The AHRC is to be cut. But the drop in available funding will not be 50%. Much of the cut will be in back-office activities. The AHRC recently moved from Bristol to Swindon, where most of the other research councils are based. The objective was to save money by integrating administration and support across councils. In reality the move has cost far more than expected. However, going forward such costs will be lower. Also, with programmes being streamlined (cut, like the creative arts fellowship programme), fewer project officers and administrators are required. I'm not sure what the actual cut will be to funding streams but it will be significantly less than 50%.
I am upset they cut the creative arts fellowship programme though. It was hugely successful and, for independent artists, a great route into the rich and diverse research cultures that exist in UK academia. For many it was the only route. There are a number of really significant artists, in the digital arts but across all disciplines, who found their way into rewarding roles at various research labs and facilities. Some of them have sustained working practices in these contexts well beyond the period of the grants (usually 3 years) and have become permanent staff. This route is now gone and nothing has effectively replaced it. The strangest thing is that the AHRC has stated that the reason they closed the programme is that it was so successful. That begs the question whether they only sustain unsuccessful programmes. I don't want to be critical of the AHRC. I work closely with them - indeed, I'm on some of their committees. But sometimes they make the strangest decisions. The most likely reason they would choose to cut the creative arts fellowships programme is that certain academic interests (eg: the humanities, as opposed to the creative arts) considered the programme too generous to unconventional researchers (eg: non-academics). As somebody who did not go through the academy but has, later in life, found benefit through it, I think this represents a narrow and conservative conception of what research and pedagogy is for and what it can do. Best Simon Simon Biggs [email protected] [email protected] Skype: simonbiggsuk http://www.littlepig.org.uk/ Research Professor edinburgh college of art http://www.eca.ac.uk/ Creative Interdisciplinary Research in CoLlaborative Environments http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/ Electronic Literature as a Model of Creativity and Innovation in Practice http://www.elmcip.net/ Centre for Film, Performance and Media Arts http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/film-performance-media-arts > From: TOM CORBY <[email protected]> > Reply-To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity > <[email protected]> > Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2010 08:20:07 +0000 (GMT) > To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity > <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] funding opportunities > > Just to add to Simon's excellent summary, I have it from an excellent source > that the AHRC budget is just about to be cut by 50%. > Frankly you're better off buying a lottery ticket. > Grim days. > > --- On Tue, 23/11/10, dave miller <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: dave miller <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] funding opportunities > To: "NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity" > <[email protected]> > Date: Tuesday, 23 November, 2010, 21:07 > > thanks for the helpful info Simon, that's very useful - I think the > Creative Arts Fellowship programme was the one > > dave > > > > On 23 November 2010 17:39, Simon Biggs <[email protected]> wrote: >> The key thing you need to know is that the AHRC only funds research (which >> can include practice based work) undertaken by permanent employees of >> recognised research institutions (Universities, other HEI's and some >> national museums and research institutes). Artists cannot apply. For art >> projects you go to your regional arts council. >> >> What artists can do is develop something like a Fellowship proposal with >> somebody who is employed in a University. These can be for up to 9 months. >> They require the proposed fellow, who will be hosted by the institution, has >> a PhD or experience equivalent to that (this is undefined but usually means >> something like 6 years professional experience with a track record of >> exhibitions, publications and conference presentations). An early career >> fellowship allows those with less experience (but still of post-doc >> standing) to apply for similar funds - but then these fellows have a mentor. >> >> There use to be a Creative Arts Fellowship programme but that was >> discontinued last year. Bummer. It was a brilliant programme and probably >> the one you have been told about. >> >> Best >> >> Simon >> >> >> Simon Biggs >> [email protected] [email protected] >> Skype: simonbiggsuk >> http://www.littlepig.org.uk/ >> >> Research Professor edinburgh college of art >> http://www.eca.ac.uk/ >> Creative Interdisciplinary Research in CoLlaborative Environments >> http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/ >> Electronic Literature as a Model of Creativity and Innovation in Practice >> http://www.elmcip.net/ >> Centre for Film, Performance and Media Arts >> http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/film-performance-media-arts >> >> >>> From: dave miller <[email protected]> >>> Reply-To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity >>> <[email protected]> >>> Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:01:22 +0000 >>> To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity >>> <[email protected]> >>> Subject: [NetBehaviour] funding opportunities >>> >>> The other day someone told me about the AHRC and that they have grants >>> for digital art. It struck me that this could be a solution to my >>> problem of doing part-time jobs to make ends meet, which leaves me >>> tired and without enough time for creative work. >>> >>> To get funding to concentrate on creative work sounds perfect. Or is >>> it? Seems to me the funding gives you credibility as well as money. >>> >>> Here's the AHRC website: >>> http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/default.aspx >>> >>> Does anyone on this list have experience of doing this? >>> Is it very difficult to get funding? Do you have to be very established? >>> >>> cheers, dave >>> _______________________________________________ >>> NetBehaviour mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >> >> >> >> Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number >> SC009201 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NetBehaviour mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >> > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC009201 _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
