Newsreel

The Government has announced that the Charities Bill is among the pieces of legislation that will not be dealt with before Parliament is dissolved. Whether it is reintroduced will depend upon the outcome of the election.

A new publication documenting local authority spending on the arts in 2002/03 has been published by Arts Council England, providing a comprehensive overview of expenditure at that time
w: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk

A new programme to profile, encourage and support artists in addressing ecological concerns is being launched by the RSA in partnership with Arts Council England. A series of debates and conferences will pose questions about how art can be used as an agent for social and environmental change, and what are artists currently contributing to the field. The Arts & Ecology launch event is on 27 April at the RSA in London.
e: [email protected]

A bus shelter promotion for the Royal Museum?s blockbuster exhibition Dinosaurs Alive, sited outside the Marks & Spencer Foodhall in Edinburgh, will be talking to passers-by over the coming weeks, growling such comments as ?Typical, you wait for millions of years then you all turn up at once,? and ?I love children, but I couldn?t eat a whole one.? The shelter complements a radio and press advertising campaign designed to
draw the public?s attention to what is currently on offer at the Royal Museum.

Advice on the basics of producing a successful street arts event, including planning, programming, liaison, promotion and the production of the event itself, is included in ?Setting the Streets Alive?, a new guide for arts practitioners. The guide also contains sample contracts for artists, briefing notes for stewards and an audience survey.
w: http://www.streetartsnetwork.org.uk

The Gaelic Arts Strategic Development Programme has announced a stream of new initiatives, including seven residencies that will span a total of 37 months. The Programme, funded by the Scottish Arts Council and Bòrd na Gàidhlig, provides opportunities for individuals and organisations working in the Gaelic arts and will focus specifically on audience development, skills development and showcase development.

The RNIB has re-launched its information pages about audio description, including specific advice for theatre, gallery and cinema professionals.
w: http://www.rnib.org.uk/audiodescription

A support group for people starting up new companies, projects, or enterprises in the arts is aiming to provide advice about setting up and developing new initiatives, both through an email network and a monthly newsletter. Known as ?The Good Picnic?, the service will pool knowledge, build links between like-minded people, and help arts practitioners to get their new ideas arts to work.
e: [email protected]

a-n?s guidance on ?Good practice in paying artists? is now being used by artists applying for Grants for the Arts (G4A) in England, and Arts Council England will be promoting the rates scale in future G4A seminars. The formula suggested to calculate artists? fees can be applied across the art sector. ?Good practice in paying artists? is at
w: http://www.a-n.co.uk