Writers & Artist Survival Guide: Get funding, followers and sales

Carving out a career as an individual working in the creative industries is more challenging than ever. You’re invited to join us for an evening of workshops* and networking opportunities for writers and artists. We’ll be looking giving you all the insight and tools you’ll need to survive and thrive as an artist.

Our Survival Guide includes how to get arts funding for your creative projects and ideas, how to use effective digital marketing tools and techniques to grow your followers and generate sales, writing for comics and graphic novels – the link between artist and writer, and you’ll take benefit from a networking opportunity between artists and writers.

We will also be hosting an art exhibition with the ‘A Castle In England Graphic’ novel project which has been recently completed by Jamie Rhodes and we’ll be exhibiting artwork from the book showcasing the illustrators involved.

AGENDA:

• 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm: ARRIVAL
• 6:45 pm – 7:15 pm: HOW TO GET ARTS FUNDING AS A WRITER AND/OR ARTIST
• 7:20 pm – 7:35 pm: DIGITAL MARKETING FOR THE ARTS MADE EASY
• 7:40 pm – 7:55 pm: WRITING FOR COMICS: THE LINK BETWEEN ARTIST AND WRITER
• 8:00 pm – 8:30 pm: ARTIST/WRITER SPEED NETWORKING
• 8:30 pm – 9 pm: OPEN NETWORKING & CLOSE

*A minimum of 10 tickets will need to be sold for this event to go ahead.

6:45 pm – 7:15 pm:

HOW TO GET ARTS FUNDING AS A WRITER AND/OR ARTIST

Jamie Rhodes will talk about getting financial backing as an individual working in a creative field. Jamie is a writer who has been supported by a wide range of funding bodies in the UK and abroad. He has cracked the formula for writing successful funding bids and will present ideas and insight into how writers and artists can take the big step to getting their ideas and creations funded. He has had two books – Dead Men’s Teeth and A Castle In England – supported by Arts Council England, drawing investment of approximately £30,000.
7:20 pm – 7:35 pm:

DIGITAL MARKETING FOR THE ARTS MADE EASY

Craig McCartney will be presenting ideas, hacks and best practices on how to use effective digital marketing to generate awareness, followers and sales for your creative projects and brands. Good digital marketing can boost your career and help small businesses to grow on a minimum budget. Craig will demonstrate how to use digital channels such your website, email, social, blog, PR and paid-for advertising to generate you opportunities online through you digital presence.

7:40 pm – 7:55 pm

WRITING FOR COMICS: THE LINK BETWEEN ARTIST AND WRITER

Having recently transitioned into writing for comics from writing for screen and prose, Jamie Rhodes will give an insight into the key things writers should know about the writing side of creating comics. Jamie will share with you the devices and techniques at a writer’s disposal and how the medium compares to other writing crafts.

8:00 pm – 8:30 pm

ARTIST/WRITER SPEED NETWORKING

After the talk, there will be a writers-artists speed dating event! You may have a great story for a comic and would love to team up with a talented artist, or perhaps you are an artist looking to partner with a writer who can bring greater storytelling insight into your work. Writers and artists are notoriously solitary creatures, don’t miss this opportunity to meet a potential collaborator!

8:30 pm – 9:00 pm

OPEN NETWORKING & CLOSE

About Jamie Rhodes
Jamie is a writer and Co-Chair of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s London & SE region. He has worked with Arts Council England, National Trust, Koneen Säätio, EM Media, IdeasTap, Arvon Foundation, Spread the Word, and the British Library. Find out more about him and his work here: https://thisisjamierhodes.com/

About Craig McCartney
Craig McCartney has over 12 years’ experience in the digital marketing space and has worked for and with clients from a number of verticals including creative agencies, writers, the arts, automotive and technology. Craig is the co-founder of Mr Four Fingers and the Skull Appreciation Society, as well as marketing director of Chief Nation, a marketing agency in the city. Craig worked alongside Jamie Rhodes on the Castle in England book and headed up the digital marketing and gallery curation for the project.