Crowdfunding site for indie artists launches in Toronto

The Toronto Fringe Festival has been busy - the creative force behind the Creation Lab, a space aiming to provide affordable studio access in the city, is now taking their goodwill toward artists online. On Friday the Fringe launched Fund What You Can (FWYC), a new online crowdfunding platform intended specifically for Canadian independent artists.

The name, which obviously riffs on PWYC (pay what you can), a staple of low budget arts events, offers artists "Keep What You Raise" or "All Or Nothing" options similar to other crowdfunding sites - but the difference is that FWYC isn't charging a fee for their service. This could make it an attractive option for a lot of cash-strapped Canadian artists - stay tuned to your Facebook feeds for funding pleas of all kinds.

Fund What You Can's website is so far a home for a one woman clown show, a number of theatre, dance, and Fringe projects, and a "travel guide to a fictional city." Thus far there are no entries under Music or Film - which isn't too surprising as the Fringe theatre fest is behind the platform - but given both are popular areas for crowdsourced dollars, as word spreads I'd expect the bands-on-tour and send-me-to-Slamdance projects to begin rolling in too.

You can learn more (and maybe fund your dreams) at fwyc.ca.