A summary of imminent changes to the rules governing Gift Aid has been published by the Museums Association. Charities are currently able to offer free admission to visitors in return for a donation, which is eligible for Gift Aid, but under the new arrangements, museums and galleries will only be able to claim Gift Aid on daily admission tickets if visitors donate at least 10% more than the standard admission fee.
w: http://www.museumsassociation.org/12098
A new online resource called the Bongo Club has been launched by Youth Music to support and encourage parents and early years practitioners in providing music making opportunities for 05 year-olds.
w: http://www.bongoclub.org.uk
A range of new audience development tools to help arts organisations reach new audiences has been launched by London Calling in partnership with Audiences London. The products will enable London-based arts organisations to target various types of potential attender: easy to convert groups in areas where there seems to be untapped potential; young professional families in outer London suburbs; young, diverse audiences with limited interest in traditional artforms or spaces; and aspirational couples and families from ethnic minority groups.
t: 020 7275 7225; w: http://www.londoncalling.com/distribution
Future Leaders, a new programme of free seminars aimed at de-mystifying the process of being a board member or trustee, is being targeted at disabled or deaf people interested in taking on these roles in the arts or cultural sector. The programme, which will run at regular intervals throughout 2006/07, has been devised based on the direct experiences of disabled and deaf people within the disability and deaf arts sector as well as the mainstream.
w: http://www.shapearts.org.uk
Priorities have been set out for the Governments Dance Forum, announced earlier this year. The group of 16 dance experts will focus on employment issues, education, continuing professional development, and the relationship between the commercial and subsidised dance sector. It will report to Ministers on a regular basis.
The Musicians Union has launched an online petition to encourage the public to support a code of practice which calls for honesty in the use of recorded music. The code is intended to ensure that consumers are told whether or not the music element of a performance is live or recorded, and thereby recognise and reward artists, producers and promoters who support live music performance.
w: http://www.honestycode.com
The latest figures from the Art Market Research Index compiled by specialist insurer Hiscox reveals that Contemporary Art has increased in value by 4.7% from 2004 to 2005, and by 57% over the last 10 years. The growth is attributed to the emergence of a new breed of art collector, speculating on the work of emerging artists and taking advantage of the growing number of contemporary art fairs around the UK.
De Montfort University has been given planning permission to build a 280-seat auditorium at its new Campus Centre in Bedford, to replace the Bowen West Theatre at Lansdowne. The complex will also house a studio performance space, catering facilities and offices.
An exhibition of the work of 23 artists, selected from final degree shows at universities in the East of England, is being presented from 28 March to 6 May at the Bury St Edmunds Gallery. The exhibition forms part of the Platform programme, which supports the professional development of visual arts and design graduates who live, or who have studied, in the region, including Alexander Dias (pictured). The programme has been running since 2000 and in addition to an annual exhibition, supports artists with commissions and other professional development activities.
w: http://www.platform-east.org