Location: Møterom Direktørrommet @ Sentralen

Day 1: Excel and Budgeting - for Beginners

The course is an A-B-C introduction to the accounting software EXCEL, where you will become acquainted with EXCEL through the practical task of preparing a production budget for the performing arts. Together we will make a budget based on an artistic idea, using the Norwegian Arts Council's budget template. We discuss the project format, budget as a tool, and how to translate an artistic idea into appropriate figures. The objective is to enhance your budget and financial understanding for projects that can be practically applied in applications and your future endeavors.

Day 2: Introduction to Project Financing and Financial Management - Also for Beginners

On the second day, we'll guide you through handling money for projects. The course is designed to be practical and uses the Excel program.

We will help you create a plan for getting money and explore different ways to fund your project. We'll talk about sponsors, partners, your own contributions, ticket sales, crowdfunding, and residencies—all crucial for making your project happen. The second part of the course focuses on how to keep track of your money during the project, offering lots of helpful tips. We'll discuss the potential challenges a performance project might face and ways to deal with them calmly.

Course Instructor Rudi Skotheim Jensen is employed at the SKUDA, Skuespiller- og danseralliansen as a consultant. Jensen is trained as a director at ESAC in Brussels, acting at the Academy of Performing Arts, and holds a BA from BI Norwegian Business School in marketing economics. Jensen is involved in various grant committees and has worked for over fifteen years on various productions in the international market. Aside from work, Rudi organize PechaKucha Nights Oslo - the longest running cultural event in Oslo, in addition to a small circus festivals and Oslo´s biggest fleet of wooden boats, Akerselva Trebåtforening. He says that as much as he loves arts and culture, he also loves numbers—especially those numbers that profit the cultural scene.

Participant Criteria The course is suitable for anyone seeking an introduction to Excel and the project format. Participants must bring their own computer with the Excel accounting program. The workshop will take place in English.

Feedback from Course Participants "I felt a sense of accomplishment after the days, and suddenly, budgeting was something I could relate to. Applications can feel 'secretive,' protecting one's own tactics to have a chance at the coveted grant. That mindset did not exist in this course. The instructor shared thoughts, how it should look in concrete terms, how to raise funds, other places to apply for financing a full budget."

"Just learning a budget setup was new to me. It was intensive days where you demanded in a friendly and safe way, and all questions found a place. Going from sitting completely blank in the first hour to creating a setup, mixing and matching with two spreadsheets, and having the task of seeking funds for a fictional production with various obstacles a production may face."

Cost 500 kr- for both days 300 kr- for one day