This week?s news is notable for the number of new pots of money available to the arts (p3).
The latest call for European cultural funding holds promise for those who?ve taken the trouble to befriend their counterparts in the rest of Europe; the Government?s own hobby-horse, getting culture online, is being backed to the tune of a further £13m for 20-30 projects? (at an average of over £600,000 each ?they?d better be good); and Scotland?s creative pulse is no doubt beating rapidly at the prospect of £1m for new work. Arts & Business has already struck gold by winning the stewardship of £1m from the Millennium Commission for the ?Arts & Kids? initiative ? a strange home for the fund, one might think. With countless other industry bodies already tooled up and with the necessary skills and experience to develop relationships between the arts and young audiences (though in the main, lacking sufficient financial resources to do so), it would be interesting to learn what unique set of attributes are regarded by the Millennium Commission as being possessed by Arts & Business, to enable it to fulfil yet one more role. Perhaps those close to ?the Palace? might provide the answer. Arts organisations across the country will be well aware of the dangers of applying for funding which does not enhance their abilities to deliver their core missions, but rather diverts them towards financially rewarding but nonetheless inappropriate activity. Hopefully this is something that A&B has taken into consideration.
Published: 01-07-2002