What programmes, models or initiatives have made a difference?
/ 09 October 2009 - 11:54 am
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7 Comments
Thinking about your discipline area and / or field, what creative development programmes, professional support models and / or community development initiatives have been funded by funding organisations (think of anywhere in the world) that have really made a big difference?
Why?
How relevant is the programme / model / initiative to arts & cultural development in the Auckland / Northland regions?
What difference would it make to your discipline area and / or field?
Comments
The Quick Response Grant scheme at CNZ has been a welcome addition to the funding of visual arts projects requiring public financial support. These types of small but surgically placed grants have been very popular since they started. Timing is only 6 weeks, which is just great. There could be a case for increasing the level of money available in this CNZ pool (i.e to make more grants) OR even starting a fast turnaround (under $10,000) grant scheme for the ASB Community Trusts.
The other model which is not trad visual arts but is visual culture - the NZ on Air grants for NZ music videos. This scheme since it started in 2000 (could have been earlier) has underpinned the music scene and allowed this crucial vehicle for popular culture to flourish. Again these are small ($5000) grants, but they are effective and you see the results clearly in the end product.
Or is it better to offer resources than grants? Some of us can get a free business mentor through economic development schemes, but not many of us can afford cultural consultants or mentors who are willing to donate their time. Is there an opportunity to set up a service like this to the sector? For example with the NZ on Air contract and staged drawdowns model often they will require an experienced producer to work alongside a emerging producer. This safeguards the public investment in a commercial arena. The role is funded through the production budget which is paid from NZ on Air.
These are some ideas around the review of delivery of the arts funding.
Some great ideas here thanks!
The quick response grant is something we are looking at across several of our funding sectors - it's a matter of balancing the aim of being responsive, while still ensuring that applications are rigourously assessed and we can be accountable for the allocation of our funding. We are looking at different ways of achieving this, as you have noted, where it can work may be based around "smaller" grants, up to $5-$10,000.
The idea of being able to access resources is a really interesting one - I'm looking forward to hearing what others think....
As an individual artist working in an area, The Kaipara, with little or no support for the arts and creative sector, my one major barrier to accessing funds is being an individual artist. I have over twenty years experience in working in the arts, on a wide range of projects. But this counts for nothing when applying for funding, as I am not part of an organisation.
It sometimes seems to be an impossible situation. To get creative and innovative projects started I need to be part of an organisation, which we do not have in The Kaipara. But to get interest in such projects and involve people in spending time setting up an organisation is difficult and time consuming.
Local Creative Communities funding has allowed me to work on a number of projects because they have seen the wider community benefit. But this is always very small amounts and I cannot access further funding to further develop the projects into more sustainable community assets.
How this is tackled is difficult. This sort of conversation is a step in the right direction and I look forward to following developments.
As an artist I use creativity in all aspects of my work, including how to get funding. Be it looking at where to go for funding or how to get things done without money. But I sometimes feel that this approach takes a huge amount of time, which can, in some cases, distract from the project.
The arts and creative sector can make a huge impact in area such as The Kaipara, which need innovative funders to see the potential and then together we can look at how to best fund it.
Thank you
Simon
Thanks Simon. I'm really appreciative of your comments, as it is an area we are looking into at the moment.
Funding for individuals is something that we as a Trust have grappled with, particularly in this sector when so many projects come from individual endeavours. As you are probably aware, most funding agencies have requirements for applicants to have some type of legal status, financial accounts etc.
Perhaps if an organisation or agency with an appropriate legal entity could "umbrella" applications from individuals (without jeopardising their own funding applications) there may be ways to work around this issue?
Are there any other ways people can suggest to get around this? Am interested to hear your thoughts!
Catherine
Catherine, the issue with piggy-backing another group is one I have looked at. In Northland we have the Arts Promotion Trust who have offered to do this and there are non-arts groups across a wide range of areas such as youth and health who may be open to "umbrellaring" an application.
But this often takes time and I have found, when finding funding opportunities, that often the time frame for getting applications completed is too short. The other organisation has to meet and discuss the implications to themselves and whether to give a joint application the time needed. They are often just not set up to deal with the request in time.
I will happily research this further to see if other individuals and funders have found ways to answer this problem. I will let you know what I find.
Thank you
Simon
So lets use the Arts Promotion Trust as a completely hypothetical example(!)
What if APT could submit several applications for individuals/co-ops at any time during the year, as long as the applications were for grants of up to, say $10,000 max?
The applications could come in at any time, not just at the closing date for the main grants programme, and the applications would get a more quick response than the larger applications going to our two main funding rounds?
Would this help? Really looking forward to hearing what else you find out around this!
Thanks Simon!
I second the need for smaller, responsive grants being available to artists to pursue specific opportunities. particularly in partnerships with the public sector, independent artists are often squeezed between the budget cycles of one partner and the grant deadlines of another, or the availability of a resource or an opportunity that arises around an event.
Of course, as a funder strategic investments are important and should probably be the bulk of the work (unless you are retaining specific expertise and entering the field more directly). Again I think giving clear signals about what you want is the important thing. In my experience the public composition of assessment panels can be a good way to do this.