Contemporary Glass Society Loses ACE Funding!

Yesterday was all taken up with the news about Arts Council England's cuts, and as Chair of the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS), I was obviously devastated to find out that we had lost our funding.  This was especially gutting as we did very well in the first round of applications at a regional level, but we fell down at a national one, where the focus was on art-making organisations rather than those who support art-makers.  Grrrrrrr. David Cameron.  The CGS is a tough little organisation with a very dynamic membership and I know we will get through this, but it makes me so angry because this whole 'WE MUST MAKE CUTS NOW!' hysteria is based on shaky foundations and covers up for drastic measures that are unlikely to benefit the ordinary citizen, and is poisonous for artists.  It seems we are regarded as no more than a mere frill on the curtains of society.  And yet many of the arts organisations that have lost their funding do great work bringing arts to communities who are tranformed by their actions, and all for tiny amounts of pay.  Bloody good value for money as far as I am concerned.

Anyway, the cuts have been made and we'll have to live with it.

See this interesting article by Johann Hari; an independent journalist who has written for the likes of the Independent and the Huffington post.  On the basis of this fabrication cuts have been pushed through with little regard for their long term impact on all levels of our society.

Jump to Victoria Scholes' website