There are times when you look back and wonder if what you once thought was a Really Good Idea was actually a gin-and-tonic-induced disintegration into madness. Be warned: taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe is an experience that puts the fear of God in your heart and the bottle of gin back in your hands. It’s the only place where you 100% don’t just turn up and do your job – not least if you want your show to be a success! Producing and performing in a show is both a blessing and a curse, you get incredible insight and responsibility into differing roles, but you also get double the amount of work, stress and headaches.

Producing for the first time at the Fringe can be so full of unintentional trip-ups that you can sometimes feel like you’re starring in your own version of Total Wipeout. Firstly, it is vital you start to prep everything way before deadlines, as changes are about as common as rain on a British bank holiday. Secondly, you must adopt that classic Spiderman/Shakespeare mantra: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them”. Regardless of which category you fit into, you must believe that you and the show will be great, and unequivocally roll with the punches. Finally, having a functional working relationship with your production team and cast is imperative for your sanity and your mobile phone’s longevity. Fortunately, there is a whole network of people available for support, to answer the little questions and help you figure out the big ones. This network is mostly embodied by the Fringe Office and your venue, which should also be praying for your show to be a success and should be happy to talk you through mind-numbing things like contracts and insurance. Not to mention the multitude of other Fringe performers and goers across Twitter and IdeasTap who will readily dispense advice.

Funding your project can, and will most likely, be a pain in the ass. There are gabillions of trusts and foundations to which you can apply for funding, but usually they’re only interested if you’re staging your piece in aid of something more honourable than your own ego, such as community development or working with disadvantaged kids. IdeasTap also offer a huge monetary prize but beware of the very early application deadline. Then, beyond contacting local or national businesses and asking for sponsorship as part of their community ventures, there’s always crowdfunding – an excellent, cheap and easy way to promote your show and garner online donations from friends and strangers alike. You should try to exhaust every fundraising possibility you have time for and be creative! It is desperately important that you begin to fundraise from the word go as the majority of your payments will be in advance of the show and you will not be reimbursed through ticket sales till after the Fringe ends.

So why do it if it is such hard work and feels like you are straddling a tectonic plate? Because where else but at the Fringe do you meet a hoard of generous folk (besides your doting parents) who are willing to invest their time and money by watching you flounce around a stage hoping to communicate the profundity of a text? Where else do you get to do everything yourself, learn everything the hard way, stay up half the night rehearsing, sell your soul on the Royal Mile, or race up Arthur’s Seat in order to bare your naked skin to the sunrise over beautiful Edinburgh?

Come the 28August, when we leave Edinburgh, we can look back at it as the train speeds away, laden with bags in our hands and under our eyes, an empty bank account and a sense that, yes, we did that, all by ourselves: We Conquered the Fringe.

Written by producer Francesca Murray-Fuentes.

Image: Rush Theatre’s Francesca Murray-Fuentes and Chi-San Howard.

Find out more about Rush Theatre by visiting their Twitter or website.

A Younger Theatre’s Editor, Jake, recently sat on a panel for Farnham Maltings’ No Strings Attached funding bursaries. The scheme is designed to be completely open to ideas relating to theatre and young people; there are no set agendas, no commitments and there is the chance for an individual or company to secure a propotion of £5,000, with no strings attached.

Here, Jake shares some of his top tips for pitching a panel your idea with the aim of getting funding, based upon what he experienced:

1. Know what you want and what you have
It may sound obvious, but knowing what you want to get out of the funding, and knowing what it is that you already have, can be an overlooked area. Funders want to find out what it is that you already have in place, be it an idea, a working model or even a fully developed practice. This, along with what it is you want from getting funding, will paint a clear and coherent picture of how the funding they can give you will support your current work.

2. Prepare a budget – and make it add up
You’ve come up with a brilliant idea but you need money to make it work. You pitch it to a funding scheme, but, hold on, you have no budget… oh dear. With any kind of project or production the key to an excellent pitch is knowing your figures, and being able to show these coherently in a budget. You don’t have to know how you’ll spend every last penny, but knowing exactly how much each part of a project will cost will really show that you have researched and explored potential outgoings for your work. Your budget doesn’t have to be a work of art, either, a simple spreadsheet separated into different areas for each stage of the project will make it clear to those you’re seeking funding from how the money will be distributed. Don’t forget to include any other funds, such as in-kind support, other fundraising or current funds. Remember to have copies of your budget available for the panel, too, for them to refer to.

