All hands on deck

At the William Morris Gallery in east London a sea of tiles painted with shimmering golden chrysanthemum stretches for metres. It’s one of the great arts and crafts designer’s most compelling and intricate designs.

What will make them feel this is exciting, something they want to be a part of and make them put their money where their mouth is?

So far, so much the same as any other exhibition. Except that this is ceramicist Clare Twomey’s transformation of the gallery into a live studio, where anyone can volunteer to be an apprentice and work alongside a skilled master painter, learning through practice and concentration the artistry of 150 years ago.

Realising ambitions

Not only is the concept of the exhibition new, but the way it came about is too. It was realised following a crowdfunding campaign on the Art Fund’s free platform Art Happens. The spark of an idea, perhaps something long dreamed of but beyond the means of a museum, is now possible through harnessing people power. For many arts professionals facing uncertain times in the funding landscape, this can be a proactive way of realising their ambitions.

The first step is finding the project that will capture everyone’s imagination. Recent successful Art Happens projects have ranged from restoring the Bloomsbury interiors of Charleston House in East Sussex, to a major exhibition of the Chapman Brothers at Jerwood Gallery in Hastings, and from the conservation of a 15th-century Flemish altarpiece for the Bowes Museum in County Durham to the ICA’s Art Night which saw artists transform secret spaces and local landmarks in Westminster.

They have each raised between £5,000 and £32,000 from hundreds of donations as small as £5 and as large as £5,000.

Collaboration and communication

Next is to craft the message and put yourself into the shoes of someone who might consider getting involved. What will make them feel this is exciting, something they want to be a part of and make them put their money where their mouth is?

The regular Art Happens collaboration days at the Art Fund with crowdfunding, digital, marketing and PR experts are key to honing the project, its messages and the rewards given for each donation. It is often at these workshops that the passion and commitment needed by organisations becomes fully apparent. It’s an ‘all hands on deck’ approach so it’s key to have everyone from trustees to front-of-house staff engaged, and ensure crucial team members are on board.

Then is the time to ready everyone for the launch, mapping out a clear communications plan well in advance that engages audiences online and offline, using a mix of digital channels, social media as well as on-site presence. Reaching out to stakeholders, partners and other influencers even before the launch is vital as all those ambassadors will be needed to help spread the word.

Then brace yourself for the crucial first three days and keep the momentum going.

Success and empowerment

Art Happens is the UK’s only crowdfunding platform for museums and, as part of our charitable programme, it is completely free.The results are remarkable. In the two years since its launch, Art Happens has received almost £300,000 in contributions from over 2,500 unique funders. 95% of projects have been successful (compared to just 61% for Kickstarter’s projects looking to raise under £1,000 or 35.8% overall).

Crowdfunding is hard work but completely worthwhile for the money raised. Not only can it empower museums, but it can foster new fundraising expertise and enable the development of audiences and supporters.

Rachel Mapplebeck is Director of Communications at Art Fund.
www.artfund.org