Fundraising

Whilst working as Executive Director at Oldham Coliseum Theatre and Acting Chief Executive at Community Arts North West, David was the principal liaison between these institutions and a range of financial stakeholders including Arts Council England, Local Authorities, and a range of Trusts and Foundations. During this time he forged close relationships with these stakeholders and gleaned a thorough knowledge of their way of working.

These relationships bore fruit and led to enhanced income streams for both organisations.

IAP:MCR creates and presents new work across the visual and performing arts made by artists who identify as queer. We tell the stories of LGBTQIA+ people utilising multi-disciplinary art forms to engage, welcome and entertain, whilst enabling collaboration, participation and celebration. IAP:MCR was formed by David Martin and Jez Dolan.

To date David has raised £229,976 for IAP:MCR from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and others to support an extensive programme of heritage-related projects.

B arts is a combined and participatory arts organisation founded in 1985. The company has a long track record of delivering multi-disciplinary arts projects mixing site specific theatre; carnival; lanterns; animations; textiles; food, eco-construction; gardening and more. Their vision is of a society where everyone has an equal chance to take part, and by taking part can make change for the better in themselves, their place, and their communities. Their aim is to improve the lives of people and the places in which they live through creative and cultural interventions. They employ artists in work that is intelligent, thoughtful and contributes to a process of cultural democracy.

David worked with the core team to identify trusts and foundations that were strategically aligned to B arts' mission and programme of work and then made applications for support. In a twelve-month period, these applications generated additional income of £330,000 for the company.

"David continues to work intensively with B arts helping us develop a number of strategically important projects. David’s experience of income generation and strategic work in the arts, as well as his great understanding of the context and aims of our projects, have proved invaluable to the progress of our company.”

Photo credits: Natalie Willatt, Joel Chester Fildes, David Martin and Lee Baxter