This is just the start then I suppose.
I still feel a little shell shocked over receiving the funding as not only is it a massive help financially, but getting backing from the Arts Council would hopefully elevate our status and open a few doors for our future plans.
Since Wednesday, I feel like I’ve sent hundreds of emails and made a significant amount of calls. It took me two days to respond to ACE’s request for further information. I don’t know why, as they really only needed a couple of lines. But I just felt sort of afraid of making a mistake at this late stage.
By email, they wanted me to confirm that we had received the match funding. Easy as that. So, that’s finally done and sent off and while I was sending it, their letter of confirmation arrived through the post. Lots of things for me to sign before they can release the money.
I want to try to get that off today, as we don’t have a lot of time now.
The first artist’s work was dropped off yesterday – Julie Dodd’s : http://www.juliedodd.co.uk she always delivers on time, whether you need information of any kind, or in this case the actual work – it’s there straight away. I just wish all artists were this ‘easy’ !
I actually dreamt last night that one of them wanted to show some rotting meat and I had to get it through customs. Oh, the worry!
I suppose I’d better get the case out of the loft then and try working out how to fit everything in.
As part of ACE’s policy, I need to document everything, so the easiest way to reach people is by facebook. While I can, I will make regular postings: https://www.facebook.com/groups/97474900158/#!/pages/SCI/170190669682733
Please ‘Like’ us!
We got the funding – all of what I asked for!! Thank you so much ACE …in a sort of humbled and embarrassed way for my blog comments yesterday : /
its barely lunchtime and yet It has been such a stress filled day! As I’ve got a few days off work this week ( the intention being that I actually spend the time producing work!) I leisurely looked at facebook this morning and was almost mortified to find that Supermarket had set out the logos of all the sponsors and are ready to go to print on the catalogue.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Supermarket-Stockholm-Independent-Art-Fair/175165532557826
I emailed them straight away asking if they could give us a bit more time…. Jeez – how much more time can they give us?? We were all informed late October that our application to exhibit had been accepted, and by late November, the Swedish and Norwegian artists had announced their backers.
They responded that we had till 6pm tonight!
Emailed ACE… apologising profusely for harassing them… but we needed an answer NOW!!!
Unbelievably, they rang within 20mins to say YES – we will give you the full funding.
OMG OMG OMG!!!
Dear Mr or Mrs ACE, you know on the form where it’s got the bit about match funding and I said we would get xxxx amount ourselves? Well…. not only have we matched it – but we’ve done it with a bit more!
Got another generous backer today who have not only helped financially, but will support the next stage of our project.
So…..ACE….what do you think of that??
p.s…..it is so more than 6 weeks now!!
How to get from Amsterdam to Stockholm on less than €50…. can it be done? I don’t know, but one of our artists – Kimbal Quist Bumstead is going to damn well try !
http://diagonallyupwards.tumblr.com/
Six weeks now since we applied for ACE funding….five weeks since they acknowledged receipt.
We know that they were never going to fund an overseas project – that is just their policy. Our application was for funding that would enable us to develop a long term collaborative plan in the UK, that would be in response to the Stockholm project.
Private sponsorship and money collected from the artists, has paid for the flights for two artists, transport of work and exhibition costs.
Two other artists are going ahead of us – both self funded. One, a performance artist, will be ‘settee surfing’ and camping his way to Sweden (!) before performing on the press night ( something we’ve had to book in advance)
Although all this is doable, it’s such a shame that it has to be done ‘on the cheap’. Without extra funding, this trip could possibly be just a ‘one off’, and we will have to rethink our long term plans.
Come on Arts Council………….
