Free Stuff for Artists

[PSMKay]

So I've spouted off two links to free repositories of scripts/scores that have been reasonably popular lately, and I'm sure there's other online directories of free stuff and deals for artists, students and the generally destitute. Do you have a site or know of a program that would fit? Please share it with us here!

(Disclaimer: We have not tried all of these resources personally. We cannot promise that they will serve you, that they are legit, or that the programs will continue for any particular span of time. We do try to avoid linking to site full of viruses and known scam sites, but inclusion here is not an endorsement from SMNetwork or any member unless explicitly stated in the thread.)

Mods, feel free to add new contributions to this post or just let them pile up, your call.

Literature, Scripts & Scores
http://imslp.org/ - International Music Score Library. Scores & Libretti with links to recordings.
http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/index.html - Gilbert & Sullivan Library at Boise State. All things G&S
http://www.simplyscripts.com/plays_a_h.html - Scripts. Many of them.
http://www.cpdl.org/ - Choral Public Domain library. Mostly short songs, no lengthy works.
http://www.wikifonia.org/browse - Lead sheets. Mostly new works by artists looking for exposure.

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page - Project Gutenberg. Free books, mostly classics
http://openlibrary.org/ - A wiki with the goal to make a page for every book ever published. They have an ebook lending library to help accomplish this goal.
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/ - Millions of free books.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/50-places-free-books-online.htm - Random guide to more free books.

Recordings
http://musopen.org/ - Musopen - recordings and scores, focuses on the former.
http://www.jamendo.com/en/ - Jamendo - (mostly) royalty-free mp3, great for background music etc.
http://archive.org/details/etree - Live Music Archive. Does what it says on the box.
http://www.operacast.com/ - Not downloadable, but a decent calendar of internet radio broadcasts for opera
http://opera-mp3.blogspot.com/ - I have no idea how long this will remain online but it is AWESOME.

Assorted free stuff
http://www.freecycle.org/ - I think everyone should know about these guys already, yes? Give something free, get something free.
http://www.actorsfund.org/ - for all performing artists, NOT JUST AEA Members.
http://www.ireuse.com/wishlistlanding.aspx - Create a wish list, and companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint may give their furniture to you instead of junking it. Nonprofits get free furniture.
http://www.nyfa.org/source/content/search/search.aspx?SA=1 - NY Foundation for the Arts"NYFA Source." Big directory of grants & free services for artists.

Tool Sharing
http://www.neighborgoods.net/ --> eventually to become http://www.favortree.com - Southern California sharing tools & gear between neighbors
http://www.hammertimeprojects.org -> Cooperative workshop in Fort collins, Colorado
http://groundworkprovidence.org/programs/tool-bank/ -> Providence, RI Tool sharing
http://toolbank.org/ -> Toolbank USA coordinates several local tool sharing and rental programs

Housing
Seattle
New York (The Actors Fund)
LA (The Actors Fund)
Chicago (The Actors Fund)
http://www.couchsurfing.org/ - Short stays in people's homes worldwide
LIHEAP - US based program to help low-income folks with energy costs, especially heat & lights

School
US Dept of Labor Scholarship Search
Education department links to State Education programs
101 Grants you've never heard of

Services
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volunteer_Lawyers_for_the_Arts - Wikipedia directory of state programs providing free legal services for artists. (Many fold in accountants, too.)

Technology
Microsoft Giving for Nonprofits and Microsoft Student Deals
Apple Student Deals

For Union Members
UnionPlus - Search for union-only bennies

[MarcieA]

I just wanted to second the mention of the Actor's Fund - especially The Hirschfeld Clinic here in NYC.

Any performing artist, who can prove this w/ financial records or by showing a union card, can get free or low-cost healthcare at the clinic if you don't currently have insurance. I've lived here for 5 years, and never knew until this past summer when I needed to see a doctor and my health weeks had run out.

Checkups, sickness visits and more - all free to you. All you have to do is call and make an appointment. They explain what you need to provide to prove you work in the arts if you don't have a union card and that's it. If you need tests, I believe that anything the clinic doctor (and those I've seen are wonderful) orders is free (and if not at a greatly reduced cost) and they also gave me a discount card for prescriptions.

Seeing a doctor at the Hirschfeld was honestly one of the most stress-free and pleasant doctor-going experiences I've ever had.

[PSMKay]

On a more timely note, next week (9/29/2012) is National Coffee Day in the US. Some Mcdonald's in New England will be offering free small coffees from the 23rd to the 29th and some Krispy Kreme shops will also be serving free coffee on the 29th only. 7-11 will have free coffee in the morning (from 7am to 11am, naturally) on the day of. Keurig is offering coffeemaker giveaways via many coffee bloggers - Google will point you in the right direction for those.

I'm sure other places will add on to the pile as we get closer to the day.

[babens]

In New York City there is a great organization called Materials for the Arts that provides all kinds of supplies, from paint, to fabric, to furniture to non-profit arts organizations.  Definitely worth checking out if you are working for a non-profit company here in the city.  They also take donations, which is mainly how they keep operating.

http://www.mfta.org/home