Workshop with Benjamin Cook: Presenting for Success! Pitching skills for artist filmmakers

Benjamin Cook, Director of LUX leads this two-day workshop for artists to develop and refine strategies for presenting or pitching projects. The workshop will focus on both written and verbal presentation skills and how these can most effectively be put to use in getting new work developed, produced or commissioned. The emphasis will be on skills that can be applied within both art and film contexts, including preparing funding, residency and production award applications as well as pitching at development markets, film festivals and other competitive contexts. We will also consider how artists can use tools such as pitching productively and how to approach writing and using visual material in presentations about your work.

Working within an informal and mutually supportive small group environment, participants will bring a short written project proposal to be workshopped over the two days. Participants will gain further insights into the variety of contexts in which projects can be pitched; the information that funders, commissioners and producers are looking for; best strategies for writing a succinct and compelling proposal, and what a successful presentation might look like.

Following lunch together on the Friday (a light vegan lunch will be provided) these skills will be put into practice. Each participant will present their project to industry professionals Tess Renaudo (l’Alternativa festival, Barcelona), Peter Taylor (Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival) and Mason Leaver-Yap (KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin and co-founder of LUX Scotland) for constructive feedback and advice.

There are 8 places available on this workshop. To apply to take part please send a 200 word proposal describing a project that you would like to develop in this context to email hidden; JavaScript is required by 5pm, Thursday 22 February. Selected participants will be notified on 22 February.

We may be able to cover some travel costs for participants based outside of Glasgow – please let us know if this support would allow you to attend the workshops.

Both venues have step free access to all floors.

Programmed for Glasgow Short Film Festival 2018.