FORM, FUNCTION AND FATALISM
Playing catch-up with this blog – but I think it is worth outlining the background before moving on to a more conventional day to day blogging approach.
Just before Christmas I was told there were a number of slots available to meet an ACE officer in Hartlepool for anyone seeking advice on potential funding routes. I have always believed it is better to talk to someone than stare at a blank form so I signed myself up for a consultation. In a chilly backroom of the Art Hartlepool space (situated in the Middleton Grange Shopping Centre) I met with Ann Fletcher-Williams from ACE. I think she may have expected me to have more general concerns and questions, but once I made it clear that my thinking was quite advanced down this particular road, she was very encouraging. I showed her some of my work (in particular a small book I had made for my last show) and I think she got it. It was she who suggested that my approach was just what the area needed. She convinced me that, even in these lean times, an ambitious project might be looked on favourably.
I have read various takes on the AN website about the current application process. I have to say, if I was a painter having to make a case for my work within the confines of THE FORM structure, I would struggle even more than I did. It almost requires the same approach as one might make towards a business plan. In this respect I was lucky. Not only have I actually written a business plan but the nature of the way I work means that there has to be an element of logistics – or shall we say ‘consideration of the practicalities’ to make everything happen. I’m no fan of form filling but I don’t mind writing things down – I do quite a lot of that anyway.
The form is slightly more general in its approach than it used to be I am led to believe. The last time I filled one in was about 6 years ago so it’s a bit of a blur – but I do remember thinking, when faced with all those little boxes in which to insert relevant text, that it might be better to just write a proposal in a way that seemed natural to myself, and then hope that I could cut and paste relevant paragraphs into the relevant slots on the form. This worked to an extent – I had too many words so reduced some of my more esoteric ramblings. In fact the whole tone of THE FORM leads one towards a very practical approach. After I had written draft one I realised that I had put in far too much about my concepts and artistic concerns and thereafter hardened the whole thing up.
One thing Ann had said to me was that, as the project was imminent, there wouldn’t be enough time to allow turnaround if I applied for anything over 10K, as timescale for consideration goes from 6 weeks to 3months for anything over that amount. I had already calculated that I would need more for the whole project – so was advised to apply in two parts – making it clear what my intention was in the first application. There would be no guarantee that a second application would be successful, but at least it meant I could go for a quick turnaround and get things moving if I was successful initially.
One other thing – I run my own company. It’s the way I make my other living, and it is the way I am able to provide some external funding input. THE FORM requires that you somehow raise an amount of contributory funds from elsewhere. I am aware that not everyone is in this position so in that respect I am fortunate. Having said that, I have lived virtually all my adult life by the fruits of my own labour. The sword is a sharp one and it definitely has two edges.
(continues..)
