Arts Council? Good grief. It's my business. If I can't make enough from Folk Venues then I have to find other ways. That's why I play Pubs & Clubs. Not interested at all in Government handouts and besides; the money goes to those who know how to shuffle papers and few of them are actually performers. From what I've seen so far, the paper shufflers and promo experts should, in many cases, have spent more time honing their skills. Do that and the business will take care of itself.
The ones who lose are the folk venues who cannot come up with the funds and the performers who would love to play for them but cannot accommodate the lower paying venues.
I'll play for folk clubs when I can but I have to make a living.