It's not just Arts Council England or other charities and trusts that can provide money to artists and craftspeople - and its not just money that a practitioner needs.  Companies have a longer relationship with artistic patronage than public organisations, and can choose to give a wide variety of things - cash, certainly, but also goods and services provided by that company, either for free or at cost price, can all be considered useful additions to an artists income.  Perhaps there is a shop or materials provider you use frequently, who might be interested in formalising a relationship with you to suport your next piece of work?  Or a marketing company who might be interested in promoting you?

Companies give a range of things for a variety of reasons - and the trick is to find the right company for you.  This section discusses both why and what companies give and how you might consider approaching them.