As creative practitioners, we are aware it can be difficult to navigate between financial
options available depending on your status. Make sure you are getting all the financial help
available to you by using the table below.
We will keep on updating it with new resources to always provide the most up-to-date financial support info for you!
As creative practitioners, we are aware it can be difficult to navigate between financial
options available depending on your status. Make sure you are getting all the financial help
available to you by using the table below.
We will keep on updating it with new resources to always provide the most up-to-date financial support info for you!
You may be able to get Universal Credit if:
• you’re on a low income or out of work
• you’re 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you’re 16 to 17)
• you’re under State Pension age
• you and your partner have £16,000 or less in savings between you
• you live in the UK
If you have employees, you can claim for 80% of their wages plus any employer National Insurance and pension contributions, if you have put them on furlough because of coronavirus. If you have an other employment paid through PAYE your employer may be able to get support using the Job Retention Scheme.
MORE INFOThe repayment will cover up to 2 weeks starting from the first day of sickness, if an employee is unable to work because they either: have coronavirus, cannot work because they are self-isolating at home or are shielding in line with public health guidance.
You can claim if you’re a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership and you:
• have submitted your Self Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018 to 2019
• traded in the tax year 2019 to 2020
• are trading when you apply, or would be except for coronavirus
• intend to continue to trade in the tax year 2020 to 2021
• have lost trading pro ts due to coronavirus
• your trading profits must also be no more than £50,000 and more than half of your total income
Small Business Grant Fund Eligibility:
• Businesses with a property that on the 11 March 2020 were eligible for Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) Scheme.
• Businesses which on 11 March 2020 were eligible for relief under the Rural Rate Relief
• Scheme are also eligible for this scheme.
Eligible recipients will receive one grant per property.
Hospitality and Leisure Grand Fund Eligibility:
• Properties which on the 11 March 2020 had a rateable value of less than £51,000 and would have been eligible for a discount under the business rates
• Expanded Retail Discount Scheme had that scheme been in force are eligible for the grant.
• Charities which would otherwise meet this criteria but whose bill for 11 March had been reduced to nil by a local discretionary award should still be considered to be eligible for the RHL grant.
• Recipients will receive one grant per eligible property
No need to do anything you’ll be contacted by HRMC if you’re eligible
You could be eligible if you’re on a low income or claim benefits. Your bill could be reduced by up to 100%. You can apply if you own your home, rent, are unemployed or working.
You can claim if you’re a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership and you:
• have submitted your Self Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018 to 2019
• traded in the tax year 2019 to 2020
• are trading when you apply, or would be except for coronavirus
• intend to continue to trade in the tax year2020 to 2021
• have lost trading profits due to coronavirus
You will need to confirm to HMRC that your business has been adversely affected by coronavirus. HMRC will as usual use a risk based approach to compliance.
Your trading profits must also be no more than £50,000 and more than half of your total income for either:
• the tax year 2018 to 2019
• the average of the tax years 2016 to 2017, 2017 to 2018, and 2018 to 2019
You’re eligible if:
• your business is based in the UK
• your business has an annual turnover of up to £45 million
• your business has a borrowing proposal which the lender would consider viable, if not for the coronavirus pandemic
• you can self-certify that your business has been adversely impacted by coronavirus
We've compiled a list of grants and prizes available to UK residents, which you can filter by creative industry, to make sure you're seeing grants that are relevant to your practice. We'll be doing our best to keep this list up-to-date with the latest grants and initiatives to support creatives around the UK. All grants listed are open for applications and are automatically removed after the deadline.
If you are feeling anxious, wondering what the coronavirus crisis means for your practice, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
We’re not experts, but we’re happy to share our knowledge and to try to help you stay optimistic during these tough times. You can contact us from our website chat or on any social media.
The scheme helps small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and up to 25% of their turnover. The maximum loan available is £50,000. The government guarantees 100% of the loan and there won’t be any fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months. After 12 months the interest rate will be 2.5% a year.
You can apply for a loan if your business:
• is based in the UK was established before 1 March 2020
• has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus
You may be able to get Universal Credit if:
• you’re on a low income or out of work
• you’re 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you’re 16 to 17)
• you’re under State Pension age
• you and your partner have £16,000 or less in savings between you
• you live in the UK
You could be eligible if you’re on a low income or claim benefits. Your bill could be reduced by up to 100%. You can apply if you own your home, rent, are unemployed or working.
If you have employees, you can claim for 80% of their wages plus any employer National Insurance and pension contributions, if you have put them on furlough because of coronavirus. If you have an other employment paid through PAYE your employer may be able to get support using the Job Retention Scheme.
MORE INFOThe repayment will cover up to 2 weeks starting from the first day of sickness, if an employee is unable to work because they either: have coronavirus, cannot work because they are self-isolating at home or are shielding in line with public health guidance.
