Arts Funding - A time and place for creative action

[Marcus Romer]

I wanted to create a space that can be used for discussion and debate as well as providing a hub for information and support.

The whole sector needs to be kept informed, and joined up as we enter the new era of shifts in arts funding.

Please feel free to join and add your thoughts and information to this site so we can collectively unify the whole sector to keep abreast of the pressing and developing issues.

Thanks


Marcus Romer

[Andrew Eglinton]

This is a great initiative.

Some quick-fire thoughts:

Need concrete ideas on how to string together or team up with existing networks across the country dealing with Arts Funding. See for example, Improbable's brilliant D&D group http://devotedanddisgruntled.ning.com. The theatre community is good at coming together when things reach boiling point (remember the BAC funding episode?), but has a poor track record when it comes to syndicated, preemptive strategy.

Need a document list for all 'official' policy changes to arts funding, might include directives from central and regional gov, Arts Council and other related funding bodies.

Need to solicit input from a wide range of voices in the field. What problems are people facing with funding right now? What's on the horizon? What are the trends? What are some of the solutions? Etc.

If a human network is to have any impact beyond being an information hub (which is clearly beneficial in itself) then points of contact need to be established with relevant authorities. I know in the Improbable Theatre case that outcomes from group sessions are often synthesized, contextualised and targeted at MP's and funding authorities.

More when more comes to mind...

[Marcus Romer]

Thanks Andrew - exactly - this can be lonked to any other blogs and forums of this kind. It was urged by the use of the #artsfunding hashtag on Twitter and an need to galvanise some of the commenters and retweeters by focussing them to a place where a more structures, and archived forum could then grow.

if you have any of those docs or links please stick them on here

M

Andrew Eglinton said:

This is a great initiative.

Some quick-fire thoughts:

Need concrete ideas on how to string together or team up with existing networks across the country dealing with Arts Funding. See for example, Improbable's brilliant D&D group http://devotedanddisgruntled.ning.com. The theatre community is good at coming together when things reach boiling point (remember the BAC funding episode?), but has a poor track record when it comes to syndicated, preemptive strategy.

Need a document list for all 'official' policy changes to arts funding, might include directives from central and regional gov, Arts Council and other related funding bodies.

Need to solicit input from a wide range of voices in the field. What problems are people facing with funding right now? What's on the horizon? What are the trends? What are some of the solutions? Etc.

If a human network is to have any impact beyond being an information hub (which is clearly beneficial in itself) then points of contact need to be established with relevant authorities. I know in the Improbable Theatre case that outcomes from group sessions are often synthesized, contextualised and targeted at MP's and funding authorities.

More when more comes to mind...

[Graeme Sharpe]

Great idea Marcus! Will forward & suggest it to as many people as possible

Graeme

[Taylor Nuttall]

Thanks Marcus

Great stuff - would also be useful to hear about smaller / local as well as larger initiatives / networks and to think about ways to string them together.

Cheers

Taylor

[Chantal Guevara]

Speaking on behalf of the smaller organisations, one of the biggest issues I can see being raised is the necessity for advice, support and training in seeking funding; too many of these people will be finding themselves disadvantaged because, given the overwhelming competition for too-little funding over the next few years, their applications won't stand out or sufficiently reflect the value of their work.

I've actually had a number of discussions recently about the need for more round-table discussions (a la D&D) to explore industry artistic / funding needs and resources, then this information can be disseminated as the fewer who know about it, the more will suffer.

It's a shame that the focus is being shifted towards philanthropy, when this country doesn't have a strong philanthropic culture, and even if it does develop, it won't be in time to sustain key arts projects.

[Susan Jones]

I'm particularly interested to explore notions of facilitating 'value exchange' rather than a 'need' being 'funded. We are delivering a programme of events for artists around the country that costs very little in ££ - and wasn't dependent for implementation on a grant - but that has a high value per person attending (and for whom there is no charge to attend) because of the in-kind input from the organisations who provide the content. Those organisations have a desire to get into contact with the artists who are the event's audience as they either directly or indirectly provide features and programme for arts practitioners and can use the contact to test ideas and get feedback. I am sure such co-production models are being replicated elsewhere and are in effect another way for organisations to share 'admin' costs, which we're all being encouraged to do.
I suspect as time goes on that the current approach that arts organisations have of defining their own programme and then finding ways to support it will give way to more collaborative/user-defined approaches like this that enable non-profit organisations to deliver their mission in a more 'affordable' and perhaps inspiring way.