In January 2022 SÍN has launched its new programme, an adaptation of the various international good examples of participative funding schemes in the arts.
The scheme is relatively simple. We published an open call in a total sum of approximately EUR 9.000 to artists and art workers in the independent performing arts field. The applicants are asked to submit project ideas and respective budget – for either artistic or any other project that support the development of the independent scene.
After the closure of the open call we share all applications amongst the applicants, they have about 3 weeks to get familiar with all the ideas.
In the end of February they decide about how to divide the available fund within a day. First they make a mutual decision about the criteria according to which they evaluate the proposals. Then each applicant has a chance to present the project idea. Once this is done we’ll have the decision through discussions and voting. The applicants shall decide about the number of supported projects and the amounts awarded to each project to the extent of the full available budget. The process is supported by various group facilitation methodologies. SÍN is only responsible to provide the framework for the decision making, our colleagues have no input into the discussion and the decision making. The whole duration of the decision making day shall be livestreamed on the SÍN social media channels for a greater transparency.
In December 2022 we gather again to learn about the development, completion of all the supported projects and work on the improvement of the GAP process together with the participants.
It is an experiment – both for us and the Hungarian independent performing arts field. Later in the year we shall conduct a campaign to win more supporters for the initiative so that in 2023 we start the second round with a higher budget and experience from the first edition.
It is our ambition to learn, develop, fine-tune the GAP programme together with the participants and all interested parties. We aim at flexibly adapting it to the needs in the field in a continuous learning curve about participatory funding.
The main objectives of GAP are the following:
- We would like to develop, improve and experiment with other funding structures than the currently known ones together with all players in the independent art field
- We like to give way for experimentation – not only in the artistic processes but also in ones that support, supplement them
- We would like to encourage collaboration as opposed to competition, to take responsibility for one another
- We are interested in opening a forum for a professional, mature discourse of artistic ideas, plans
