APPLICATION FORM GUIDANCE NOTES
The following guidance notes are intended to help you through the process of completing the application form. The guidance notes offer help and advice, however, applicants must also read in full the Award Guidelines which explain the nature and function of the award, the process of application and assessment and the terms and conditions that apply.
These guidance notes should be read in conjunction with the Application Form. The numbered sections below relate to the numbered sections of the Application Form.
Section 1 - the Award
1.1 At section 1.1 of the Application Form you are asked to indicate the award for which you are applying. You must only select one award. There are different priorities for different awards so it is very important that you select the right one. By reading the Award Guidelines for an award you should be able to understand the objectives and priorities of the different awards and be able to select the one that is right for you. If having read all of the Award Guidelines you are still not sure which award you should apply to then you should contact the Arts Council.
1.2 At section 1.2 of the Application Form you are ticking to say that you have read the Award Guidelines relating to the award for which you are applying. The Award Guidelines for each award have five sections with the following headings: . About the award; Making an application; What happens to your application?; Terms and conditions; Application form guidance notes.
1.3 Section 1.3 of the Application Form asks you to identify the artforms /arts practices that are relevant to your application. In many cases it is likely that only one box will need to be ticked, however, in some cases there may be more than one. You should only select an artform/arts practice if it represents a significant element of the activities described in your application. Selecting more than 1 box will not in itself make your application any more or less of a priority.
Section 2 - Your Details
2.1 Section 2.1 of the Application Form asks you to provide the name of the applicant. The named applicant will be the person responsible for complying with any terms and conditions relating to the award. Any award that may be made as a result of this application will only be paid to the person named here.
2.2 Section 2.2 of the Application Form asks you to provide contact details of the applicant.
2.3 At section 2.3 of the Application Form you are asked to give the PPS number (Personal Public Service Number) of the applicant. PPS numbers were previously known as RSI numbers (Revenue and Social Insurance). If you receive a grant of more than €650 you will be required to provide your PPS number.
2.4 At section 2.4 of the Application Form you are asked to confirm that you were born in or are resident in the Republic of Ireland. You will find a definition of what we mean by ‘resident’ in the section on Terms and Condition in the Award Guidelines.
Section 3 - Proposal
3.1 At section 3.1 of the Application Form You are asked to provide 3 short points outlining your proposal.
3.2 At section 3.2 of the Application Form you are asked to provide a full description of your proposal. This will help those involved in assessing your application to understand the full scope of your proposal. What is included in the detailed description will depend on the nature of the proposed activities. It might include but would not necessarily be limited to: a practical explanation of the activity, i.e. what will happen, when it will happen, how it will happen, who will be involved; the artistic goals and ambitions; an explanation of why your proposal is important for you and your practice; the envisioned benefits; the context in which the proposal is being made; information on any partners/collaborators and their roles; any additional and relevant technical details; any additional and relevant financial details.
3.3 At section 3.1 of the Application Form you are asked to explain how you feel your proposal meets the assessment criteria for the award to which you have applied. To understand the assessment criteria for the award you should read carefully the Award Guidelines and in particular the section About the Award and What happens to my Award?
3.4 At section 3.4 of the Application Form you are asked to identify any other artists, individuals, groups or organisations that are involved in your proposal. You should only identify those that play a significant part in your proposal. You can leave this section blank if it is not relevant or appropriate to your proposal.
3.5 At section 3.5 of the Application Form you are asked to identify key activities, dates or locations that are relevant to your proposal. You need only complete this section if there is a particular schedule or programme of activities that is relevant to your proposal. If this section is not relevant or appropriate to you or your proposal then you can leave it blank.
Section 4 - Budget
4.1 Section 4.1 of the Application Form asks you to identify if you are making a multi annual application. The option of making a multi-annual award is only available in some awards. In all cases multi annual awards are only offered in exceptional circumstances. You must consult the Award Guidelines and in particular the section About the Award to see if multi annual awards are available in the award for which you are applying. If you are making a multi annual application you must also identify if it is for 2 years or for 3 years.
4.2 Section 4.2 of the Application Form asks you to identify the expenditure relating to your proposal. Expenditure for a Bursary Award might include subsistence or living costs, materials, research etc. You should consult the Award Guidelines particularly the section on Making an Award to see what types of expenditure are eligible within the award that you are applying to.
4.3 Section 4.3 of the Application Form asks you to identify any income relating to your proposal. If you have income from other sources that is specifically being put towards the cost of the activities described in your Bursary proposal then you should identify that income here. You need only include other income if it is relevant and appropriate to your proposal. If you do not have other sources of income that you are putting towards the activities identified in your proposal then you should not enter anything here. It is important that your budget balances but whether or not you have other income to put towards your proposal will not in itself make your application any more or less of a priority.
4.4 Section 4.4 of the Application Form asks you to state how much you are seeking from the Arts Council. The amount requested should be equal to the total expenditure minus any income that you have declared as counting towards the cost of the proposal. It is very important that these figures match. If there is a discrepancy in the figures the Arts Council will not be in a position to properly assess your application. It is very important that you clearly state how much you are seeking from the Arts Council. The Arts Council is not able to grant money where an amount has not been requested. You cannot ask for more money than you need i.e. more than the expenditure that you have identified for the proposal.
