Two panels made-up of 21 music industry experts were tasked with selecting successful applicants for the 2017 Horizons Launchpad fund . Here, we share some feedback for applicants who missed out this time....
Ryan Richards, Raw Power Management If your application was unsuccessful this time, please don’t let that put you off applying next time. With the standard being so high this year, our panel had to make some very tough decisions on leaving out artists we felt strongly about. There were many instances of us collectively exclaiming that ‘I hope they apply next year!’, so please don’t be one of those acts that we miss next year.
Os na fu eich cais yn llwyddiannus y tro hwn, peidiwch â digalonni a theimlo nad ydych am ymgeisio eto’r tro nesaf. Roedd y safon yn uchel dros ben eleni, a bu’n rhaid i’n panel wneud penderfyniadau anodd iawn i hepgor artistiaid roeddem yn teimlo’n gryf yn eu cylch. Ar sawl achlysur, fe ddywedodd pawb, ‘Gobeithio’n wir y bydd yn ymgeisio eto’r flwyddyn nesaf!’, felly peidiwch â bod yn un o’r artistiaid rydym yn gweld eu heisiau’r flwyddyn nesaf.
Eddie Al-Shakarchi, Producer Please…think about re-applying next year - and what you might change. Think of how the Launchpad fund will help you in the long term - how will this factor into a bigger picture/plan? If you can explain that in your application, and your music is great, you have a…chance of success next time around.
Meddyliwch da chi am ymgeisio eto’r flwyddyn nesaf – ac am sut y gallai pethau newid i chi. Meddyliwch am sut y gall y Gronfa Lawnsio eich helpu yn y tymor hir – sut fydd hynny’n rhan o ddarlun/cynllun mwy? Os allwch chi esbonio hynny yn eich cais, ac os yw eich cerddoriaeth yn wych, mae’n bosib iawn y byddwch yn llwyddiannus y tro nesaf.
Julie Weir, Sony Music Selling yourself on occasions like this can be a very tricky task...but if you don’t have faith in yourself, how would you expect others to? Having a great deal of confidence in yourself and your project is paramount – which can be reflected in great social media (make sure all links work, there are great photos up, live footage, some press clippings etc.), a very organised and detailed proposal and of course a budget that details specifics so people are aware of how you envisage spending the investment.
Remember you are going to be competing with a lot of like-minded creative individuals for the fund and if you can come up with something that’s interesting that’s amazing, BUT being able to demonstrate knowledge of your audience, how to reach them and having a plan for moving forward and what your aims are makes you a much stronger contender to success.
Gall fod yn anodd iawn gwerthu eich hun ar adegau fel hyn... ond os nad oes gennych ffydd ynoch chi eich hun, sut mae disgwyl i bobl eraill fod â ffydd ynoch? Mae digonedd o hunanhyder a hyder yn eich prosiect yn hollbwysig – a gallwch gyfleu hynny drwy gyfrwng cyfrifon gwych ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol (gwnewch yn siŵr bod yr holl ddolenni’n gweithio, bod gennych ffotograffau gwych, fideos ohonoch yn perfformio’n fyw, toriadau papur newydd ac yn y blaen), cynnig hynod drefnus a manwl ac wrth gwrs mae angen cyllideb sy’n rhoi digon o fanylion fel bod pobl yn gwybod sut rydych yn bwriadu gwario’r buddsoddiad.
Cofiwch y byddwch yn cystadlu yn erbyn llawer iawn o unigolion creadigol o’r un anian â chi am y gronfa ac os allwch chi gynnig rhywbeth diddorol mae hynny’n wych, OND os allwch chi ddangos eich bod yn adnabod eich cynulleidfa, ac yn gwybod sut i gyrraedd y gynulleidfa honno, a chynllun ar gyfer symud ymlaen sy’n dweud beth yw eich amcanion, bydd eich cais yn gryfach o lawer.