I’m trying to push forward a couple of projects. I’ve written to the translator for the Encomium on St Nicholas of Myra by Andrew of Crete, to see if the sample is available yet.
I have also changed my plans slightly for the translation of Methodius from Old Slavonic. The lady who was to do the Greek fragments is overcommitted elsewhere, with the result that nothing ever appeared of the Severian translation that I set as a sample. So I will ask Andrew Eastbourne to handle that side of the work. Indeed I had always intended to use him in some capacity if I could, because of his vast philological knowledge.
In some ways this simplifies the grant application process, since I now know who I am dealing with. I can also upload the Methodius De Lepra translation as part of the application, as evidence that I know what I am about. But I need to replan. Some kind correspondents have been supplying me with parallels and sources, which may well be useful.
Most of the grant bodies will only give around 50% of a project; so I shall try to find another source of funding for translations. I suspect, rightly or wrongly, that this is merely bureaucrats trying to cover their own backsides. After all, if it isn’t just them who gave the grant, then how can they be blamed? But it is tiresome. I also realise that I need to understand what the unstated rules of the game are. So I need to telephone and talk to someone.
It all reminds me why I just pay for translations out of my own pocket. There seems to be a whole industry that has grown up, merely to get funding. It is a quite daunting process to the amateur.
I have been adding a few more photos to the Mithras site. Most of these I encountered on Twitter, and wondered to what they related. I’ve just seen one of a Vatican tauroctony, photographed by Carole Raddato, that is really quite good. This is no small praise; the location of the monument in the museum makes photography almost impossible. I’ve seen it myself, tried to get useful pictures, and failed!
Why don’t you try some sort of crowd funding such as indiegogo or kickstarter ? While they are often mentionned in relationship with tech or arts projects, there is no reason why they can’t be used for your translations projects, especially as you can show a long track record of previous successfull projects.
Probably too small an interest group 🙁
Maybe, but you are not looking for hundred of thousands £/€/$ so you may get more faster than you think. Also with some publicity for the initiative on the right blogs you may get american christians’ funds to help, after all those american religious colleges appears well funded… I’m sure blogger such as J. McGrath (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/) would relay initiative such as yours and gather help. Once more your track records speaks for your seriousness and ability to lead such projects to completion.