The Watermill Theatre in Bagnor near Newbury is up for sale. The current owners, Artistic Director Jill Fraser and husband James Sargant, are retiring and looking for a buyer for the Grade II listed producing theatre. w: http://www.watermill.org.uk
A new fellowship programme has been launched to address the under-representation of ethnic minority curators in the museums and galleries sector. Backed by Arts Council England, the Inspire Fellowship Programme will offer five Fellows bursaries of between £30,000 and £42,000 over a two-year training period at major London museums and galleries.
The winners of the 2005 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards have been announced. The Royal Opera House triumphed in three awards including the Conductor category, although Opera North won the Opera and Music Theatre award. Hackney Music Development Trust won in the Education category for its community opera project, Operaction Hackney: On London Fields.
w: http://www.royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk
The Adapt Trust is offering arts organisations grants to make capital and long-term improvements in access facilities for disabled people. Improvements such as ramps, induction loops and signage are all covered by the scheme which will offer grants up to £2,000. The deadline for applications is 30 June.
w: http://www.adapttrust.co.uk
Axis, the online guide to artists practising in the UK, has introduced online registration for artists, and the 1,500 professional artists presented on Axis can now update their biographies, images and other details online. They can also print out their full Axis listing in professional CV format from the site, with high resolution images to send out with their proposals.
w: http://www.axisweb.org
A new IT support facility offering an online helpdesk service for voluntary sector organisations too small to have IT staff of their own is now available online.
w: http://www.charityhelpdesk.org.uk
The Audit Commission has published proposals to overhaul its culture service inspections. The new Comprehensive Performance Assessment will require councils to meet minimum standards of service in cultural provision in order to improve their ratings.
w: http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk
The Arts and Humanities Research Council has published its Delivery Plan detailing the funding available for research, training and career development. In the plan, arts and humanities research funding rises by £5m in 2005/06, £1.1m in 2006/07 and a further £5.5m in 2007/08.
w: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk
The Whitbread Young Arts Achiever award is now open for nominations. The award, which is supported by Creative Partnerships, is designed to find the best young volunteers aged between 16 and 25 involved in arts activity in Britain. The deadline for nominations is 15 July.
w: http://www.whitbreadyoungachievers.co.uk