Eighty cultural groups will be helping to plan Liverpool?s Capital of Culture year at a summit to share ideas and expertise, and brainstorm about how to engage Liverpool people in the celebrations. The groups, ranging from barbershop quartets to theatre companies, have been awarded £4.5m to fund a variety of artistic and cultural projects over the next year.
Blackbaud, Inc., provider of fundraising software and related services to not-for-profit organisations, has acquired the exclusive rights to distribute ticketing management solution Standing Room Only (SRO) in the UK under the name The Patron Edge?. It will also assume responsibility for supporting the UK?s existing SRO customers. Blackbaud takes over SRO?s distribution from Artifax.
The Commission for Rural Communities has been established as an operating division of the Countryside Agency. The Commission will act as a rural advocate, expert adviser and independent watchdog for rural communities, with a particular focus on rural disadvantage. w: http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk
A collaboration between teachers and artists will enable children in Scotland to learn core curriculum subjects such as maths or history through the arts. Supported by the Scottish Arts Council in partnership with the Scottish Executive, the pilot project, Arts Across the Curriculum, will involve teachers outlining the necessary standards that the pupils must attain and artists using their creative expertise to develop methods to inspire the young people and their different learning styles.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe?s official website has been named as a winner in the Marketing Societies Scottish Marketing Excellence Awards. The award, for ?Communication Excellence: Online? was made in recognition of the success of the Fringe?s website. Web sales doubled from 2003 to 2004, with 44% of all tickets bought through the Metro Fringe Box Office being sold online. Tickets for the 2005 Fringe will go on sale on 13 June. w: http://www. edfringe.com.
The Charity Commission is seeking responses to a 15-page consultation paper, ?Charity working at the heart of society ? The way forward 2005?2008?. The paper is at http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk and the consultation closes on 24 June.
The Royal British Society of Sculptors (RBS) has launched a National Register of Sculptors, which all practising sculptors living and working in the UK are eligible to join. Registered sculptors will benefit from various RBS programs created to support sculptors in early stages of their career. They will also receive monthly email bulletins with details of exhibitions, events and debates, and access to the RBS Continuing Professional Development seminars.
Fifty of London?s black cabs have been promoting Chicken Shed Theatre Company?s ?Globaleyes?, a new dance musical. Taxi Media, part of Clear Channel, the advertising and entertainment company, has donated free taxi advertising worth £25,000 to Chicken Shed, and the taxi artwork was paid for by American Express Corporate Card and Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, Berg Kaprow Lewis.
London?s chamber music venue Wigmore Hall has announced a financial surplus for 2004, the year in which it also completed its £4m refurbishment programme. It is also poised to start its own CD label, and will be releasing 4 CDs in September, and a further 12 throughout the year. w: http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk
A seminar to help arts organisations make the most of email as a marketing tool will take place on 20 May at the National Portrait Gallery, London. Speaker Eugene Carr will be giving advice and case studies on how to build an e-list and deliver a more effective e-marketing strategy. For more details, contact Purple Seven, w: http://www.purpleseven.co.uk