A report funded by Arts Council England studying the impact of Folk Festivals on Cultural Tourism has found that over three-quarters of a million people attend Folk Festivals in the UK in any one year. They spend around £17m on accommodation, £15m on tickets, £13m on travel, and in total bring £77m into the UK economy. 76% of attenders are repeat visitors and 92% buy CDs at their festivals. e: info@afouk.org
Professional artists who would be willing to volunteer their time to work with young people in primary and secondary schools are being invited to participate in The Big Arts Week, to be held this year from June 30 to July 4. w: http://www.bigartsweek.com
New Music Works, a collaboration by The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) and the Performing Right Society Foundation (PRSF) which funds commissions from Welsh music creators and performances of Welsh new music in Wales, is to receive a 25% increase in funding in 2003. £50,000 will be available, with a closing date for applications of June 1.
Disabled or deaf artists are being invited to participate in a consultation process in preparation for a National Disability Arts Conference, being held as part of the European Year of Disabled People in 2003. Shape, in partnership with the Arts Council regions, will be holding consultation meetings during March and April, and opinions can also be submitted on a questionnaire which is available at http://www.shapearts.org.uk; t: 020 7619 6165
A pilot website focusing on crafts and makers in the Highlands and Islands area, is being developed by Hi-Arts. Intended to form the basis of a crafts website for Scotland, the site will showcase the work of individual makers, provide a directory of public outlets which display crafts and run classes, as well as serving as a central resource for the crafts community with information about suppliers, outlets, sales and training opportunities. w: http://www.hi-arts.co.uk; t: 0131 240 2454
The library at Oxford Brookes University has acquired the entire library collection previously held at the former Museum of Modern Art, Oxford. The collection comprises around 16,000 books, exhibition catalogues and periodicals accumulated since the opening of the museum in 1965.
The closing date for the current round of funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Board Research Leave Scheme is March 31. The scheme provides funds to cover replacement teaching costs for periods of research leave of up to four months.
t: 0117 987 6679; w: http://www.ahrb.ac.uk; e: i.broadridge@ahrb.ac.uk
A second London Fringe Theatre Symposium will be held on March 29. This one day event provides an opportunity for venues, companies and practitioners to share problems and practice, and concludes with a free performance.
t: 07881 923206; e: ajshrubsall@aol.com