Children and young people

A total of 142 former ALRA students are to continue their studies with Rose Bruford College following the academy’s closure last month.

All students across undergraduate, postgraduate and foundation courses were offered a place to continue their course after the fallout.

The transferring students will work across Rose Bruford’s campuses in South West London and Wigan. The college said it has been working with a number of institutions to ensure students make a smooth transition.

Principal Claire Middleton says the transfers offer students a “secure way to complete their training after such an unsettling time”.

“We were encouraged to see the outpouring of support for them from across the industry,” she added.

Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) has acquired central Norwich venue 20 Bank Plain.

Work will now begin to transform the former banking hall into exhibition and performance spaces, student facilities and a café, after NUA confirmed it struck a deal with current owners The Lind Trust.

It will become the university’s 12th building in the creative quarter of the city.

NUA Vice Chancellor Professor Simon Ofield-Kerr expects the university to begin using the Grade-II listed building next year.

“It provides the opportunity to create spaces that combine teaching, research, exhibition and collection and public access way beyond our existing estate and will become an important centre for both the university and the city.”

A sex education theatre show for children has been cancelled amidst threats and complaints.

Bristol’s Tobacco Factory, where the Family Sex Show was due to premiere in May, said its building and team received “unprecedented threats and abuse” following widespread backlash.

The show, created by ThisEgg, features non-sexual nudity and conversations around consent, pleasure and queerness, targeting all audiences above age 5. 

Developed in conjunction with safeguarding and education specialists, ThisEgg said it hoped the performance would open up conversations around relationships.

An online petition branding the event “wholly inappropriate and a blatant attempt to sexualise children” gained more than 38,000 signatures.

ThisEgg said on Twitter it was “regrettable that violent and illegal threats and abuse” forced the cancellation.

“We believe that what has happened is reflective of structural and societal attitudes towards relationships and sex education as well as art, culture and who is allowed to create and what we are allowed to engage with in the UK.”

People who booked tickets will be offered refunds.

£8.9m is being invested in two funds to support young people's music making, learning and earning potential.

Youth Music has launched the Trailblazer Fund, offering grants of up to £30,000 to organisations who want to trial new music projects, and the Catalyser Fund, which will give up to £300,000 to those want to scale up existing projects or "create change in sector practice".

The charity says the funds, made possible with National Lottery support via Arts Council England, respond to a 33% increase in demand for funds over the past 12 months.

"The post-pandemic demand for funding of transformative music-making opportunities is far outpacing demand," it said.

Applicants to Youth Music helped design the funds and will inform the funding decisions.

"This shift will make life easier for applicants and ensure music making opportunities are open for the children and young people who need them the most."