Arts organisations still in 'funding limbo' after crash of Arts Council England online portal

Funding Limbo Continues for Arts Organisations Despite ACE's Claims of Resolution

In the aftermath of the devastating crash of Arts Council England's (ACE) grant processing platform, Grantium, many artists and arts organisations continue to grapple with a funding limbo that shows no signs of resolution. The collapse of the system in July left thousands of applications for vital funding hanging in the balance, causing widespread disruption to the already fragile financial security of those relying on it.

While ACE claims that the technical issues were resolved after several months and new application processes are now in place, many individuals have reported experiencing difficulties in accessing their long-overdue funds. Artists like Pui-Ka Cheng, director of Drift, an ACE-funded project, received approval for her funding but encountered problems submitting bank account details, leading to a delay in receiving the initial payment.

The situation has been described as "chaotic" and "cruel" by some arts professionals, who feel that they are being punished for the extra workload caused by the Grantium crash. Pepa Duarte, an actor and theatre maker, was awarded £28,000 by ACE but saw her funding reduced by £1,500 due to errors in her final report, which she had to submit manually.

The arts sector has long been critical of Grantium, with many calling for its transformation since its launch in 2016. The system's inability to handle high traffic and updates has led to criticism that it is "clunky" and "inequitable". Despite ACE's assurances that new processes are now in place, concerns about the system's reliability and transparency persist.

In August, arts unions highlighted the impact of the Grantium outage on artists, stating that "every time it is struggling artists who pay the price." The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has dismissed suggestions of additional financial support to overhaul ACE's grant application system, saying that it was a matter for the organisation itself.

ACE has made over 3,900 grant payments totalling £203m since the new processes were implemented, but many have expressed frustration with the experience. The situation remains uncertain, leaving artists and arts organisations to continue living in limbo as they wait for their long-overdue funds.

seriously though, can't ACE just get it together? They're like "oh no, our system crashed" and then just pretend like everything is fine now... meanwhile artists are still getting their funding delayed or reduced because of some human error . I mean, if they were really serious about resolving this issue, why hasn't there been any concrete action taken yet? It's all just a big mess and the arts community is paying for it .

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple" - Oscar Wilde Arts organisations are facing a tough time due to the ongoing funding issues with ACE's grant processing system, Grantium. It seems like the system is still clunky and prone to errors, causing frustration for many artists who rely on these funds for their livelihoods. The fact that it's been almost a year since the outage and many people are still waiting for their payments shows that there's a long way to go before ACE can claim that everything is back to normal

Ugh, this is crazy! I mean, ACE said they fixed Grantium, but it's still not working right? It's like they're playing a game of "artsy limbo" where artists are the ones stuck in between. I get that things break down, but £203m worth of funding should be able to handle some stress, you know?

I'm so over people saying artists have to pay for their own extra work because the system can't keep up. That's just not cool. And Lisa Nandy thinks she can just dismiss this and expect everything to magically fix itself? No thanks. ACE needs to step up their game (or should I say, get a new Grantium?)

I'm starting to think that all these funding woes are just a big ol' mess, like a giant puzzle with missing pieces. And ACE is still trying to find the right fit... Meanwhile, artists are over here living in uncertainty and waiting for their long-overdue cash

Ugh, I cant even imagine how frustrating this must be for all these talented ppl . First, your system crashes, now you're stuck waiting for funds that never came in the 1st place . It's like, can't we just have a smooth process for once? ACE is trying to say everything is fixed, but from what I've seen, it still feels like they're playing catch-up. And poor Pepa Duarte, £1500 taken away from her funding... that's just harsh . It's not like she was asking for a raise or anything . The arts sector needs support, and it seems like ACE is struggling to give it to them . What's the solution here? More funding? Better tech? I don't know, but one thing's for sure - artists and arts orgs need some help ASAP ️

omg I feel so bad for those artists like Pepa Duarte who went through all that drama with her funding I mean, can't we just get a new system already? It's been ages since Grantium was launched and it still can't handle the workload... it's just so unfair to artists who are struggling to make ends meet I'm glad ACE is trying to improve things but it's taking forever

I'm really worried about the impact this is having on the artists . I get that ACE's grant processing system had some major issues, but it seems like they're just patching things up rather than going back to the drawing board and making some real changes . It's not exactly fair to expect artists to keep submitting paperwork manually when they've already been through a huge upheaval with Grantium . And £1,500 off Pepa Duarte's funding? That's just a bit too much for anyone to take . Can't we just find some common ground and work towards a solution that actually works for everyone?

I'm totally feelin' the vibe of all these struggling arts orgs right now . Like, how can a system that's supposed to be supporting creators end up causing so much stress and uncertainty? ACE needs to step up their game and get this funding process sorted ASAP! It's not just about the money, it's about the people who are counting on these grants to keep making art. I'm all for a little extra support to fix the Grantium mess, but come on, culture secretary Lisa Nandy ... can't you see how this is affecting people's lives? The fact that arts unions are saying artists pay the price every time it struggles just shows how broken this system is . I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a resolution soon !

Ugh I'm so tired of hearing about this Grantium drama . ACE's all like "it's resolved" but honestly, how can you resolve an issue that still got artists stuck in limbo? It's like they're playing a game with people's livelihoods . I get it, tech issues happen, but come on, didn't anyone see this coming? Artists are already struggling to make ends meet, and now you're telling them to deal with the extra headache of getting their funds processed manually? It's just not fair . Can we please just get a system that works?

