Preparing proposals-communicating your practice in writing

Kerry McCall Professional Practice Series

VAI/Artlinks

Written Proposals

• The process of preparing proposals is a ‘process of dialogue and communication..’

• ‘Preparing Proposals’ by Annette Clancy,located in

Info Pool, www.visualartists.ie

Same principles apply

• RESEARCH• IDENTIFY• PLAN

• Do you know your audience?

• Who are they?

• What do they need?

Written Proposals

• What do you need proposals for?– Funding, commissions, residencies, awards,

opportunities

– Name 2 crucial aspects of a proposal??• That it meets the criteria set by

commissioning/awarding body• That it is professionally presented i.e. containing

no spelling, proper grammar + is clearly laid out

Written Proposals

• Is straightforward but requires focus and planning

• Focus and planning require time and research

• Time and research require a clarity of purpose and of goal

• Funders• Galleries

• Do they require different approaches?– Funders tend to be anonymous

• Letters/application forms

– Personal approaches can be viewed as soliciting– Galleries - make yourself known..network..personal

approach..public profile

• Similarities?– Brevity……Clarity….and Focus

Consider in advance:

• What criteria do ‘they’ need you to ‘fit’• Get proposal guidelines• Read them

– What you need to say about yourself, – …about your work– What format does your approach need to take?

• Application form• Cover letter, Artists CV/Statement, proposal and images

Formulate all into a Professional Package

VISUAL + VERBAL + WRITTEN

Cover letter

• Who is it to?– Find out the specifics– Name, specific address, dept…

– What do they expect in your cover letter?• Can you ask if it is not clear?

Artist’s Cv

• Consider:

– How many pages?

– Which font?

– What’s relevant?

Artist’s CV• Name• Contact Details• Age?• Education

– 3rd level only (even if a diff discipline)

• Exhibitions– When, where

• Residencies– When, where

• Publication/Reviews– (Pub. Name, Yr, Author, Title, Venue of show)

• Awards (prizes, bursaries)• Relevant Work Experience

– When, where

• Collections

Artists Statement

• We communicate through words and images

• Your artists statement is a written communication of your professional interests

• It should make sense• It should be accessible• It should be more than a description and contain

a narrative

Artists Statement

• The expansion of why you do what you do

• Good starting point - your verbal presentation of yourself

• Hard to begin– what are your interests– what do you explore in your work– what does your practice mean to you

Artists Statement

• How long?

• Depends on what is required– 1 paragraph, 5 sentences– Or– 1 page, 3-5 paragraphs

– Remember, it’s the pitch on you and on your work• What impression do you want to convey? • What story to you want to tell?

Artists Statement

• Some Q’s to respond to:

– What is it that you do? – How do you do it?– What concepts are you conveying? – Does it fit within any trajectory?– What materials is it made from? – Why do you do this? (Who is it for?)– What does it mean to you?

Artists Statement

• Avoid:– Vagueness– Verboseness– Inaccessible language– Obscure references – Long-windedness– Self praise– Comments by third parties– A long lead into your story– Comparison to other artists

Artists Statement

• Finally– Get someone else’s opinion– Proof and re-proof– You may need to change it for the next

application– Have a number of different versions

• Long and short

Writing proposals generally

Written Proposals

• Common Problems:

– The gap between the commissioners brief and your proposal

– Generic proposals– Spelling mistakes– Poor visuals– Vagueness– Verbose unclear wording– Poor collation + presentation of all material

Research• If research conducted widely and deeply you will have

enough information for proposal in terms of:– time schedule, cost, – materials necessary, – context within which proposal exists, – stakeholder groups, – subcontractor groups, – additional funding, – exposure possibilities, – potential strategic partners, – audience, – documentation requirements, – evaluation criteria, – maintenance schedule (if appropriate)

Research• Where do you go for Research possibilities?

– If a private organisation• Awareness of media• Annual reports• Websites

– If a County Council• Development Plans: Artistic, Cultural and Tourism• Websites

– At all times have an awareness of National Arts Strategy see www.artscouncil.ie or www.artscouncil-ni.org for strategic documents

– Familiarize yourself with successfully realised proposals• Consider how these would have met the criteria/brief set

The gap between the commissioners brief and your proposal

• In Foreword, Public Art: Per Cent For Art Scheme, General National Guidelines 2004:

• ‘The best public art is informed by a knowledge [sic] of the needs and expectations of all those involved…’

Caomhín Mac Giolla Léith

“each public art work is unique and has an individual story to tell, so the criteria [and therefore the artwork ..sic] relating to it should be specific..” Pg 27

The gap between the commissioners brief and your proposal

• Ensure that you thoroughly read the guidelines/brief– This will give you a clear indication of the focus offered– Consider a brief as a problem which you are offering a solution towards?– How good is this ‘fit’?

