“Don’t burn your bridges.”
That is what someone from a funding institution told me when I started asking questions. What did I do that put a bridge at risk? Question a decision? Ask for an explanation? Was I supposed to keep quiet because I might need funding again?
On a small island, you keep meeting the same people, and opportunities often pass through the same few institutions. When someone connected to a funding institution gives you that advice, you start wondering whether your questions will count against your next application. I don't know if that was their intention, but that is what it left me thinking about.
For as much as I respect institutions, I don't believe we should have to stay quiet to keep a good relationship with them. Receiving support does not mean we owe anyone our silence. We can appreciate an opportunity and still question how decisions are made.
Our cultural and creative industries need funding institutions we can speak openly with. We are the ones dealing with the applications, budgets, requirements, and gaps in support. We have knowledge these institutions need, and we should be able to share it without worrying about losing access.
Some people cannot afford to take that chance. Their next project, their collaborators' pay, or the space they work in might depend on that funding. So they keep quiet, even when they have something important to say. How will anything improve if the people experiencing the problems feel they cannot speak?
If I have the facts wrong, show me. If there is a reason for a decision, explain it. A funding institution should be able to handle questions without leaving us wondering what will happen to our next application. We should not have to keep quiet to protect our chances of getting funded.