{{Short description|Former UK charitable organisation}} '''IdeasTap''' was a UK charitable organisation established to aid people in the creative industry at the start of their careers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/16-reasons-to-visit-se16-7281880.html|title=16 reasons to visit SE16|date=12 October 2011|publisher=Evening Standard|access-date=20 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126123729/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-23997270-16-reasons-to-visit-se16.do|archive-date=26 January 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The organisation offered a variety of free resources, including showcasing opportunities, workshops, funding, mentoring and advice<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2012/feb/01/theatre-ageism-playwrights-over-30|title=Theatre of absurd ageism: why won't theatres support playwrights over 30?|date=1 February 2012|publisher=The Guardian Theatre Blog}}</ref> and membership was free.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/1863139/free-money-photographers|title=Free money for young photographers|date=29 October 2010|publisher=British Journal of Photography|access-date=20 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528152125/http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/1863139/free-money-photographers|archive-date=28 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite an outcry from the creative community,<ref>{{Cite web|title = Young Creatives Have No Idea Who'll Help Them Now|url = http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/07/08/ideastap-closes_n_7753466.html|website = The Huffington Post UK|access-date = 2016-02-23}}</ref> the charity closed in 2015 due to a lack of public funding available to support it.
IdeasTap supported young people working in creative disciplines including theatre, film, photography and visual art, illustration, design, dance, performance art, poetry and creative writing. It also managed an online arts magazine, IdeasMag, which offered advice for emerging creatives through interviews and features. Members and their projects were also promoted through the magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecadaverine.com/?p=3580|title=IdeasTap Magazine - Editor Interview|date=22 June 2011|publisher=Cadaverine Magazine}}</ref>
In March 2015 it was announced that IdeasTap would close on 2 June 2015 due to lack of funding.<ref>{{cite web |last=De Haan |first=Peter |date=2015-03-09 |title=The End of an Era |url=http://www.ideastap.com/IdeasMag/all-articles/the-end-of-an-era-ideastap-is-closing |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829072601/http://www.ideastap.com/IdeasMag/all-articles/the-end-of-an-era-ideastap-is-closing |archive-date=2017-08-29 |accessdate=2024-01-16 |website=IdeasTap}}</ref>
==Details== IdeasTap was established in December 2008 by arts philanthropist Peter De Haan.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts-and-culture/night-and-day/7097308/ideas-on-tap.thtml|title=Ideas on Tap|date=5 March 2012|work=The Spectator|accessdate=5 March 2012|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915060536/http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts-and-culture/night-and-day/7097308/ideas-on-tap.thtml|archive-date=15 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pdhct.org.uk/thetrust/?page_id=2|title=The Arts|publisher=Peter De Haan Charitable Trust|accessdate=5 March 2012|location=Bermondsey, London}}</ref> Founding partners included Old Vic New Voices, National Youth Theatre and Polka Theatre.
The organisation made its first funding award in April 2009 to young theatre companies going to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A further £50,000 funding was awarded during that year through the Ideas Fund pilot scheme.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/news/ideastap.com-launches-50k-pilot-ideas-fund.html|title=IdeasTap.com launches £50k pilot Ideas Fund|date=29 May 2009|publisher=Youth Music|access-date=20 February 2012|archive-date=24 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424211952/http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/news/ideastap.com-launches-50k-pilot-ideas-fund.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In October 2011, membership of the site reached 50,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?id=12313&pg=3483|title=IdeasTap: Short Animation Competition Awards|date=8 September 2011|publisher=Barbican Centre}}</ref> In July 2013 membership reached 100,000<ref name="users">{{cite web|url=http://www.spotlight.com/news/archive/2013/07/19/ideastap-celebrate-100000-members.aspx#.Uh4elmQivZo|title=IdeasTap celebrate 100,000 members|date=19 July 2013|publisher=Spotlight}}</ref> and it had awarded more than £1.5 million worth of direct funding and accompanying expert mentoring to emerging artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmovies/article/BAFTA-winner-Andrew-Scott-to-Mentor-10-Aspiring-Actors-20130717|title=BAFTA winner Andrew Scott to Mentor 10 Aspiring Actors|date=17 July 2013|publisher=Spotlight}}</ref>
IdeasTap awards its funding, mentoring and support through creative briefs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ayoungertheatre.com/tag/peter-de-haan/|title=IdeasTap’s Risky Coming Up LATER|date=4 July 2011|publisher=A Younger Theatre}}</ref> Notable brief winners include HighTide Festival Theatre (Ideas Fund Edinburgh); RashDash (Ideas Fund Edinburgh); Sabrina Mahfouz (OVNV TS Eliot US/ UK Exchange) Folly for a Flyover (Innovators Fund); Pierfrancesco Celada (IdeasTap Photographic Award); Ella Hickson (OVNV 24 Hour Plays); Sarah Solemani (OVNV 24 Hour Plays); Nick Blood (Old Vic New Voices Theatre 503 Award). IdeasTap distributes its core funds through the Ideas Fund scheme, which is divided into five sections: Ideas Fund Innovators, Ideas Fund Shorts, Ideas Fund Green and the Top Up Fund.