3. Plan your pitch – make it pitch-perfect!
When money is in on the table, would you rather wing it or come in prepared and ready to wow? Make sure that you have planned out what you want to say, who will say it (if there is more than one person), and that you have any extra multimedia ready. It’s good to practise your pitch with a friend or family member; they might spot something you’ve missed or offer useful advice. Most important of all, stick to the time limit. It’s better to come prepared than to be fumbling and distracted whilst pitching.

4. Do your research
Is the funding for a certain aspect of your project? Are there conditions to the funding? Who is on the panel? What about the organisation or funding body – what is it and what does it do? Before applying for funding, you must do your research. Not every project will suit every possible funding opportunity. Equally, be sure to research any terms and conditions relating to the funding. If you have to pitch in front of a panel, it’s always good to know who you are pitching too; call up and ask in advance – you never know, one of the panelist might know you or your work. As for the organisation or company itself, just like applying for a job, researching beforehand and showing that you have an active interest in what it does will help you – especially if questions are asked. Finding out who or what it has funded before might give a clear indication as to what it likes – do you fit this?

5. Presenting yourself
You might think that pitching to a panel is all about the idea you’re talking about. Well, it’s not. It’s also about who you are as a person. You can have the best project in the world, but without a smile, and a presentable and engaging individual standing before the panel, you might as well be talking to a brick wall. Presenting yourself is almost as important as presenting the idea. Dress appropriately, smile and engage with the panel – they’re not there to shoot you down, they want to know about you and your work. Try and remember to smile!

6. Media – keep it relevant
Sometimes it’s good to have extra material that you can show the panel while you’re pitching an idea. Perhaps it’s photos from previous projects or a video of a performance, maybe you’ve scanned sketches of the ideas you have and you’re keen to show them. Whatever it is that you are using, make sure that you keep it relevant. Whilst it’s good to get an idea of your work through a video, keep it short, make it presentable, and don’t expect them to watch 10 minutes worth. A video can only show so much. The same can be said for images. What is it that you are trying to show? Is it relevant, and can it be said better with your own words?

7. Question time
You should expect to answer questions about your pitch. Do your best to answer the question – don’t waffle on in the hope that eventually you’ll say the right thing. Better to be direct, and honest – if you don’t know the answer, then say so! Equally, it might be a good idea if you have some questions that you’d like to ask or get the panel to clarify regarding the funding. It’s not essential but it does show that you are keen to find out more.

8. Thinking big
We’re young and bursting-full of ideas, and this is a vital thing to maintain as we grow up. Whilst we might have crazy ideas, it’s good to think about how realistic your idea or project is. Thinking big isn’t a negative thing, but it’s good to have one foot firmly on the ground as your imagination lifts you into the clouds. It’s good to think creatively and to potentially think big – the panel will want to see a certain drive, determination and adventure/excitement in the work that they might fund, but they also need some realism. They will want to see that your project will actually happen, and that it’s realistic, but you still need to have a sense of ambition. It’s a fine balance, but one that should be addressed before you start pitching.

9. Education doesn’t solve everything
Running workshops or education programmes will not solve all your monetary requirements or problems. An alarming amount of pitchers felt that their work could be supported using educational work as a source of revenue. It is extremely difficult to do this, and it takes commitment, skills and a real desire to work in an educational environment. It shouldn’t be your source of funding. Why mention this in an article about pitching? Because educational doesn’t solve everything, and pitching for funds to start up an educational side of your work as a means to support your work isn’t always the best idea.

10. A little goes a long way
There is a temptation to apply for the biggest amount of funding that you can get your hands on. This shouldn’t be the case. Even the smallest grant can go a long way, and will put you in better stead for when you apply for further funds from other sources. Some companies or projects just need a little helping out – a little money – for them to realise their goals or potential. Like point number 8, it’s good to think big, but let’s keep it simple too.

So there we have it, 10 top tips for when you’re next pitching for funding. Have you got some more tips to share? Why not add them to the comments below, or tweet us at @AYoungerTheatre.

Image by Howard Lake.

Anyone who reads the newspapers knows that it’s money and not love that makes the world go round. If you hadn’t already heard, we are experiencing a credit crunch and the media cannot get enough of it. Whether it is MPs’ expenses, Greece going bust or the greedy fat cats in the city (although if we are letting felines run our banks can we be surprised it is all going wrong!), it seems that it is all anyone talks about. So this week, in the words of ABBA, we will also talk Money, Money, Money.

Here at Filskit Theatre, we are the not–so-proud owners of a Grants for the Arts application in paper form. It’s approximately 18 months old, covered in tea stains, highlighted and scribbled on. The one thing it isn’t is completed. And why is that, you ask? Good question! As a graduate company the world of funding can sometimes feel like a very elite, top notch club that you must jump through flaming hoops to get into. A funding application can feel like a huge step in the life of a theatre company and until now we haven’t felt ready. But as our creative ambitions are growing so is our need for cold, hard cash!

