Collaboration

A new partnership aims to grow options for music tuition in the South East of England. 

Brighton & Hove Music & Arts (BHMA), which manages the Create Music hub, has joined forces with East Sussex Music (ESM) to expand its online offering.

Create Music Director Peter Chivers said the partners will share resouces and skills to reach more learners.

BHMA Chief Executive Andrew Comben added: "As access to the arts becomes increasingly difficult for a lot of communities, offering affordable tuition in familiar locations or online is essential to keep young people engaged."

Researchers are calling for arts workers involved in higher education to contribute to a new survey.

The National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange has extended its questionnaire until December 20 to explore collaborations between the two sectors.

Devised and led by Dr Thanasis Sypriadis, the survey asks how confident and supported arts professionals feel collaborating with educational institutions, what could be improved, and the role the centre might have in this.

Anyone who has been involved in the joint devising, leadership, or delivery of projects, research or activities is encouraged to take part. 

Blackpool will establish a new cultural partnership to help the local arts sector recover from Covid-19.

Initiatives including a town centre creative hub and new live-work studios for artists will be pursued with the support of Blackpool Council.

The council said it hoped the partnership would help with "developing a vision and maximising investment in the sector".

Blackpool was recently named one of Arts Council England's priority places for investment.

Recent surveys have uncovered much creative talent and a full ecology of arts activity in the area, from amateur and community arts to professional creative work, but lower levels of investment than other parts of England.

Belfast has become the third UK city to recieve UNESCO City of Music status.

The accolade, announced on Monday (November 8), recognises the Northern Irish capital's unique musical heritage and local efforts to strengthen engagement with music.

A 2018 survey undertaken during the European Capital of Culture bidding process identified music as the city's strongest cultural output, prompting the bid for UNESCO status.

"Being deisgnated as a UNESCO City of Music honours the gargantuan effort that the entire music scene has made to help raise Belfast up and out of the darkest of times," Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody commmented.

Belfast will join the UN body's Creative Cities Network of 59 places, with Lightbody and Emmy-nominated composer Hannah Peel acting as official Belfast Music patrons.

Belfast City Council will consult residents on a City of Music action plan, having worked with a City of Music steering group on the bid submission.

Glasgow was the first UK city awarded the title in 2008, followed by Liverpool in 2016.

Cultural festival LEEDS 2023 is bringing locally-based artists together with international collaborators in two new programmes as part of its year-long programme.

The World in Our City, the City in Our World will include work by musicians, DJs, theatre makers and writers from cities including Kuala Lumpur, Karachi and Durban.

A second programme, Tech for the Public Good, will create an online residency with participants from countries including Ghana, Iraq, Lebanon, Nepal, Mexico and the UK.

Both programmes are supported by the British Council.

LEEDS 2023 Executive Producer Emma Beverley said: “This work will see us foster new connections across borders whilst also supporting and developing local talent.”