• Consider who are the Stakeholders?– Who is receiving your document?

• Who will be reading it?/Judging it?- Find Out• How will they judge it in light of the criteria set?

– Are there external stakeholders whose opinion will have a bearing on your proposal?

• Who is the audience?• Are there community groups involved?• Is there an educational angle?• Is it the ‘process’ or ‘product’ that is important?

Generic proposals

• ‘Each commissioning body should set a clear vision[sic] on how and why they wish to work with artists…’ Pg 27 National Guidelines

• Review these carefully

• ‘Each selection panel will be expected to:– Review the commission aims and objectives– Assess submissions and select project(s) for

development and realisation [in direct relation to the commission aims and objectives…sic]’ Pg 32

Generic proposals

• Ensure that your proposal is site specific and tailored directly towards this particular opportunity

• Generic proposals are easy to spot• Quickly disregarded• Indicate you have made little effort• Reflect poorly on you (not on your concept)

– Endeavour to make site visits offered if public art– Contact organisation with an intelligent question

• You never know they may remember you • Will add to your resourcing• Perhaps even further information will be offered that you had

not considered

Gap/Generic

• You must bear this in mind when preparing your proposal – See Appendix 4 Pg 46 Artist’s Brief

– Work through from your perspective– An artist should respond to each of these in their

proposal

– See Appendix 7 Pg 49 – Use as your own checklist

Poor collation + presentation of all material

• Be sure to include all information requested– CV, Artists Statement, Budgets, Previous Images,

Concept Images, Tax Clearance Certs, Engineers Reports……etc

• Your proposal could be disregarded

• Prepare at least a week in advance– This is not exam time, no need to cram– Gives opportunity for ink cartridges to run out, phone

lie to be cut off, car to be clamped…– Double check date and time and formats received

Poor collation + presentation of all material

• Be sure there are:– no stains on paper– that pages are numbered– that all type face is the same (where possible)– that you have a cover sheet– that you have kept a copy– that you get it in on time, addressed to right person– that all figures quoted include VAT– that you have considered the time you will spending

making the work and have cost included

Poor collation + presentation of all material

• What suggestions would you have for presentation of your proposal in hard copy?– Which would consider the most effective and professional?

• A4 pages stapled or with paperclip• Pocket sleeve• Document Wallet - plastic or card• Ringbinder• Spiral Bound• Clear Cover with Slip on Edge/Hard Back• A4 Portfolio type case with clear sleeves inside

– The answer is whatever the proposal or brief demands

Spelling mistakes

– In every article there is at least one

– How many in your proposal?• Did you get someone to proof it?• And someone else?• Did you?

– For words, grammar, formatting, clarity of concept, check against list requested…..

Spelling mistakes

• Spelling mistakes include syntax and punctuation

– “On the page, punctuation performs its grammatical function, but in the mind of the reader, it does more than that. It tells the reader how to hum

the tune.”– Lynne Truss Eats Shoots and Leaves Pg.71

• Consequences of mispunctuation appeal to many:

– ‘A woman, without her man, is nothing.’– ‘A woman: without her, man is nothing.’

Spelling mistakes

• Apostrophe:– A good place to start is to identify the difference

between ‘its’ and ‘it’s’ :It’s your turn : it is your turn

• Comma:– Humourist James Thurber once wrote:

• “After dinner, the men went into the living room.”• It was enquired of him,why he had placed a comma after the

word ‘dinner’• He explained it gave the men the opportunity to push back

their chairs and stand up

Spelling mistakes

• Colon and Semi Colon- are they endangered?

• Colon:• H.W. Fowler said the colon ‘delivers the goods that have been

invoiced in the preceding words.’• A semicolon is used, where there is no conjunction such as

and or but and a comma would not do

– Man proposes: God disposes.

– Modern writers now tend to use a dash - its seen as less formal and more conversational

Poor visuals

– Many proposals can live or die on poor visuals• Poor attention to detail in this regard suggests poor attention

to detail in other areas

– For your concept:• ensure you have decent visual concept drawings, computer

generated images or contextualising manipulated photographs

– Also ensure that images of your previous work are clearly labelled and in the appropriate format

Poor visuals

• Don’t include a CD if slides have been requested• Clearly number slides/photographs• Provide a visual format list/breakdown of work• Clearly title + date work• Remember to credit photographer

– See ’Documenting Your Work’ David Monahan, Info Pool, www.visualartists.ie

And finally

• Written: always check and double check spelling

• Check photocopies for correct number of pages and quality

• Always make a copy of your master doc• Same format on all printed documents

• Emails are letters too – ensure spelling and correct form of address to person is used in

any written material (email or letter)

Thankyou

Kerry McCall

E: kerry.create@gmail.com

Mob.086.2324288