Lottery funding suspended Current schemes to close at end of February The Arts Council announces the closure of all current funding schemes under Lottery, except Film Finance, pending the launch of new and revised programmes to come into effect in April. The new schemes are part of the wide-ranging reform of arts funding which began with the annual revenue awards in January. The schemes closing are New Work, Access to the Arts, Equipment and Building (Capital). Also suspended is funding for Architectural Design Competitions and Feasibility Studies. No new applications under these schemes will be accepted after February 28th 2001. All applications currently with the Arts Council will be processed under the existing criteria. A series of new programmes, including Audience Development, a Special Initiatives programme to help redress under-representation of funding and a small grants programme shared among the Lottery distributors in Northern Ireland, along with revised Access to the Arts and New Work, will open for applications on April 2nd 2001. The Arts Council today also announced the lifting of the moratorium on the funding of musical instruments for community bands from April 2nd 2001. The moratorium on funding for musical instruments to community bands came into effect on November 29th 1996. By December 21st 2000, the Arts Council had made 106 awards to bands (for instruments only) out of a total of 594 awards, amounting to £1,456,520.50 out of a total of £38,010,146.41. Following extensive review of its procedures, the Council now feels it is an appropriate time to lift the moratorium. |
