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I think it is one of the most honest and sincere workshops I have been. The things I learnt today with you, I didn’t learn the whole year during my masters. That counts a little isn’t it?
As you said, and this was my epiphany moment, most barriers are creative, not physical.
I was in particular inspired by the conversational tone in your proposals and by how emotional your statements are. Both these points will make grant writing not just an exercise but a necessary and integral part of a story.
”
London Workshop Successfully Wrapped
Grant Writing at the Frontline Club in London has wrapped successfully. Stay tuned here for suture dates, with USA being next on the list.
Miranda Gavin of Hotshoe Magazine has an interesting article about funding, featuring interviews with photographers including David Chancellor, Jo Metson Scott, Toby Smith and myself. Also some good links to various grant sources.
€10,000 Won by Madrid Workshop Student
More students have received grants since taking one of my workshops. Juan Valbuena has won the €10,000 Caixa Press grant, with Edu Bayer and Eloia d’Orsi as finalists. All were participants in my workshop in Madrid. Congratulations to all.
Short article in Photo RAW magazine about my theory and philosophy of grant writing. IF you want to learn more, sign-up for the upcoming workshop in London at the Frontline Club,
Synopsis, Grant Writing Workshop
1) The Proposal. We will examine some award winning proposals, including my Guggenheim Fellowship, Lange-Taylor and two Canada Council grants. We will also look at other award-winning proposals, including Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand, and contemporary artists. We will look at why I wrote what I did, why it was successful, etc. We will talk about the overall structure of writing a proposal, breaking it down into simple steps.
2) The Portfolio. After the proposal, an integral part of a successful grant is the portfolio and the editing of the photographs you choose. We examine what to look for and how to make the portfolio support your proposal.
3) The CV. Many people underestimate the power of a strong CV and its impact on a successful grant. We will discuss what makes a strong CV and how to turn your ordinary CV into extraordinary.
4) The Grants. I’ll show various websites and calendars that list grants and their deadlines. We will also look at websites that help you in the preparation and finding of all grants that apply to what you want to do.
An interview with some of my thoughts about what makes a successful grant in Professional Photographer Magazine.
“Thanks for being willing to share all that knowledge with us. It’s certainly something
that not everyone is inclined to do!”
Benjamin Roy, from Chicago and a participant in the Los Angeles workshop
THREE FORMER STUDENTS ALL PLACE AS FINALISTS OF PHOTOCRATI FUND
Congratulations to Peter DiCampo on winning the Photocrati Fund this year for his Life Without Lights project. Laura el-Tantawy and Anna Boyiazis (Who has also received a Puffin Foundation grant and a Creative Capacity Fund grant) were also finalists. So, three of the top four spots belonged to former students of the Grant Writing Workshop! Stay tuned to this website for upcoming workshops.
Jared Soares Receives Two Grants Since Participating in Workshop
Pleased to say former workshop student (Washington, DC, 2011) Jared Soares has received a Puffin Foundation grant to create a body of work about the influence of Eastern European culture on disappearing coal mining towns in Western Pennsylvania. Congrats, Jared. He has also recently won his second grant since taking the workshop. Says Jared: “As a recipient of the NPPA Short Grant, I can happily share that attending Donald Weber’s workshop gave me with the tools to put together a successful proposal.”
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I really enjoyed the workshop. I was immediately aware of how important everything you said was in terms of getting it done and getting it done right, and what’s sunk in even more over the past couple of days as I’ve thought back on everything we covered is how you didn’t just explain how to write grants, you also explained how to think about projects in a way that makes creative, practical and financial sense.
I’m excited to put my ideas on paper and try and make this happen.
”
Grant Writing in Los Angeles was another success. 15 students showed up to learn about finding the funding they need to complete the projects they want… Stay tuned for future workshops.
Another successful Grant Writing Workshop, this time in Amsterdam. So far, Grant Writing in Europe has been to Berlin, Amsterdam, Madrid and London. New location suggestions are always welcome.
“Thanks for the very inspiring workshop! I can really see now what went wrong so far, and what to do differently from now on. I’m pretty sure there will be a grant soon!”
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