Crowdfunding Lab with The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Rosie Mackley, BA Modern Ballet graduate

We’re kicking off a new project with The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland as part of their new Innovation Studio project!

We are providing the opportunity for 5 RCS graduates and alumni to learn the skills and knowledge to develop and manage their own successful crowdfunding campaigns. 

RCS Innovation Studio is a two-year pilot project which will facilitate new opportunities for knowledge exchange (KE) at the RCS. Through a series of workshops, panels, online discussions, and interdisciplinary collaborations and seed funds, Innovation Studio will support creative experimentation, skills development and collaboration. The project hopes to generate new practices and pave the way for a future Centre for Innovation at the Conservatoire.

Comics and Crowdfunding

Detail from variant cover art by Mark Brooks for BRZRKR #1, Keanu Reeves’s comic. Photograph: Mark Brooks/Boom!

2020 was a bumper year for crowdfunded comics, and 2021 has continued to see this success across platforms.

”By October [2020] backers had pledged $22m (£16.5m) to comics projects, up from $17m by the same point in 2019. Since the platform began in 2009, Kickstarter has funded 10,000 comic book projects, to the tune of $127m. With Marvel and DC putting out around 850 individual issues this year between them, that makes Kickstarter far and away the single most prolific publishing platform for comics in the world.“ - David Barnett, for The Guardian

Which is why we were delighted to be invited along to Creative Scotland’s inaugural ‘In the Frame’ to discuss crowdfunding as an alternative funding route for creators. The day is designed to demystify routes to funding, publication and distribution, the free online event is produced by Creative Scotland in partnership with industry specialists Hannah Berry, Nyla Ahmad, and Woodrow Phoenix and backed by the Society of Authors.

CRL Accelerator 2021

We’re excited to share about this year’s Central Research Laboratories Accelerator cohort. We’re really happy to once again be mentors for the programme, advising the startups on pre-launch growth and crowdfunding. It’s always great meeting with talented creators who are working on such a diverse range of equally fantastic growing businesses. Here’s a little about each of the startups we mentored.

Radiant Matter is a design-led material innovation company, with a mission to reduce microplastic pollution by replacing harmful petrochemicals used in textiles, fashion components and colourants with naturally degradable marine-safe materials. Their first product is the Bio Iridescent Sequin, made from renewable cellulose, the sequin gives rise to sustainable glittering colours whilst also being non-toxic, colourfast and pigment free.

O Innovations are developing the O-Wind turbine, a new form of blade-less wind turbine that is capable of harnessing winds from any direction. The turbine’s design is perfect for dense urban environments, creating energy from chaotic winds, and the first to harness power from both horizontally and vertically travelling wind.

The Lava Aqua X helps students wash their laundry using less water than a normal washing machine. It cleverly makes use of shower water by collecting it in a tank that is placed on the shower floor like a mat. After showering, the machine filters the water and uses it to wash clothes.

Armaros have developed a new type of equestrian body protector. Keeping riders safe as well as comfortable, it has a rigid protective exoskeleton whilst being made from a unique material structure that allows free movement of the body.

Yaw Board are making a new type of personal electric vehicle. It combines the fun of an electric skateboard with the practicality of an electric scooter. They’re an exciting team made up of who are skateboarders, snowboarders and design engineers.

Paperboy's Must Be Nice print collection to #StopAsianHate

We recently worked with Paperboy, an app that lets you send artist-led gifts from your phone, to promote their inaugural Must Be Nice! print collection.

Featuring 19 international artists, the collection of prints shares what each contributor loves about Asian culture. Part of each sale will help support the artists with profits going towards various organisations working to combat the rise in Asian xenophobia and help the communities affected (Besea.n, End The Virus of Racism and Hackney Chinese Community Services).

We’re super proud to have contributed a small part in helping get it into Design Week, It’s Nice That, Creative Boom, Collateral and Colossal.

A massive thanks and huge shout out to all the artists that contributed work: Matt Nguyen, Aga Giecko, Amy Phung, Arose Garden, Celine Ka Wing Lau, Christina Tan, Darcie Olley, Debbie Tea, Kimberly Morris, Jessie Wong, Lena Yokoyama, Marie Larica, Marina Ayashiro, Melissa Mathieson, Subin Yang, Vivienne Shao, Wendy Wong, Yee Poon and Yuk Fun.

The prints are available to buy from the Paperboy App, downloadable from the App Store or Google Play. You can grab a print for £30 or treat yourself to a framed one for £60. They also have a bunch of wonderfully illustrated greetings cards locked and loaded for your next occasion.