An application form is often the first step in securing a job, a commission, a grant or a residency.
The basics of submitting an excellent application - written or video
- Research. Have you researched fully into the opportunity before applying and ask yourself the question: ‘is your work right for this opportunity’?
- Be curious. What information can you gather about this opportunity, the organisation and its previous projects.
- If your application requires visuals (drawing, images, documentation), make sure they are of the highest quality. Poor visual representation shows poor professionalism.
- Have an online presence. We recommend a simple structured website - think of this as a visual business card that will support your application.
- Be ambitious. What can your application offer that stands out from the crowd as well as challenges your artistic/professional practice.
- Make sure you have read and understood the application requirements. What are the deadlines, is there a word count?
- If you are provided with ‘essential criteria’ to complete, copy and paste this in a Word document and then go through and make sure you have answered all of the requirements fully, concisely and with specific references.
- Preparation is the key and preparation takes time, so set aside time to apply well in advance of the deadline.
- Most applications require some format of written work. Prepare this in Word, once you are happy with your final draft, copy and paste into the application. Remember to save a copy of your application.