TV arts channel offers funding for new projects

Sky Arts is launching what appear to be good and extremely welcome schemes for new arts projects and emerging artists.

There are two strands for which the channel is promising generous amounts of cash.

The Sky Arts Ignition Series involves collaborating with six arts organisations over the next three years in the creation of new works. It will provide cash of up to £200,000 for each one and will clearly be in a good position to help bring them to a wider audience.

The channel's blurb says this:


The Sky Arts Ignition Series seeks to work closely with as yet unselected artists and arts organisations, in order to equip both organisations and broadcasters with a true understanding of each other's process, combining their expertise to produce the best possible work and offering a unique support system in which to develop and produce brand new projects. Sky Arts, in partnership with the organisations, will determine how best Sky can give the project prominence on-air, on demand, online and on the ground, as well as providing marketing, publicity and new media support for each project.

Applications can be made here where there should also be much more detail.

The other scheme is for emerging artists, a Futures Fund which promises to give five individuals a bursary of £30,000 "to help young talent to bridge the development gap from school or college to becoming a working artist."

The director and former National Theatre boss Richard Eyre has been helping Sky Arts to come up with the Ignition series. he said: "This is an exemplary partnership between a broadcaster and the arts. I hope Sky's model will be copied. It's to everyone's advantage." Source