We were overwhelmed with support for our recent licence review and after a positive outcome we’re back hitting the fundraising trail with determination!
There’s an exciting transformation planned for the Mill, including an urgent new roof, a lift to all floors, new building entrances, water- and sound-proofing, and the crowning glory, the 5th and 6th floors transformed into new studio space for artists from Greater Manchester and around the world.
We’ve had loads of people asking how they can help us so we’ve put together this handy guide with fun ways to get involved and help us reach our fundraising target so we can start building a secure future for the Mill.
Here goes…!
1. Come to a fundraising party.
Christeene, GNOD, Mr Scruff, Too Many Blogs and a mighty New Year’s Eve bash are just a few of the fundraising events we’ve held. Keep a close eye on our Facebook page for the next knees-up and grab tickets fast.
2. Throw your own fundraising party.
From Naked Boys Reading to Quizlington Mill, people have been showing their brains, creativity and a whole lot more to come up with fun ways to raise some coin. If you want to throw a fundraiser we give loads of marketing support to get bums on seats, so get inventive and get in touch: fundraising@islingtonmill.com
3. Come to a festival!
Fat Out Fest and Sounds From The Other City are two of our region’s music calendar highlights, and a great chance to see and hear the Mill at its creative best. Fat Out was a blast, Sounds is still to come. Come down to the Mill to start your day, put some coins in a collection bucket and think about how grey life would be without the Mill…
4. Buy some art!
Temporary Custodians by Maurice Carlin is now 2/3 sold with just 30 of the 100 prints still to find homes – we need buyers! Why not club together with your workplace, venue, organisation or group and buy a print together? You’ll have a 10 year relationship with the Mill and with the other co-owners of the work, embarking on an experiment in art ownership and getting to own a truly unique piece of the Mill’s history. Want to know more? fundraising@islingtonmill.com
5. Sell some art!
We’ve had screen-printed classes making beautiful #SaveIslingtonMill tote bags, while the print ‘Mystery Tubes’ from The Engine House went down a treat at Christmas time (and re-launching soon, stay tuned!). Meanwhile GNOD’s super-rare box-set GNOD X sold out in a matter of hours. If you want to make and sell something for our fundraising, we can help you to spread the word! fundraising@islingtonmill.com
6. Buy us a pint!
Okay not really, but a modest donation for the price of a pint is a super easy and generous way to make a difference. Since opening our PayPal people have been chipping in regularly and the total now runs into the thousands! This all helps towards our urgent roof repairs, and if you’re feeling generous of course we’ll take a round…!
http://www.islingtonmill.com/
7. Lend us your bright ideas!
Our fundraising team is small, dedicated and busy, so any bright ideas and fundraising leads are always welcome. Does your workplace have a business development scheme that might be looking to support the arts? Do you know any contemporary art collectors? Do you run a gallery that could display work for us? Here’s our suggestion box! fundraising@islingtonmill.com
8. Share this blog post!
The more people hear about our story, the better. Share this post, it costs nothing and would mean the world to us. Thank you!
