Launchgrad news, events and opportunities Oct/November 2021

November 9, 2021

October/November 2021 Newsletter

Hello, and welcome to the October/November 2021 Launchgrad newsletter, where we’re really happy to invite you to some professional practice online sessions at HCA, alongside our usual round-up of opportunities, events, and possible funding streams. We’re focusing on funding streams this year in response to feedback from last year’s Spring Survey.We can also share some headline information from the Graduate Outcomes survey (from those who graduated in 2018-19). Huge thanks to those students who are completing or have completed the survey this year.We’ll be starting to do some housekeeping around the Launchgrad mailing list in November, adding new graduating cohorts and taking off those graduates who graduated more than 18 months ago.If you graduated more than 18 months ago and would still like to stay in touch with HCA, please sign up to our alumni newsletter here.

Graduate Associate Membership

***The application window for Graduate Associate Membership is currently open***

To find out if you qualify for this and how to apply visit our Graduate Associate Membership web page.

We are pleased to let you know that we have been able to extend access to HCA buildings for Graduate Associate members of HCA.During academic year 20201-22 Graduate Associate Members of HCA will be able to access:

  • The library at CRC to benefit from our fantastic range of specialist creative art books and journals
  • The opportunity to exhibit in the library at CRC
  • The cafe at CRC, to catch up with friends and stay connected to the wider HCA community
  • The art shops at CRC and the chance to purchase art materials at a subsidised rate

We can’t offer access to IT or printing facilities but you are welcome to bring your own device and access free CRC guest Wi-Fi whilst on site (ask reception teams for a password).If your graduation ceremony from an MA or BA course was held in September 2021 (meaning you received your degree award in 2020 or 2021) you are eligible to apply for Graduate Associate Membership.We regret that as a small team we cannot email graduates individually about Graduate Associate Memberships or take telephone queries.Please note that access for graduates may change at any point during the academic year depending on external circumstances.

 

Graduates in ResidenceYou can read more about the pilot scheme on our GiR web pages.

 

Graduate Outcomes Survey – feedback from the 2018-19 cohort

Graduate Outcomes SurveyHuge thanks to those graduates from 2018-19 who completed the Graduate Outcomes survey. We’re pleased to tell you that the survey showed more of you are progressing to F/T employment than the similar creative arts institutions we use as benchmarks, and more of you are progressing to what the Graduate Outcome classes as ‘professional’ employment categories than the centres we use as benchmarks.We use the data from the survey together with our internal survey data, and our areas for development are:

  • Making sure that all undergraduates and our Launchgrad community have access to shared professional practice sessions around specific areas of careers and employability (to support with networking opportunities and so that key skills and knowledge can be reinforced)
  • Continue to develop our post-graduate (MA) courses
  • Find out how we can best support graduates who were in receipt of DSA when they were in college to progress to further study (if they want to do this!)

If you are reading this and claimed DSA during your time at HCA, we’d welcome your thoughts on how we might/might have supported you to progress to further study if that was a possible goal for you. Click here to share any ideas you have! More information about the survey is available on the Graduate Outcomes Survey Website
An invitation to attend online professional practice sessions at HCA

Freelancer V Employee

Thursday Nov 4th 3.00-4.30pm

The differences between Self employment and permanent employment Proactive/Reactive/business ownership/entrepreneurship Jane Taylor

Foot on the ladder?

Thursday Nov 18th 3.00-4.30pm

Internships/Job placements/work experience/startups! How, why, what, and when?

Ethics & Morality

Thursday Dec 2nd 3.00-4.30pm

Ethics, Morality and your career, An overview of how the Media operates censorship & self-censorship/audience/working ethically/sustainable choices… All lectures take place online over TEAMS. For further information about TEAMS check out the microsoft help pages, which have useful information and videos to support you.We regret that as a small team we cannot respond to individual queries about lecture content or support with IT issues.Please contact L.jones@hca.ac.uk for a joining link for sessions. Volunteers, Coventry BiennialCoventry Biennial is a social, political and critical platform for contemporary art, taking place every two years, we produce significant exhibitions, events and activities in Coventry and the surrounding area for diverse and widespread audiences and participants.Full details: https://www.coventrybiennial.com/2021/09/02/volunteer-opportunities-at-hyper-possible/There is a rolling deadline for this opportunity, and volunteers are needed until February 2022.
Advice on applying for funding

If you’re wondering whether you’re reading to apply for grant funding for your project, have a look at ‘When to apply for Grants’, an excellent article from Artquest which talks you through what you’ll need to critically consider before downloading that application form.

 

Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants

National Lottery Project Grants supports thousands of individual artists, community and cultural organisations. Until 30 November 2021, the fund will focus on the needs of smaller independent organisations and individual practitioners.

More details on the Arts Council website PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATION: IDEAS & PIONEERS FUNDPaul Hamlyn Foundation’s Ideas and Pioneers Fund awards grants of up to £15,000 to support people with a vision of a better society to explore their ideas for change. Deadline Monday 15th November.Find out more on their website Musician Union:  Coronavirus Hardship FundIn response to the widespread cancellation of work that has hit our profession as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Musician Union have set up a £1 million hardship fund that members with genuine and pressing hardship can apply to.  Grants of £200 are available.Find out more: https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/hardshipfund Help Musicians Funding WizardA searchable funding database for musicians.Find out more: https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/creative-programme/funding-wizard ARTCRY ARTCRY is a new fund which aims to encourage artists to create bold political work with funding in seven days to enable fast action. ARTCRY aims to encourage artists to create bold political work, with fast-turnaround funding to enable fast action. For more information and criteria see the ArtCry website. Funding for Further StudyFind out about doctoral loans (government funding) on the government’s website.Funding for doctoral level study in the Arts and Humanities is generally made through the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Look at the AHRC website for more details. Alternatively, you can use specialist websites like ‘Find a Phd’ which currently show application windows open for arts and humanities doctorates from UAL and Loughborough, amongst others. Should I do a Masters?If you’ve graduated with a first or upper second class degree award and are considering further study it’s worth looking at this useful article from Prospects, the graduate career platform. Although not specific to arts graduates, it offers useful statistics about the value of further study and outlines some of the pros and cons of considering this route. Funding a MastersThere’s a useful guide to all the different ways you might fund a Master’s Course, from government loans through to charitable funding streams on the ‘Find a Masters’ website. Careers AdviceWe are very pleased to be able to offer graduates who have graduated within the last 18 months the opportunity to apply for free careers advice with HCA’s careers advisor, Gail Kilminster. There will be around 16 tutorial opportunities with Gail each month.To book a tutorial please email G.Kilminster@hca.ac.uk. Slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. This is a pilot offer and will be reviewed regularly.