5 Section 5 - Supporting Material
5.1 Section 5.1 of the Application Form asks you to confirm that you have submitted a CV. Your CV should be up to date and identify relevant work or skills, e.g. information about expertise in a particular area of work, or information about exhibitions, performances or recordings etc. Your CV should be no more than three A4 pages in length. If there are other people significantly involved in your proposal, particularly artistic personnel, then you must include their CV/s too.
5.2 Section 5.2 of the Application Form asks you to identify the supporting materials you are submitting with this application. The review of support material forms an integral part of the assessment process. You should refer to the Guidance Notes (particularly the section on Making an Award) for information on which items of supporting material are essential for the award to which you are applying. As well as the essential support material that is identified in the Award Guidelines there may be other items such as letters confirming other offers of support or technical information that is important to your proposal etc. Please note that each and every item of your supporting material must be clearly labelled. Your name must be on it and its title as well as a clear indication of its relevance as supporting material.
The prescribed formats and requirements for supporting material are as follows:
- Audio CDs - Only standard audio CDs are accepted. Please specify the tracks you want the assessors to listen to. All CDs should be labelled with track listing, names of performers, and instrumentation where appropriate.
- CD-ROMs - All disks should be readable on a PC. Please include a list of contents for the CD-ROM. We can accept only the following formats for digital files: o image files (JPEG): sound files (WAV); video files (QuickTime - AVI/MOV); text files (RTF) Other file formats are unacceptable.
- Catalogues, monographs and publications - Up to three such publications may be submitted in order to demonstrate the breadth and depth of an artist’s practice. Examples of publications must be your most recent work.
- DVDs - Only standard DVDs are accepted. A page of context should be provided with a DVD. Information should include two to three lines detailing the name of the piece, date, thematic/general comments, where it was presented, names of performers, how the work was financed (e.g. award, self-financed). A minimum of five minutes is required. Long pieces should be edited; otherwise a selection of three extracts (maximum five minutes each) should be submitted.
- Librettos - Librettists should ideally submit treatments or samples of previous work.
- Manuscripts - Literature applicants must submit four copies of a manuscript. Manuscripts or draft manuscripts should be no more than 10 pages in length and should be accompanied by a synopsis. Published authors should include examples (a maximum of two) of recent publications.
- Photographs - Photographs should be clearly labelled with a brief description of what the photograph is. . Reviews - Copies of reviews are not mandatory.
- If you wish to include reviews with your application, a maximum of two will be accepted.
- Scores - Scores are not mandatory for composers or sound artists who do not use scores but are a requirement for all other music applications. You should submit up to three scores to show different examples of your work.
- Scripts - One copy of the script and a synopsis must be submitted.
- Slides -Slides should be 35mm x 35mm internal dimensions, or 50mm x 50mm including frame, and numbered, in chronological order (starting with your most recent images). A slide list must accompany your slides. Each slide must be correctly labelled, using either an indelible pen or good-quality slide labels, with your name, viewing order number and a dot in the lower left-hand corner to ensure correct orientation.
- Slide lists - The slide list must contain details of the title and date of the work, media and dimensions. The slide list must correspond to the viewing order of your slides and also to the labelling on them.
- Transparencies - If required, a maximum of eight transparencies can be submitted. Transparencies must also be correctly labelled.
- Treatments - A maximum of eight A4 pages can be submitted. You should also submit a short synopsis. Sample scenes should be supplied if applicable.
- Videos - Only standard VHS is accepted. A page of context should be provided with the video. Information should include two to three lines detailing the name of the piece, date, thematic/general comments, where it was presented, names of performers and how the work was financed (e.g. award, self-financed). A minimum of five minutes is required. Long pieces should be edited; otherwise a selection of three extracts (maximum five minutes each) should be submitted.
- Workbooks and diaries - If your proposal involves a participatory process, you will want to show evidence of how this process might work. You may also wish to provide information that demonstrates your capacity and ability to work collaboratively. There are numerous ways in which a participatory process can be documented; workbooks and diaries made with participants are examples of material that can be used to demonstrate a participatory process.
Common mistakes to avoid when submitting materials documenting arts practice:
- Inadequately labelled materials.
- No list of contents for items submitted.
- No indication of the relevance of materials to your application.
- Submitting CDs, DVDs, etc. without identifying what is on the CD or DVD.
- No slide list with slides - this can lead to confusion over dimensions, media and context.
- No examples of your own work (e.g. CDs, DVDs, slides).
- Too much irrelevant information (e.g. too many reviews). Be selective with what you submit. It is better to submit one high-quality example than a large amount of lesser-quality, irrelevant material.
- Not enough information. Assessors will have no basis on which to make a recommendation.
- Examples of old work. Assessors are interested in your recent or current work.
Section 6 - Declaration
6.1 Section 6.1 of the Application form asks you to tick a box to confirm that you have read the Guidance Notes and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the award for which you have applied. It also asks you to confirm that that the information you have provided on the form and in the support material is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge. It is very important that you make this declaration. If you do not complete this section the Arts Council will not be in a position to undertake an assessment of your application.
Other general advice to consider when making an application
- Plan your application well in advance.
- Read all questions thoroughly before you answer them.
- Remember that several people will be involved in making a decision about your application - so make your application clear, concise and unambiguous.
- Do not assume that the assessors will know you or your work. Treat each application as if it were your first.
- Have a clear and realistic idea of what you want and how much your proposal costs.
- Be selective with supporting material and ensure you include those items that are essential.
- Do not send any unique or irreplaceable material.
- Have someone else look over your application before you send it in.
- Keep a copy of your application for reference.