Funding for international competition travel

[londonmummy1966]

Does any one have ideas on where DD might look to find funding to get her to the finals of an international competition? She has made it through the preliminary rounds but the final is in Europe and the competition offers no funding for travel there or accomodation. It seems harsh if the only people who can take aprt i the in person final performance round are those who can afford international travel and accommodation.

Try the activities governing body if they have one.

Is this a sport? Sports brands of shoes and clothing, sports brands of equipment, etc

Will she be representing her school or a particular club? Could they have a fundraiser for her?

Thank you - its music so no wealthy corporates to sponsor sadly. She's not representing her college and they wouldn't have funds to help either.

You could go down the route of setting up your own fundraising account if you have no other option. This may not be something either of you would want to consider though, and it wouldn't be for me.

Funding for anything like this is scarce. Though a pity if she's managed to reach the finals of a prestigious international competition.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. Makes a whole variety of awards to help children from low income families to achieve their potential in music so it could be worth applying to them.

Also awards for young musicians have a list of other people you can apply to.

Thank you - will have a look. They're really young to have got through as its for under 35s so a lot will be working (not that working musicians are exactly flush...)

@londonmummy1966 performing arts are so under funded that anything to do with them is hard.
My DD did a vocational sixth form now and MT degree. Because her sixth form qualification is confirmed in a different way to A-levels her UCAS code is not visible to banks so opening a student bank account has been really hard even with the letter from the HEFC confirming her student loans.

I really hope you manage it, OP.

Local Rotary club?

I think very unlikely, sadly
your best bet is to do a go fund me, or similar

OP I generally take a dim view of of GoFundMe but this is justified IMO. If it is indeed a prestigious competition and not one of the smaller ones that exist only to make money from competitors. If it was free to participate in probably a good bet that's it's solid.

Post on local community FB pages, ask the school, how did she learn music if it was a company would they like to sponsor her?

THank you for all your suggestions - I've approached a couple of trusts and am waiting to see what they have to say.I'd be too embarrassed to do a go fund me but it is a very prestigious competition for their instrument and even if they don't win they get a really good masterclass out of it. Its just really annoying that they have to be there for 5 days which is a lot of accomodation on top of the Eurostar.

I am a trustee of a local charity which has £1000 a year to give to any one under the age of 25 for any educational linked purpose and every year we advertise, door knock, plater Facebook etc and get no applications. Check if there is anything like this local to you as I know we are not the only charity to give our money away!

@Teddleshon - I have looked but can't see one for our area - most of the all London ones have fairly long deadlines too which is not going to work here as the time scale is so tight.

Assuming your charity is not for Londoners.......

Sadly not, it’s for a fairly small village and it’s immensely frustrating!

Have a look at your council website.

I know lots do funding for sport (ours does a great up to £500) and they may do an arts award too?

Also agree with things like rotary club or even a local music shop to sponsor her in exchange for advertising?

Well done your dd btw

Thank you - I'm afraid that our local Council can barely afford to offer grants to foodbank users to pay their heating bills let alone help with foreign travel.

However DC has managed to find a job playing for church services until the end of the year which should cover the costs so they will be off to Amsterdam! Very exciting and a big opportunity to perform to the great and the good in the world of their instrument!

What about the manufacturer of the instrument? Could it be good advertising for them? Or where you got the instrument from?

And we'll done to them and good luck in Amsterdam

Would your DD be up for some pre-Christmas busking? One of my DC's friends used to busk in London to raise money to attend NCO residentials, and earned a surprising amount.

@Methren -not a portable instrument sadly otherwise that would have been a good idea.

Can you try asking your local secondary if they can suggest anyone? They might know which pupils/ex-pupils might have expenses which may be a struggle.

I was put forward by my school, after I left, for a grant from a local charity, as were a few others, one of whom was the other person I knew to have been on free school meals. We were asked to say what we would spend the money on if awarded, and the charity then decided who/amounts on the basis of that. I don't think I'd have thought of applying if I hadn't been nominated. (Coincidentally, I said I would use it for some organ lessons, and although it only paid for six, that was enough to cover the main differences from piano and get me started - and I'm still playing thirty years later.)

Congrats to your DD, londonmummy.

(There's an organ at London Bridge station for people to play. Are you allowed to put a hat out if you do, I wonder?)

Do try GoFundMe.

I managed to raise £700 to provide instrumental lessons for a talented child in need from a local school.