Sara Wookey is a brilliant Support Worker, she offers her calm and supportive guidance in filling out and completing the application form on the Grantium system, which can feel overwhelming. Her presence is reassuring and confidence building.
Tamzin, visual artist based in Ludlow
Hello fellow Artist!
I am here to support you as you write your Arts Council England funding bid. Bids can be for project funding or Developing Your Own Practice (DYCP). Below is some guidance on what, how and when Access Support can be available to you. I welcome the chance to support your journey and please feel free to get in touch if you have questions or want to talk through your needs and next steps forward…
What is Access Support?
It is support for Artists who have access needs due to a mental or physical challenges such as neurodivergent people or those the ADHD and Dyslexia/Dyspraxia to help remove barriers to submitting ACE bids for projects and/or DYCP programmes.No formal diagnosis is required as ACE recognises self-diagnosis. As an artist-led support system the Support Worker walks alongside you to support you ACE application bid. It is not bid writing in that the Access Support worker will ask you questions, not give answers, to encourage and support your project bid. The Access Worker follows a duty of care to support and empower the Artist to submit their ACE bid but it is not necessary that the bid is submitted by the end of the working period.
What might an Access Worker do for me?
The Access Worker might support writing content for the application, check grammar and spelling and upload the application to the Grantium system. It is encouraged that the Artist and Access Support worker work together, alongside, to foster learning and development.
How many days will the Access Worker be available?
ACE suggests 2-3 days for applications under £30k and 3-5 days for those applications over £30k
What is the fee to request for an Access Worker?
The range ACE offers is £75-£300/day. My fee is £300/day for up to 5 days.
Do I need to submit my application at the end?
No. The aim is that the Artist submits their application to ACE yet it the funding for an Access Worker is about supporting your journey. If you want to take time to reflect further or your ideas change, or you decide not to submit you can still have Access Support along your journey.
Personal access funds
Can also tick the box for Access Support for artist (things like BSL interpretation)
Reporting to ACE
The Access Worker will send a log of the activities done per hour over the course of the days they worked with the Artist.
Link to ACE Access Support Request Form is here
Once you decided you would like to move ahead, we can have a chat and discuss your access needs and how we want to work together. I can help you fill in the form to ACE and we take it from there!
Enquiries and Help
0161 934 4317 (10am-4pm, Monday to Friday)