Talent Backer brings crowdfunding to individuals in arts, music, sport and entertainment
Howard Lake | 16 June 2014 | News
Talent Backer is a new crowdfunding platform that aims to help talented individuals succeed in the worlds of arts, music, sport and entertainment.
Individuals can seek funding to help them achieve their aim. This could be attending a course, travelling to an international event, paying for training or tuition, or covering the costs of a recording session or a production.
Campaigns run for 28 days. If the fundraising target is reached within that time, the money is released. If not, it is returned to the pledgers. Talent Backer charges 10% of pledges made.
Acting course
One person using the site is Louis Cardona, 27, who has been offered a place on the MA Acting course at the Drama Centre London, and needs help to fund his tuition there. Over the past five years, he has been taking on day jobs of carpet layering, decorating, PR, office and bar work in order to fund his classes, workshops and courses to hone his craft.
The actor Stephen McGann has commented on how difficult it can be for young people, especially those from working-class backgrounds, to enter the profession.
“Opportunities are closing down”, he said. “If you’re a messy kid from a council estate today, I think the chances of you making it as a successful actor are a lot worse than they were”.
Successful campaigns on Talent Backer include the Lancaster Water Polo Club (£1550), Eric Ham for martial arts (£450), Ugly Sister Productions (£2,300), and Rachel Abbott for vocal tuition (£500).
Photo: stage door by RG-vc on Shutterstock.com
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.