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In an uncertain financial environment, Matt Trueman explains why it is an issue that “the bigger the organisation, the better placed it is to secure funding”.

Arts funding cuts have hit independent artists hard. It's easy to stack up the numbers at big organisations - a £5 million cut, as English National Opera incurred, is understandable in a single glance - but it's smaller-scale arts organisations that end up the worst affected.

As venues and established companies fall out of the National Portfolio, they turn to the Arts Council's Grants for the Arts fund, increasing competition for single-use subsidy - not to mention other trusts and philanthropic donations. In 2013, Grants for the Arts changed to reflect that shift, raising the upper limit for small-scale (quick turnaround) grants from £10,000 to £15,000 - making things even harder for the minnows. The bigger the organisation, the better placed it is to secure funding. Having a dedicated development specialist helps no end.

At the same time, very few artist-led organisations are being granted regular funding: of 27 new theatre National Portfolio Organisations, only six were independent and artist-led.... Keep reading on What's On Stage