Perspective

so it took a whole "working week" for me to get back the feeling and vision I need to move forward. It is ironic that "losing" the thing that has been my increasing focus for a year has revealed several clearly better- at least more easily achieved directions to follow. If my company is able to secure the building where I used to work, we'll be able to resurrect a couple of key initiatives that were culled around 2011 by pathetic Boards of Trustees lacking the backbone to attempt to resist Arse Council cuts that had been predicted for three or more years. Intercultural Arts acted as an agency for minority ethnic artists in North East England who were under the radars of all the major cultural venues in the region and it would embarrass the Arse Council to reestablish the North East Sustained Theatre project- though this time if I led it, members would have to show a lot more commitment from the outset: the last version was characterised by people sitting about moaning, never putting forward ANY opinions or options and never standing up for fear of being "blacklisted" by funders who never supported them again anyway.

 Ooh! "The North East Arts Black List" That;ll ruffle some feathers! Unencumbered by "Trustees" more interested in being SEEN to be trustees of a region-wide minority arts project than actually fighting to improve the lots of those creative professionals will allow us to be as dynamic as we tried to be in IcA.

 Yesterday was about more planning and scheduling and identifying what will be needed to make the best WORKABLE proposal for bringing past and current projects together. What's most encouraging is that the numbers seem to work too! The current company see the potential loss of sitting tenants as a problem whereas I can't wait to see their backs as they enjoy "protected tenants status" which means they can't be asked for more than a contribution to the running costs. With them out there will be MUCH more scope to raise money for what would be the last youth project on an estate where "Youth Nuisance" is the perennial issue and the best offices in the building will be available for (real) rent and TWO more activity spaces will be released to community access meaning more scope to increase the programme.

 I also received one rejection and one grant offer. They're for the same project unfortunately so I need to review the budget to see what can be achieved with less money. It would give work to the guy making furniture out of pallets in preparation for raising the cash for the soil, plants, irrigation and gardening.

 Feeling good! 

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