I don’t usually comment but I feel so bad for all these artists & arts orgs who are still struggling with the funding limbo . Like, can’t we just have a reliable system that works for everyone? I know ACE is trying to fix it, but it seems like they're making things worse by not providing more support . The fact that artists are being punished for the extra workload caused by Grantium's crash is just cruel . And what’s with the culture secretary dismissing suggestions of additional financial support? Can’t we afford to make sure everyone gets funded fairly? It's like, we're already living in a world where arts orgs are struggling to survive, do we really need to make it even harder for them?

Ugh , this funding limbo is like something out of a movie - you know, where the protagonist is stuck in a never-ending loop of bureaucratic red tape? I feel so bad for all these artists and arts orgs who are still waiting on their grants . It's like, can't ACE just get it together already? I mean, they've had months to resolve the issues with Grantium and yet, people are still experiencing problems. It's not fair to punish them for something that's not even their fault .

I think what really gets me is how long this has been going on - since 2016 ! That's like, a whole decade of uncertainty and frustration for the arts sector. And now, Lisa Nandy just dismisses the idea of additional financial support? Like, what's next? "Oh, we'll just leave you to figure it out yourselves"? No way, not on my watch .

I'm rooting for these artists and orgs who are fighting for their rights . They deserve so much better than this. I hope ACE can finally get its act together and provide the support they need . Until then, I'll just be over here, ranting about it on my blog

Ugh, I'm getting so frustrated for all these artists & orgs who are still stuck in this funding limbo . It's like ACE is playing a never-ending game of whack-a-mole with the same issues that caused the Grantium crash in the first place . Can't they just get it together? The whole thing feels so unfair & cruel . I mean, artists are already struggling to make ends meet & now they're being punished for ACE's mistakes? No thanks . And what about all the errors and delays that are happening because of manual submissions? It's just a nightmare . I think it's time for some serious overhaul & more support from our culture sec

Ugh, this is so frustrating ! I mean, I know ACE is trying to fix the issues with Grantium, but it's just too late for some people, you know? They've been waiting for months and still can't get their money. It's like, what even is the point of having a new system if it's just gonna cause more problems? The artists are already struggling to make ends meet, and now they're getting screwed because of some technical issues. And yeah, it feels like they're being punished for ACE's mistakes, you know? It's not fair to them at all . I'm just waiting for some kind of resolution here, but so far, nothing seems to be happening . Can't we just have a smooth process without all the drama?

I'm still not convinced about ACE's claims that everything is back on track . I mean, thousands of people are still waiting for their funding and there are reports of errors and delays left and right. £1,500 taken away from Pepa Duarte's award? That's just crazy! Where's the transparency in all this? How can they expect artists to trust a system when it keeps messing up like that? And what about the "new processes" they keep talking about? Have we seen them in action yet? I need some actual evidence before I believe ACE is telling the truth.

this is so frustrating lol ace really dropped the ball on grantium it's just not fair to artists who are already struggling to make ends meet, i mean, £1,500 off pepa duarte's funding? that's a huge chunk of change for someone who's supposed to be supporting themselves through their art and don't even get me started on the delays, like, what's the point of having new processes in place if they're just gonna cause more headaches? ace needs to step up their game and figure out how to make this system work properly

I mean like, can't we just get it together already? ACE's Grantium system is still super broken and it's affecting so many people's lives. They're saying all these things about new processes being in place but nobody seems to be getting the funding they need on time. It's not fair to the artists who are struggling, you know? And the culture secretary is just like, "oh, it's not my problem"? No one wants to listen to the people who actually care about this stuff...

Ugh, I'm so done with this whole funding situation ! It's like ACE is playing a cruel game of cat and mouse with these artists . First, the system crashes, then it takes months to fix, and now it's all just a big mess . I mean, come on, £203m in grant payments? That's not exactly a trivial amount of money ! And what about all those artists who are struggling to make ends meet? It's like they're being punished for ACE's mistakes .

I'm so tired of hearing that it's just an "inequitable" system . Newsflash: that's not an excuse! Fix the system, or find a better way to process applications . And what about all those artists who are still waiting for their funds? It's like they're stuck in limbo forever . I just hope ACE figures out a way to get it together soon, before more people get hurt .

Ugh this is crazy stuff! I mean, think about it... ACE's grant processing system crashes, thousands of artists lose funding, and now they're saying it's all fixed? No way . This whole thing smells like a cover-up to me. They're just trying to sweep everything under the rug without taking responsibility for the mess. And what about those artists who got their funding reduced or had delays? That's not cool, dude . It sounds like they're being punished for ACE's own incompetence. I'm not buying it . There has to be more to this story than just a technical glitch...

this is so frustrating I mean, i get that grantium was supposed to make things easier but now it's just causing more stress for everyone involved... i've been following this situation since it started and it's like ace is just kicking the can down the road again . they say everything is fine now, but what about all the artists who are still waiting for their money? £203m might sound like a lot, but when you're an independent artist or theatre maker, that's literally life-changing cash . and to think they're just expecting everyone to be okay with this new system being "clunky" ... newsflash: we didn't ask for it, ace did