Examples of opportunities offered to IdeasTap members include a workshop with the actor Kevin Spacey;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fourthwallmagazine.co.uk/2010/11/old-vics-kevin-spacey-offers-free-master-class/|title=Old Vic’s Kevin Spacey offers free master class|date=9 November 2010|publisher=Fourthwall Magazine|access-date=20 February 2012|archive-date=17 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417194303/http://www.fourthwallmagazine.co.uk/2010/11/old-vics-kevin-spacey-offers-free-master-class/|url-status=dead}}</ref> a dance performance at the Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bigdance2012.com/news.php?id=245|title=Dance Wembley Stadium|date=9 March 2011|publisher=Big Dance 2012|access-date=20 February 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730193406/http://www.bigdance2012.com/news.php?id=245|archive-date=30 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The IdeasTap and Magnum Photographic Award;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.dphotographer.co.uk/news/young-photographers-win-chance-to-embark-on-dream-project/|title=Young Photographers Win Chance to Embark on Dream Project|date=1 October 2011|publisher=Digital Photographer|access-date=20 February 2012|archive-date=19 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319075821/http://news.dphotographer.co.uk/news/young-photographers-win-chance-to-embark-on-dream-project/|url-status=dead}}</ref> the opportunity to participate in The 24 Hour Plays: Old Vic New Voices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ayoungertheatre.com/old-vic-new-voices-2012-season-announced/|title=Old Vic New Voices – 2012 Season announced|date=25 January 2012|publisher=A Younger Theatre}}</ref> Six emerging creative producers were also commissioned to create the Coming Up Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/the-75000-arts-festival-experiment-6568232.html|title=The £75,000 arts festival experiment|date=17 February 2011|publisher=Evening Standard}}</ref> In June 2012, IdeasTap launched a scheme trading free office space for creative skills.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/are-you-conscious-its-the-cool-new-buzzword-7819744.html|title=Are you conscious? It's the cool new buzzword|date=6 June 2012|publisher=Evening Standard}}</ref>
In May 2011, IdeasTap and Sky Arts launched the first round of the Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund. Through this bursary scheme, opera director Daisy Evans and visual artist Phoebe Boswell were each awarded £30,000 towards their creative development.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sky.com/mysky/latestnews/article/my-sky-updates/2011-11/sky-arts-ignition-futures-fund-round-one-winners-named/index.html|title=Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund round one winners named|publisher=BSkyB}}</ref> A further three bursaries of £30,000 each were awarded to director Felix Mortimer, animator Drew Roper and performance artist Laurence Payot in May 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sky.com/mysky/latestnews/article/my-sky-updates/2012-05/sky-arts-sparks-creative-careers/index.html|title=Sky Arts fund sparks creative careers|publisher=Sky.com}}</ref> Drew Roper later went on to run a crowdfunding campaign for an additional £30,000 which many in the animation community found controversial.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website|www.ideastap.com}}{{dead link|date=March 2024}}
Category:Arts organisations based in the United Kingdom Category:2008 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:2015 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Category:Charities based in the United Kingdom