Arts Council England has launched a new, user-friendly application form for its Grants for the arts Lottery-funded programme.
The changes to the form and the application process are designed to make it easier for people to apply for a grant, to make it easier to process and to increase the chances of an application being successful.
The form is available online at www.artscouncil.org.uk and printed packs will be available from May.
The new form, approved by Plain English Campaign, also makes it clearer why the Arts Council asks for certain information and how it will be used. And it asks applicants to demonstrate how their project will deliver artistic excellence and engage audiences, rather than how it meets the Arts Council's aims.
Some additions have been made to the eligibility criteria in order to further increase the efficiency of the application process. These are:
- The minimum level for all grants is now £1,000
- New applications will not be processed from existing grant recipients who are overdue in submitting the monitoring information required to claim their payments
- Resubmitted applications will not be processed unless the reasons for initial rejection have been addressed
Audrey Roy, Director of the Grants for the arts programme, said:
"Grants for the arts is five years old this year and it continues to be a key funding programme for us. As such, it's important that we continually look at ways of improving it.
"We've listened to feedback from applicants and consulted with artists networks and we've incorporated their suggestions into the changes we've made. We're confident it will now be easier to apply for a grant and easier to process those applications."
The monitoring section of the form - where information is gathered, on a voluntary basis, to help ensure that a broad spectrum of people are applying for grants and will benefit from them - has included a question concerning sexual orientation since October 2006.
Speaking of the recent debate surrounding the question, Audrey added:
"The new form makes it even clearer why we ask this question and how the information is used.
"Everyone should have an equal opportunity to access to this money - which is public money from the National Lottery - and we ask the questions to help make sure that is the case. But if you're offended by any of them, you don't have to answer."
David Shields, Stonewall's Director of Workplace Programmes, said:
"Stonewall works with a number of organisations who monitor their internal and external diversity processes and alongside race, gender and disability, this includes sexual orientation. Monitoring is an effective way of ensuring equality of opportunity and of finding the best ways to meet the needs of a diverse range of individuals, either in the workplace or through the provision of services.
"It is important that people understand that disclosure of their sexual orientation is entirely voluntary and that there is never any obligation to reveal this information."