In celebration of its 10-year anniversary, Kickstarter has introduced Performance: In Progress, an initiative for artists who are raising funds for theatre, dance, and performing arts projects that are launching in May. Creators will receive access to a six-week Kickstarter bootcamp, a webinar, and one-on-one feedback and training.
For six weeks beginning March 18, Kickstarter will send participants a weekly email with deadlines, tips, and examples to help prepare for their project's launch between May 1–31. The bootcamp will be accompanied by a special webinar held on March 26, as well as the opportunity for feedback on their drafted campaign page before launch. Artists will be put directly in touch with an outreach specialist from the Kickstarter Arts team, as well as given the opportunity to communication with Kickstarter's senior performance lead Jessica Massart.
“Artists often come to Kickstarter to raise money for their fall performances while they’re also trying to produce the show, sell tickets, and hold down another gig. Simply put, no one should have to worry about asking more from their donors on top of prepping for tech week," says Massart. "With Performance: In Progress, I want to take some of the stress out of funding by helping artists to run campaigns earlier and with more support."
Kickstarter will share what participants are up to with the Kickstarter community while their campaign is live and when it’s time for the premiere. Kickstarter will also be dedicating more newsletter space and social media to performance projects.
An outline of the boot camp is available below.
Week 1: Big Picture (setting goals, considering community, and narrowing down story)
Week 2: Planning (video outline, rewards, outreach plan)
Week 3: Drafting (project description)
Week 4: Getting specific (finalizing your narrative, campaign page)
Week 5: Start sharing (outreach to launch groups, prep for first week)
Week 6: Final touches (submitting for review, lining up promotion)
Recent projects that went through Kickstarter include Amir Nizar Zuabi's Grey Rock, Kristine Haruna Lee's Suicide Forest, and Tina Satter's Is This A Room: Reality Winner Verbatim Transcription.
