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! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bon Voyage, Mon Enfant!

Image
It's hard dealing with the lack of communication let alone discussion of my Godson's immediate future. Its hard not to view my part in his recent past as a failure. The point is that it is over and I need to move on whilst there is still some relationship left between us. I'm getting quite 'Zen' in covering my frustrations with calm.  My Godson has always been unwaveringly CERTAIN of any decision concerning his learning that was opposed to mine. He was SURE that the scant attention he gave to his studies would at least yield passes. He dismissed my protestations that higher grades offered greater prospects as irrelevant. In exasperation I finally  reminded him and his father that he was here to go to school and that when that ended he would leave my home. His school career recently ended when he did not secure the grades to enrol into the final year.  My Godson is and always has been capable of cruising through a standard UK education, but it wasn't impo
Read more

Waiting!

Image
I love working with other people and I absolutely hate it too! I love it when I get people together who agree to do stuff but I get twitchy when they're late and I remember that everyone's doing everything "at risk" unless I'm fortunate-enough to have cash with which to bribe them! Yesterday I completed my proposal for our new proposed Main Project- I'm really pleased with it and very excited to submit it, but it would be a mistake not to share it with my colleagues- they're a great bunch when I can get their attention! I have always to remember that they're not as committed to the company as I am: they joined as a favour to me initially and though they've all benefited from it at some time in the last five years... except Wayne who we all forgot was on the Board -including him lol I can't expect anything from them really. So, I get into waiting for responses and starting other things and forgetting that I'm waiting (I'd get annoyed
Read more

Gyre

Image
From time to time I notice the patterns I make in my life; the recurring themes, the 'deja vu and 'Oh, not again!' moments... I don't spend much time on self-reflective introspection out of a combination of embarrassment and fear. It hasn't stopped me unloading onto one or two toking-buddies on a regular basis, but I try not to be one of those who becomes so intimate with their own navels that they're end up being dull or even toxic. The fear is also about having to focus on the things in plain sight that I choose not to see or wrongly ascribe to factors out of my control. When I was a (sole black) first year drama student at university I was ever-so-gently cornered by all three of the lecturers and asked what I thought about playing Othello. I was surprised enough to think it was a joke and quipped that I couldn't play Othello (I was 18 and seven or eight weeks into a degree course) and that they were only asking me to save on make up (or something li
Read more