You can claim if you’re a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership and you:
• have submitted your Self Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018 to 2019
• traded in the tax year 2019 to 2020
• are trading when you apply, or would be except for coronavirus
• intend to continue to trade in the tax year2020 to 2021
• have lost trading profits due to coronavirus
You will need to confirm to HMRC that your business has been adversely affected by coronavirus. HMRC will as usual use a risk based approach to compliance.
Your trading profits must also be no more than £50,000 and more than half of your total income for either:
• the tax year 2018 to 2019
• the average of the tax years 2016 to 2017, 2017 to 2018, and 2018 to 2019
You can claim if you’re a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership and you:
• have submitted your Self Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018 to 2019
• traded in the tax year 2019 to 2020
• are trading when you apply, or would be except for coronavirus
• intend to continue to trade in the tax year 2020 to 2021
• have lost trading pro ts due to coronavirus
• your trading profits must also be no more than £50,000 and more than half of your total income
You’re eligible if:
• your business is based in the UK
• your business has an annual turnover of up to £45 million
• your business has a borrowing proposal which the lender would consider viable, if not for the coronavirus pandemic
• you can self-certify that your business has been adversely impacted by coronavirus
Small Business Grant Fund Eligibility:
• Businesses with a property that on the 11 March 2020 were eligible for Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) Scheme.
• Businesses which on 11 March 2020 were eligible for relief under the Rural Rate Relief
• Scheme are also eligible for this scheme.
Eligible recipients will receive one grant per property.
Hospitality and Leisure Grand Fund Eligibility:
• Properties which on the 11 March 2020 had a rateable value of less than £51,000 and would have been eligible for a discount under the business rates
• Expanded Retail Discount Scheme had that scheme been in force are eligible for the grant.
• Charities which would otherwise meet this criteria but whose bill for 11 March had been reduced to nil by a local discretionary award should still be considered to be eligible for the RHL grant.
• Recipients will receive one grant per eligible property
No need to do anything you’ll be contacted by HRMC if you’re eligible
We've compiled a list of grants and prizes available to UK residents, which you can filter by creative industry, to make sure you're seeing grants that are relevant to your practice. We'll be doing our best to keep this list up-to-date with the latest grants and initiatives to support creatives around the UK. All grants listed are open for applications and are automatically removed after the deadline.
If you are feeling anxious, wondering what the coronavirus crisis means for your practice, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
We’re not experts, but we’re happy to share our knowledge and to try to help you stay optimistic during these tough times. You can contact us from our website chat or on any social media.
The scheme helps small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and up to 25% of their turnover. The maximum loan available is £50,000. The government guarantees 100% of the loan and there won’t be any fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months. After 12 months the interest rate will be 2.5% a year.
You can apply for a loan if your business:
• is based in the UK was established before 1 March 2020
• has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus
Historically, the artist was secluded in his studio waiting for his patron or master to give him work. Although artists did not belong to the lowest social class, the myth of the starving artist is still culturally present today. Brought by the concept of ‘poet maudit’ and consolidated by 19th century Parisian artists’ ‘boheme’ lifestyle, the idea that the real creative genius only comes from starving outcasts is still dominant in our culture.
Today, this heritage is still underlying in the way things operate. From clients’ referral to agents, creatives across industries still have a tendency to rely solely on others to build their own contact network. Proactivity and self promotion are often considered dirty words in the art world.
“If you try to sell yourself too hard, that probably means you are not that good” or “if you are good enough, other people will take care of the selling part for you” are common beliefs among artists. STOP.
Yes, self promotion is difficult. Especially in a creative career that is exposed to moments of doubt. Yes, if you ask another person to sell your work for you, it is very likely that the external person will sell it better than you. It is a matter of objectivity in the sale pitch. However, in the entrepreneurial age, self promotion and networking are vital to kickstart a career.
Networking skills are essential for creative minds to unlock unexpected opportunities that will lead them to extend their practice to new areas and of course to get more jobs.
However, in the entrepreneurial age, self promotion and networking are vital to kickstart a career.
The landscape is changing, the creative industries are booming. Creative agencies can now reach the size of corporations and it is possible for many creators to financially thrive without compromising on their talents. Although the creative sector economic value and activity has increased steadily for the past years, large agencies are still getting most of the cake and it is difficult for freelancers and small businesses to compete against them.
Thankfully, the Internet changed the creative world, by giving an unseen visibility to everyone with access to it. But this digital environment also creates a vivid awareness about the competitive landscape that can be overwhelming when starting out a creative career, especially as a freelancer. On the top of that, remote workers offer extremely competitive rates that create a general undervaluation of creative services (online and therefore offline). It does not come as a surprise that many creatives have experienced the imposter syndrome…
In a saturated global creative market where talents play the ‘who is the cheapest game’ and where more and more resources are freely available across the web, the rules have changed. Client loyalty is rare in our digital world where we are constantly contacted by other service providers and overloaded with information. What will make the difference is often not how skilled you are, but how wide and strong your network is. The people you know trust you, and that trust is a real competitive advantage.
