It should be relatively simple to set up some workshops, but there’s been unnecessary and frustrating delays. Mainly Out Of Office replies to emails – like revenge because I set my emails to OOO during half term, and the art world seems to love trying to make me work for free during the school holidays. Sometimes, I swear it deliberately conspires to arrange really important exhibitions during he holidays just to make it especially hard.
Regardless, we have a list of available space at The Collection, and have outlined some dates for the workshops for March. We have several artists interested, including a graduate from 2013 that said he hadn’t done any work since graduating, and seemed glad of the opportunity.
In other news, before half term, I received a letter from Ed Miliband. mainly focussed on the NHS, as I’m now also an unpaid carer for a son that suffers from depression, I was concerned that the lack of support for mental health services and the ignorance of politicians to recognise the real impact of cuts, which are all creating an Apparatjik bottleneck of inertia all round, are having, and that there needs to be a holistic approach to the arts, culture, health and society if any politician dares to court my vote. Out of all of political leaders, I was glad that Ed Miliband took the time to write directly, (even if it was from his PR team). I cited BobandRobertaSmith and the Paying Artists campaign, and I’m glad to see his address, covered on Radio 4, to see that he’s planning to improve and include the arts as part of broader political policies, reversing tuition fees and proposals that I’m sure are positive to artists.
However, the latest dark cloud of doom to appear over my largely failed career is the news that single parents are now at risk of having tax credits totally withdrawn on spurious accusations. Please support this petition to stop this HMRC abuse!
