An international conference for people interested in Disability and Deaf Arts will take place at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts on May 6?8. The event will involve performances, film screenings and discussions as well as papers and workshops covering issues including access to the arts for Deaf people, opportunities in television and Disability Arts in Higher Education. Speakers include Paddy Masefield and Kaite O?Reilly. e: {l.vingoe@ lipa.ac.uk}; t: 0151 330 3379; w: http://www.lipa.ac.uk/effectingchange
A pocket-sized leaflet aimed at giving people the knowledge and confidence to buy works of art has been published by the Scottish Arts Council. t: 0845 603 6000; w: http://www.scottisharts.org.uk
Increasing Visibility, a discussion on the state of Black British playwriting is being organised by Spread the Word Literature Development Agency at Oval House Theatre on April 24. The panel discussion will be led by Karena Johnson, Bonnie Greer, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Courttia Newland, Paulette Randall and Roy Williams. t: 020 7582 7680.
Plans are underway for the development of an association that will look after the needs of consultants and freelancers working in the cultural sector. Expressions of interest in such an organisation are being sought with a view to launching the association within the next 18 months. Contact William Tayleur, e: william@businessofculture.com
A seminar to profile regional funding opportunities and schemes available to artists and arts organisations will take place at The New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, on May 12. t: 01473 295900;
w: http://www.wolseytheatre.co.uk
Arts and Partnership is the theme of the second annual conference of the Arts Council of Wales, taking place in Llangollen on May 12-13. The event aims to provide an opportunity for delegates to take part in the ongoing development of arts policy in Wales. w: http://www.artswales.org/conference
A £300,000 NESTA-funded project to develop a hand-held computer providing text, video, pictures and sound to museum and gallery attenders is being led by the science and discovery centre, At-Bristol, in partnership with the National Space Centre, Leicester and The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
A new building managed by East Street Arts opens next month in Leeds, offering facilities including workspace for visual artists and new media practitioners, and providing a centralised resource area with access to facilities, information, training and contacts through a membership scheme. Part-funded by Arts Council England, the development aims to encourage graduates and established artists to stay and work in the city, and will also be a base for education programmes for visual arts projects. e: info@esaweb.org.uk
The top award in the arts sponsorship category of the Hollis Awards for the most effective use of sponsorship has been made to the Bank of Scotland and the Edinburgh International Festival for the Ring Cycle, the Bank of Scotland Queen?s Hall Series and the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert, all in 2003. Other short-listed candidates included a multi-million pound sponsorship of Tate by Unilever, and a Yamaha and Classic FM sponsorship programme, Go Back to School with Vision.
AOL UK and Citizens Online are offering 30 awards of £2,000 and a year?s free subscription to AOL to charities needing funding for innovative Internet projects. http://www.aol.co.uk/innovation