In the early days of Filskit we were fortunate enough to receive a small sum of money as part of a creative industries fair at Rose Bruford College. The amount might not have been groundbreaking but we managed to make it stretch, investing in technology and materials to really enable us to build our shows and practice. We also raised money running workshops for GCSE and A level classes. These bought in tidy sums that were re-invested into the company. But that was 2009, and whilst it is true to say there was economic uncertainty then, in 2011 it seems that there is a greater sense of panic amongst public funded bodies. Schools are now very careful with their funds and there are numerous companies that specialise in running workshops specifically for schools, so the competition is fierce.

So what opportunities are there to get funding for your projects? Many of the doors we expected to be open when we were at college are now closed, so as graduates in a recession, perhaps we are the generation that needs to apply our creativity to fundraising as well as performance.

Help in kind is a fantastic way of gaining assistance, without having to go with your hands outstretched asking for pennies. It may be someone’s time, the use of a space, or lending of materials and equipment that can let you get your project off the ground. We have personally benefitted from help in kind from many people and institutions. Access to free space has been one of the most crucial, giving us the time to develop our practice, process and to rehearse. Often this is in exchange for your services or time.

Take advantage of opportunities for young companies. There are many chances to show your work in front of audiences in work-in-progress festivals, and a few schemes by theatres to support the development of work. We have been a part of various festivals such as ScenePool, Sprint and Practice, all of which offered us the chance to put our work in front of an audience. Significantly, a week’s R&D at the Unicorn, courtesy of the EMERGE project, acted as a real launching pad for the devising development of the show.

All these things have helped us towards gaining our first experiences of the industry, but we want to take our work to larger platforms and for that we need money. This money would be used to pay towards festival registrations, technical expertise and assistance. So here we are again, staring at the notorious funding application.

All the talk of large and successful companies struggling after having their funding cut can make it easy for young companies to think “what chance do we have?” –  and, to be honest, we have said those exact words ourselves. The application can seem like a lot of work for a guaranteed “no”. But as the old adage says, “who dares, wins”, so we are starting the application process. We are discovering that a funding application isn’t simply a letter or e-mail begging for some cash to buy a few props and put on a couple of shows here and there. You really have to know the ins and outs of what you are asking for and how you are planning to achieve it. So we are looking at costing up our options and forecasting our future plans.

However, there are other funding options. Ideas Tap has a number of different projects, from its Innovators’ Fund to the massive Sky Arts Award. Once again, you need to know what you want the money for and how you will invest it into the specific project. Fundraising websites such as We Fund offer a new spin for philanthropists. Companies can set a target amount to raise, and people can log on and donate as much or as little as they like, often in exchange for different incentives – the only condition being that you only receive the money if you hit your target (in the style of Dragon’s Den).

There are also a number of companies that run fundraising events, from cabarets to street performances. Running workshops should also not be discounted out of hand, but perhaps private summer workshops or discounted rates for schools need to be applied to creative incentives.

It is time for theatre creatives to become entrepreneurial. Amongst us we have some of the most innovative minds and if we apply these to making theatre and the arts a viable financial option, we might just secure its future.

Youth Music Theatre UK, the leading national company for training young people aged between 11 and 21 years old in Musical Theatre are offering a range of Internships and Opportunities throughout the year.

They have a rolling application process, and can offer 1 to 6 month placements for anyone interested in getting involved.

Every year, YMT commission and produce up to 15 new musicals, which are rehearsed and produced during our residential courses in July and August.

YMT’s head office, based in South West London, offers experiences in a variety of fields including production management, administration, fundraising, marketing, sales, finance and chaperoning.

2011 productions will include shows at the Aberdeen International Festival, the Rose Theatre Kingston, Greenwich Theatre, Barbican Theatre Plymouth and South Hill Park Bracknell. Along with our performing courses, we also offer courses in Backstage work, Musicians and Young Writers.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be involved with a vibrant, fast moving charity, who produces work of the highest quality. It will also give you a chance to work with leading practitioners from London’s West End.

All Interns will be given a free CRB check, join the YMT gang on regular show outings and be welcomed as a part of our busy team.

Current opportunities include :

* Production Management / Administration
* Fundraising / Hardship Fund co-ordination
* Wardrobe assistants / makers
* Sales and Marketing

To apply, please e-mail paulgriffiths@ymtuk.org with your CV, and letter of introduction plus a headshot. Interviews will be arranged in London to discuss your interests.