I dont know about the studio, but I have tried several times, its a bit like trying to get blood out of a stone.
You need a good business plan and proposal, I think that the art needs to be azessable to a large areas of the public, as well as helping to promote the arts Councill.
They seem more interestet in experimental, and abstract pieces than anything else.
I produced a DVD on Plymouth artits last year, but they would not help me.
If you right to them or phone them direct they will send you an information pack on grants,dealines and what they support.It is split in to regions so choose the one near you.. All the best with your project.

I don't know if there's any similarity between Canada and the UK when it comes to grants, but there's a ton of ways of getting a grant in Canada, it's just a matter of making the right proposal and filling the forms out right.

Its knowing what they are looking for in the way you propose it I think, as much as anything else.

mate, you chat on and on about bollocks and it really doesnt do anyone from the west country any favours, it simply highlights that we are behind the times. you go on about out of date and commercial magazines without any real understanding of what is new. i lived in penzance for many years and still managed to have an idea of what was actually happening in either the fashion or art context. and basicly that meant leaving there.no matter how many times you mention run to the sun on show studio no one is going to care. to get funding from the art council you have to either berecommended or have a solid background of either self initiated exhibitions or collaborative community proects. there are plenty of funders but not down there, trust I have tried. im sure your work is adequate but you must not settle for less and think that a spreade in womans own or juice or 24 is actually going to A allow you creative freedom or B let you show off your talents.stop chatting and do something. sorry i am a bit dru nk but your posts frustrate me repetitavely because I feel like i know your situation, and for me it did nothing apart from stifle any real understanding I have. the sea is nice but its not breaking any boundaries.sorry.

It’s VERY difficult to do the hole Arts Council thing, there are company’s which help you go for the grants from them and others like NESTA and the EU. They are frankly a better route.

Thanks William, I agree with some of what you are saying.
But at the same time you tell me I am talking rubbish you are also agreeing with me, by confirming what I have all ready said, I am glad that going to London has worked for uou.
Its not for me, and financialy I dont think I can afford it at the moment.
You have also said that you inderstand the situation, all I am doing is highliting what we all go through, non of us are alone.
All the best with what you are doing, and hope the hangover is sorted.(He shouts)
I love the summers here miles of sunny beaches, warm seas,waterfalls, woods,moors, great looking people, who could ask for more, Miles of tunhels of stressed looking people in over heated trains with a voice saying, mind the gap,
Then back to a hot studio.
If I dont make the top magazines I will still be selling my work internationaly in any case as art rather than just the magazine element.
Magazines would be the bonus though.

De noet thanks for the feedback on other funding also.
William sorry again you are right in saying that in a lot of ways the West Country is very backwards about 10 years in fact, compared with the rest of the Country, and funding is almost a closed shop to the arts. But as its the only area I have been able to get feedback on it is all I have to go on , so it is good that others can come in here and give advice from another angle dont you think. I am just going from my own experiences, and I think that possibly this is what this forum is about, helping and giving advice to each other, or am I stilltalking rubblch. All the William, an De.

Regardless of Sebastions right wing views of the art council (and anything with the word council or government in it), I would like to second what William said. I have friends who have applied and succeeded, but you have to have your head screwed on and make sure you take it seriously. A good business plan makes all the difference, also look the part when meeting people.

The last people I knew who got funding were the beyond the valley girls (www.beyond the valley.com) who took a small bit of money and built a creative empire.

I also wouldn't reccomend using 'run to the sea' in your pitch.

If it's funding for an arts project as individual artist a clear budget is going to be more useful than a business plan - business plans are for cultural enterprise grants.

I'd say more but it's hard to when Puiyin hasn't said exactly what kind of funding he/she is interested in.

I've heard Arts Council is in trouble at the moment. Scotland's gone, Wales' on the way out, and England's under attack? Might it be about to disappear completely or change name/transform in some way?