides applicants with interest-free loans through a network of
approved instrument retailers in Northern Ireland.)
A project cannot commence until the Arts Council makes its decision
and this is received in writing.
Project Description - How your artistic quality is assessed
Section 2 of the application form covers your project description and requires
Evidence of:
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Your artistic contribution to the arts
Your artistic quality, innovation
Your challenge within the proposal
How the proposal may enhance your skills and/or career.
This section describes what you need the funding for and it is your chance to
prove that you are innovative and challenging yourself as an artist. It is
important to read the guidance carefully before you proceed and you can
always contact the Arts Council on aspects of the application.
This is the main section of the form with maximum word counts marked
clearly, for example 2.3 Project Description is 600 words. You should try not
to assume that the assessor knows your work and you have a separate
section to include qualifications but you may also have awards or
quotes/testimonials to include about your work here.
You need to clearly state what your proposal is bringing to the arts in Northern
Ireland, for example, creating new work, working with a new client group;
managing a project or developing your career. The purpose of the grant is to
develop your practice, improve your career, experience; networking
opportunities and also showing your product and processes in order to bring
about additional work. Your writing style is not being assessed and marked so
if you prefer, you can complete the section in bullet points.
Your contribution to the arts must include an accompanying CV detailing your
history of artistic practice (see below under supplementary evidence). It is a
good idea to speak to someone who knows about your practice. Jot down all
your highlights and achievements in a Word document before you start on the
actual form.
Supplementary evidence (enclosures)
Your application cannot be assessed without including support materials and
these can include:
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Videos
Catalogues/publications
Photos
Reviews
References (not essential but can be helpful for newer artists)
Comments from an organisation you have worked with (doesn’t have to
be a full reference even 2-3 lines would be adequate)
Any moving images should be submitted on DVD it is not enough to provide a
website link and while it sounds obvious, ensure that the DVD or CD plays ok
before submitting.
A published catalogue for visual artists is usually a good example of work. If
you have more than one catalogue, select good samples preferably the most
recent of your work. Don’t worry if you only have one publication of recent
work.
When choosing examples of your work, select the highlights and if using
photographs submit a maximum of 12 images labelled clearly and if you are
submitting reviews use a maximum of two.
For performances like dance or circus, you will need moving images so a
video or DVD must be submitted photos do not suffice. Plus two-three lines
about the performance you have submitted.
You will also need correspondence such as letters or emails confirming your
project or evidence of an exhibition or course. The more details that you
provide the more comprehensive your application will be. If you are attending
a training course a short biography of the facilitator is useful to include.
If you have applied online you will receive an email from the Arts Council
asking you to submit a confirmation of online application which must be
completed and returned within five working days. If you want anything
returned send a stamped addressed envelope and make this clear on your
application.
CV
A CV is very important for your application so keep it clear and to the point. If
you have worked with community groups, organisations or schools put the
name of the organisation and the date of when you worked with them.
If you need further guidance on laying out your CV, there are useful online
tools for example Artquest.org.uk and Guardian careers.
What you can apply for and Budget
Section 3 is Financial Information and this requires a detailed breakdown of
how much your project will cost. For this you will need to provide a table with
a clear breakdown of all the expenditure you will require.
The guidance notes provide a list of the types of activities and expenses
eligible under the programme. This can include materials, travel, an hourly
fee, subsistence, placements and workshops. There are stipulations on the
type of training so, for example higher education is not eligible. Mileage rates
are provided in the Arts Council guidance notes and there is a cap of £35 per
hour for facilitating. It is important to factor in planning and preparation time as
this needs to be clearly separated from your professional fee.
Example
Artist provides a series of workshops lasting two hours for six weeks and s/he
is allowed to include £35 for facilitation for 12 hours; s/he is also allowed £10
for planning and preparing each session over the six weeks.
Materials and equipment need to be itemised and if possible provide an online
quote. Materials can include framing new work for visual artists.
Collaborations
Two artists can apply for a general arts award for a collaborative project
although the award is capped at the maximum £1,500. Single artform
partnerships are eligible and applications including cross art form
collaborations are encouraged.
Practical IT points about making an application
Grant applications can be made online or in hard copy they cannot be
accepted by email or fax. Applicants making a claim online should leave
enough time to allow for any technical issues so it is important not to leave the
submission to the very last minute on the closing date. A confirmation email
will be sent that it has been received.
Reporting back
Once artists completed the project they have been awarded funding for, they
are required to provide follow up information on a template on the outcome
and evaluation of the project.
Good luck with your application!