As the following three case studies illustrate, local authorities across the UK are very diverse. They may serve communities which are located in inner cities, tourist destinations, university towns, rural areas, or have to cater for all of these.
Depending on the priorities facing them, arts and cultural activity may be viewed as an essential part of the service they provide to their tax-payers, or very peripheral to it. But despite this diversity, there are a number of common themes when it comes to delivering an arts agenda: 'simple' grant giving is only a small part of what local authority arts officers do. All three local authorities featured here demonstrate a real wish for partnership with a wide variety of people with ideas.
Big impact on a low budget
Lincoln City Council is particularly proud of its grant aid scheme for the arts, says LIZ WILSON. The scheme was introduced at the same time as the first arts strategy was launched and has become an important tool through which we are ab e to achieve some of the key aims and objectives identified in that strategy. Since its introduction in 1999, five rounds have taken place and 51 grants have been awarded. The scheme 's key objectives are to:
improve the quality, range and impact of the arts in Lincoln
oincrease access to the arts and encourage equal opportunities for people to take part
to provide leadership, co-ordination and encouragement to ensure that the work of professional and voluntary artists and art groups can flourish in the city.
The budget is approximately £10, 000 a year -not huge for a city with a population of 85, 000 -but its impact on arts activity is considerable. Straightforward process The process of applying is for funding is tiring for artists and arts organisations and can inhibit them from developing their ideas or work, so we set out to design a simple process and offer a quick turnaround. Applicants are invited to meet with the Assistant Arts Officer who will help them work up their projects and complete a simple form. To ensure that we are able to help as many projects as possible, project grants of more than £500 are rarely allocated. All applications are assessed by a panel of Council members against the criteria spelt out in the application form, with advice from the arts team about how the projects contribute to strategic arts development in the city. Applicants have to demonstrate clearly how they meet the criteria, and also that they are not applying for something the scheme does not support, such as school projects, profit-making organisations, publications and loans, day-to-day running costs or fundraising for a third party). In some cases, a guarantee against loss will be offered rather than a grant. This can help organisations stage events which have a chance of breaking even, but eliminates some of the risk. The most recent example was a joint choirs concert in Lincoln Cathedral. The group did not require the guarantee in the end, and it was returned to the pot to help the next worthy cause! In exceptional cases the scheme will support individuals, rather than organisations. The applicant must make a case, within the given criteria and awards are made at the discretion of the panel. Because applicants are mainly voluntary groups or members of the community who do not plan ahead, grants are awarded in two rounds each year -June and November. This also enables us to support projects which straddle traditional local authority financial years. To help them avoid cash-flow problems when planning activities, grants are paid out as soon as they are awarded, with a contract which they sign to agree to repay the grant if the project does not go ahead. All grant recipients have to submit a short report on their project and provide financial evidence by a mutually agreed date. Unlocking potential In many circumstances organisations begin with no funding for a project. A small grant from the City Council endorses their project, and more importantly, it provides match-funding which enables them to unlock other sources of finance such as the Arts Lottery Awards for All scheme. In the year 2000 alone, organisations receiving City Council grant aid secured a further £216, 000 to stage projects and over 17, 000 people experienced the activity it provided. The scheme also enables the Council to become an active partner in many high profile projects such as the Lincoln Mystery Plays, Lincoln Early Music Festival and Lincoln Folk Festival, all organised by dedicated volunteers. In addition to increased arts activity, the grants provide extremely positive PR for the Council. All grant recipients are required to acknowledge the Council's support on their publicity material and in some cases participate in cheque presentations. We are constantly refining the scheme as we receive feedback, so we were particularly pleased when a survey recently undertaken by the Chief Executive 's department into the Grant Aid for the Arts scheme for Best Value demonstrated a high level of user satisfaction in the way the scheme is designed and administered. Liz Wilson is Arts Officer at City of Lincoln Council e:liz.wilson@lincoln.gov.uk