Unfortunately, the importance of networking is not taught in art schools leaving creatives with an unfair disadvantage in the business side of their industries. That is the reason why we create safe places both online and offline for creatives to grow their network, share skills and foster collaborations.
At SSSHAKE, our mission is to address misconceptions to help creatives think like entrepreneurs and therefore, to thrive in their career development.
The power of networking doesn’t lay within talking to a person who will directly offer you a job or buy your art. It is about extending your network in order to spread awareness about your expertise as far as you can, while unlocking unexpected collaboration opportunities along the way.
It is [all] about extending your network in order to spread awareness about your expertise as far as you can, while unlocking unexpected collaboration opportunities along the way.
“I am a part of all that I have met” AL Tennyson
So, if you’re convinced it’s time to make your first steps into networking, I’d be happy to connect with you on SSSHAKE or to introduce you to the right people during our next event!
Thanks Younès and Tiphaine for stepping up my writting game ♡
Historically, the artist was secluded in his studio waiting for his patron or master to give him work. Although artists did not belong to the lowest social class, the myth of the starving artist is still culturally present today. Brought by the concept of ‘poet maudit’ and consolidated by 19th century Parisian artists’ ‘boheme’ lifestyle, the idea that the real creative genius only comes from starving outcasts is still dominant in our culture.
Today, this heritage is still underlying in the way things operate. From clients’ referral to agents, creatives across industries still have a tendency to rely solely on others to build their own contact network. Proactivity and self promotion are often considered dirty words in the art world.
“If you try to sell yourself too hard, that probably means you are not that good” or “if you are good enough, other people will take care of the selling part for you” are common beliefs among artists. STOP.
Yes, self promotion is difficult. Especially in a creative career that is exposed to moments of doubt. Yes, if you ask another person to sell your work for you, it is very likely that the external person will sell it better than you. It is a matter of objectivity in the sale pitch. However, in the entrepreneurial age, self promotion and networking are vital to kickstart a career.
Networking skills are essential for creative minds to unlock unexpected opportunities that will lead them to extend their practice to new areas and of course to get more jobs.
However, in the entrepreneurial age, self promotion and networking are vital to kickstart a career.
The landscape is changing, the creative industries are booming. Creative agencies can now reach the size of corporations and it is possible for many creators to financially thrive without compromising on their talents. Although the creative sector economic value and activity has increased steadily for the past years, large agencies are still getting most of the cake and it is difficult for freelancers and small businesses to compete against them.
Thankfully, the Internet changed the creative world, by giving an unseen visibility to everyone with access to it. But this digital environment also creates a vivid awareness about the competitive landscape that can be overwhelming when starting out a creative career, especially as a freelancer. On the top of that, remote workers offer extremely competitive rates that create a general undervaluation of creative services (online and therefore offline). It does not come as a surprise that many creatives have experienced the imposter syndrome…
In a saturated global creative market where talents play the ‘who is the cheapest game’ and where more and more resources are freely available across the web, the rules have changed. Client loyalty is rare in our digital world where we are constantly contacted by other service providers and overloaded with information. What will make the difference is often not how skilled you are, but how wide and strong your network is. The people you know trust you, and that trust is a real competitive advantage.
Unfortunately, the importance of networking is not taught in art schools leaving creatives with an unfair disadvantage in the business side of their industries. That is the reason why we create safe places both online and offline for creatives to grow their network, share skills and foster collaborations.
At SSSHAKE, our mission is to address misconceptions to help creatives think like entrepreneurs and therefore, to thrive in their career development.
The power of networking doesn’t lay within talking to a person who will directly offer you a job or buy your art. It is about extending your network in order to spread awareness about your expertise as far as you can, while unlocking unexpected collaboration opportunities along the way.
It is [all] about extending your network in order to spread awareness about your expertise as far as you can, while unlocking unexpected collaboration opportunities along the way.
“I am a part of all that I have met” AL Tennyson
So, if you’re convinced it’s time to make your first steps into networking, I’d be happy to connect with you on SSSHAKE or to introduce you to the right people during our next event!
Thanks Younès and Tiphaine for stepping up my writting game ♡
How much can you get? £2,000-£5,000
For professional musicians to undertake UK-based projects that develop and test new work, ideas or potential career directions through inspiring periods of collaborative research and development. We want to highlight that in this round we welcome applications that will explore the above through the use of remote, digital or online collaboration tools or performance spaces. For example, the use of Skype rehearsals or live streamed performance.
• UK-resident
• In financial need
• Have an active career as a musician
• Also open to bands up to 6 people
