Why I Decided To Financially Support New Artists?

Art for art’s sake is a true statement, but most people ignore the fact that an artist also needs money to survive. We can create an encouraging and positive community by supporting new artists financially. 

An artwork requires time to create, from the initial idea to the organised mind to the final product and presentation to the public. An artist needs tools for inspiration because they have so much to do, yet often financial barriers stand in the way of growth. The only choice left for an aritst is to work with limited tools and modify a concept in order to meet their creative needs.

For me, the term “artist” refers to everyone who engages in any form of artistic expression, including painters, writers, dancers, musicians, potters, and other creatives. Every artist should have access to the resources to turn their dreams into a reality. 

One of the main things that prevents an artist from producing and connecting with an audience is money. Even after producing a masterpiece, an artist must sell it; but, because of a lack of funding, they can only find a small audience. Social media has at least provided an artist with a platform from which they can interact with a global audience. At the end of the day, an artist still needs money for things like food, rent, travel costs, etc. They are discouraged from producing art if the public does not buy it or attend their performances.

Being from a privileged family, I was unaware of the social relevance of art. I didn’t knew how to deal with money matters as a freelance artist. However, I gained valuable experience and learned from collaborations with other artists that to genuinely respect art, you must first honour the time and efforts put into the work by an artist.

Disclaimer: All contents and ideas in this post are my own and are not meant to hurt anyone’s feelings. You might or might not agree with my opinions expressed in this post. But everything is part of my experience, which can be different from what you may have experienced.

POST CONTENTS

Free photography for my online dance project 

Lessons I learned from my dance friends

Managing finances as an artist

Free photography for my online dance project 

I participated in an international Site-Specific Choreography dance project, which was online and offered certification upon completion. The project focused on creating a dance project inspired by a site or place, with the option to send it in photographs or videos. The site-specific choreography is typically performed in art galleries or streets without music.

Since I was a freelancer with little experience, I thought of collaborating with a few dancers and artists I knew. My friends Priyanka and Jaspreet agreed to be part of my project. I went with them to search for a location that suited the theme of my choreography. The difficult part was searching for a photographer who would agree to work with us for a reasonable pay. One of my dance friends introduced me to a freelance photographer who has done many projects with him, and he agreed to work for free with me.

Mistake 1 – I was delighted to have found someone who understood the financial challenges of freelancers and was genuinely interested in my dance project. 

We decided to send dance photographs along with a short poetic summary describing and enhancing the theme of the choreography. The location that we chose was a historical place, and videography was not allowed.

Mistake 2 – We were not sure if they would allow us to perform during visiting hours, but we were ready to take the risk.

We rehearsed our performance in a friend’s dance studio for a few days so that when we visit the location, it will be quick without attracting too much attention. Our photographer told us the right time of day when we should perform that would provide him with the best shots under the natural sunlight. On the day of the performance, we performed our dance quickly on the dramatic spots that we had fixed previously. Some photo shots had to be repeated for a better angle and light effect, which slowly started gathering crowds. Some gaurds came and started enquiring about our work. They were not annoyed but told us to wrap up our session quickly. We performed on some more spots in that location and finally called it a day, thanking each other for cooperation and a learning experience. I told them that I would be completing the writing process, mentioning everyone’s names in the project, and also sending them the photographs.

The photographer also helped his dad with his business and was struggling to edit the photographs on time. In the meantime, I quickly completed the writing and cohesion of the entire dance project, explaining my theme and a short excerpt about the inspiration from that site and the depiction of dance performers. Only 3 days were left for my submission, and the photographer has still not sent me the complete photographs. My patience was waning because I would also be failing my collaborating dancers who took part in it with me.

Mistake 3 – One day before the submission, I and the photographer had a huge fight over the phone over time management issues and commitment to the project. 

The photographer refused to send the rest of the dance project photographs and threatened to sue me if I used any. I couldn’t understand why did he agreed to help me if he had such a busy schedule. I wondered how he managed to work with the rest of the dancers if this is his attitude towards art projects. At that point, I had no other choice but to send the unedited photographs for the dance project. Even those unedited photos will seem fantastic to a novice. I told my dance friends what had happened between me and the photographer. I mailed them a copy of my completed dance project.

Lessons I learned from my dance friends

Later, I discussed this incident with other dance friends. They told me that even though we are all freelancers, working for free, should never be accepted because it undervalues their hard work and time. This is similar to organizations requesting artists to teach trial classes or hiring interns without compensation. This is an unfair practice, as the recruited person works equally hard and feels obligated to the company.

They also suggested that even though the photographer was a friend’s friend, I should have asked him to sign a contract with a deadline. Since he was busy, he was under no obligation to finish a project whose importance he didn’t understand. Having said that, he is also a freelancer, but paying him meant more than just money- it was a sign that you respected his time and effort. 

Managing finances as an artist

I was a naive freelance artist at the time, but this shocking incident taught me a valuable lesson. I don’t care if I ever cross paths with that photographer; I’m not sorry and I don’t want him to apologise either. But for all my later dance projects, I made sure to pay everyone who worked with me, regardless of whether they requested payment or not. It is not cheap to demand payment for your job, it is necessary. Here are some practical reasons to support new artists financially:

• It gives artists the mental freedom to pursue their passion despite facing social challenges.
• Artists get enough time to perfect their skills by booking rehearsal space.
• Artists contribute to the growth and evolution of the art industry.
• Every professional artist was once a new student who found encouragement and appreciation for their work from someone.
• Supporting new artists brings new perspectives and ideas to raise awareness about social issues.
• It also supports the rich cultural scene of your country.

Please feel free to share your experience.

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