A Successful Lottery Application.

BFFS South West made a successful application for lottery funding.  Each case is assessed on its merits but these documents may help others to appreciate the sort of planning and paperwork required.  Note the arrangements with other bodies and the numerous enclosures.

The Application

Application to The Arts Council of England for National Lottery Funding to Purchase Three Sets of DVD Projection Setups for a Monitored Pilot Project.

The British Federation of Film Societies South West Group exists to advance the education of the public in film as an art form and as a medium for information, education and social enlightenment. It's thirty two member societies show a wide range of culturally diverse film material [enc. Film South West]. They also organise a large number of special events covering all aspects of film culture [enc. examples of Group and individual FS literature]

New technology being used by artists and distributors necessitates the acquisition of data / video projection systems in order to widen the availability of cultural and new independent film to all societies from those in large conurbations right down to the significant number who operate in small rural communities.

Some of our members are seeking small scale funding for inexpensive data projection equipment. This is acceptable for small venues. We have consulted a wide range of independent advisors, from the BFI to local suppliers as well as attending national seminars to ascertain the correct equipment to purchase in order to facilitate quality presentation of film material on Digital Versatile Disk and all other formats currently available, or likely to be in the near future [enc. articles on DVD and Digital Projection Systems]. Ian Dyer of TVE Broadcast Facilities has visited a number of societies and tried out various machines before advising us to apply for funding to purchase three JVC Dila G15 Projects with industrial DVD players. Ian Dyer has promised to provide training free of charge to the three bases on arrival of the equipment and to continue to keep us up to date with information on new technology.

N.B. His advice is that superior technology is being marketed on a monthly basis. Therefore we would like to be able to reassess, if successful with this application, the equipment subsequently purchased.

The three sets of equipment will be based with organisations well known to SWA and SWMDA for excellence of cultural film provision and educational work. They are strategically placed around the area such that all communities wishing to use them will be in a position to do so. I [Paul Schilling] at Shaftesbury Film Society [enc. examples of publicity] will be the project leader and base number one. I undertake to work closely with SWMDA [as this is a pilot project] to document and monitor activities over a three year period. I am very grateful to SWMDA for the strong commitment and support for this project. I have discussed the possibility of using this application [if successful] with the director to apply to SWMDA's Exhibition Fund to initiate the process of transferring new material from excellent south west filmmakers onto the DVD format. We would then work together to distribute this work to as wide an audience as possible.

I as Chairman of BFFS. SW will be responsible for overseeing the maintenance and insurance of the equipment. I will also reserve the right to withdraw equipment from one of the other specified sites if the BFFS. SW committee should regard this as necessary. Mike Hoskin [Dorset County Council Cultural Services Officer] has offered to provide funding in the first year of the project to pay for the insurance and to promote the use of the equipment in Dorset.

Chris Baker at Bath Film Festival [enc. Letter of intent and examples of publicity] will be base number two. This festival is very well known for excellence of programming and presentation. Chris also coordinates the Spools In Schools project [enc. full details] to establish the use educationally in the areas schools and colleges of film, to foster the appreciation of film culture in the young.

Sean Lenihan the Chairman of Penwith Film Society [enc. Letter of intent and examples of publicity] at Penzance will be base number three. Penwith FS are very well known to SWA and SWMDA as a centre of excellence for cultural film provision in Cornwall. They are known for working in partnership with other South West organisations to promote new film work by south west artists.

Three other key organisations in our area are committed strongly to the project. Phill Walkley of Purbeck Film Festival and Dorset Cinema Initiative [enc. Letter and supporting material] wishes to use the equipment to help do more educational and outreach work .Phill Shepherd of Somerset Film and Video Ltd. [enc. Letter and supporting material] also wishes to be able to access the use of the equipment applied for. This organisation is very well known to all south west agencies for it's work producing cutting edge new film with a very wide section of the community. Elayne Hoskin the Director of TSW Film & Television Archive for the South West [enc. Letter of support] would like to be involved in the project, seeing it as an excellent opportunity to get the archive's amazing collection toured to as wide a section of the public as possible.

We are very aware of the need to promote the availability of this equipment to as wide a section of the community as possible. We are very fortunate to have the support and guidance of SWMDA to help us market the project properly. This will be done using the relevant newsletters, publications and websites maintained by all of the partnership organisations mentioned [enc. Examples of literature and pages from all the relevant web sites] The BFFS. SW will also hold a launch event for the project with all south west Arts Development Officers informed and the necessary press releases issued.

I am aware that the equipment needs to be used constructively not only for the next three years but for it's full life. BFFS. SW Committee will after the initial three years ask all societies interested to write on a yearly basis to be the home of one set of equipment. BFFS. SW undertakes to continue to allocate sufficient funds after the project to maintain the equipment.

All of the mentioned agencies are as strongly committed to this project as we are.

We urge you to supply the detailed funding to bring this excellent initiative to life,

Yours Sincerely,

Paul Schilling [Chairman BFFS. SW]

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