Crowdfunding. It’s a term with increasing relevance and, as an artist, I find it an increasingly viable means of – not just acquiring funding – but as a tool to drive a sense of community and inclusion within my practice.
Some liken crowdfunding to that of a begging-bowl – a desperate attempt of gathering a few coins in a bid to get some vague and obscure dream off the ground: A bit of an exercise in futility. I disagree, in fact I wholeheartedly disagree, and would go so far as to suggest that acquiring funding is just one aspect of what crowdfunding means.
A Crowdfunding campaign plays out like a narrative with a defined beginning, middle and end, and pledging money towards a campaign includes you directly in the narrative. You become connected to a socially-driven platform and as such, you feel connected to the campaign. Your contribution allows to to feel part of something – and the feeling of being part of something makes us feel included, valued and essentially just happy. Crowdfunding is definitely a force for good when used properly.
From the perspective of an artist, crowdfunding is a great platform for promoting your work – it offers the public an easy and socially inclusive means of buying artwork whilst at the same time allows them to be connected to something bigger. Indeed, it allows the artist to gain exposure and – even if people don’t pledge – the fact that an audience has seen your project and engaged with it in some way is always appreciated.
So, with all that in mind, I’d like to present to you my crowdfunding campaign. Entitled ‘The Art of Perfumery’, my crowdfunding campaign is looking to raise £500 for material costs and workshops for my arts residency at Bank Street Arts, Sheffield.
The residency, entitled Perfume as Practice is a project that looks at how perfume and scent can be used artistically in exciting, fun and innovative ways. The premise of the project is that I believe that perfume can be used by an artist as a tool – similar to painting and sculpture – in order to create portraiture.
I need £400 for material costs, and £100 in order to travel and provide perfume making workshops around the UK. If you can help in some way that would be brilliant! All donations are very much appreciated – and there are some great perks for donating, including the chance to own original artwork, the chance to have bespoke perfume made, and even the chance to meet me in my studio! If you can’t donate, I would love it if you could share the campaign and share the project.
Please click the image below to be directed to my crowdfunding page. There you’ll find further details of the project, including further details of the perks. I really hope you find the project a worthwhile endeavor. I believe my project offers the opportunity to uncover new and fun ways to think about scent, perfume and art in general. But it won’t be possible without a little help 🙂
