COVID-19 will obviously impact the forms of support we can give to existing Clwstwr projects as well as to those applying during our next Open Call. We have tried to mitigate this as much as possible.
- We have replaced 2020 Open Call briefing events with a range of online resources.
- We will still be offering 1-2-1 meetings with the Clwstwr team (online instead of face to face) – for existing projects and new applicants. If you are already a Clwstwr project, please arrange this with your Producer. If you are interested in applying for Clwstwr funding, please book a 1-2-1 here.
- We will stick to the planned timetable for our 2020 Open Call as many people have indicated to us that any delay in funding new projects would not be welcome. To expedite this, we have scheduled as quick a turnaround as possible to review Expressions of Interest and full Applications, while giving as much time as possible for applicants to complete these forms. This will mean that the written feedback we can offer at the 2020 Expressions of Interest stage will be generic.
The disruption will also have an impact on the methods available for doing R&D – so, for example, face to face user testing may need to be replaced by online user testing. As we do not know when the COVID-19 disruption will end, we strongly urge applicants to plan for this.
Finally, the impact of COVID-19 has been profound and may have lasting social impacts. There may be lessons learned during this period that enable us to think about new forms of creativity and new ways of working – allowing us, for example, to move more quickly towards a low carbon economy or addressing issues of social isolation. If appropriate we would encourage you to explore this in your Clwstwr application.