Sometimes i think that ACE (Arts Council England) is like a different sort of dole for artists.
I think the problem is that the turnover of staff is quite high or there are
some staff who have stayed too long. When new people come in they want to create new funding schemes etc. This creates confusion for artists in that it can take several attempts to figure out what the ACE want to see in an app - then all of a sudden its a whole new ball game.
One one hand ACE could split the cash up and make it super easy for anyone to get funding, then there would be millions of Lapps from the world and his all inclusive dog - all would get a teeny amount and the admin budget would be massive. On the other hand they could act as Getty like patrons just giving money to a few 'in' artists. At present they are caught in a bind not really wanting to be all inclusive but having to be seen to be.
What irritates me is the amount of sub commissioning organisations ACE gives money to, to redistribute. This has created a very cosy climate for administrators. In the 90's it was all about funding buildings, now its all about organisations, ACE seem afraid to give money directly to artists...
keep up the good work
