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Professional development and training in the arts needs attention ? most artists and arts professionals would agree.
Current Government wisdom is that national Sector Skills Councils should take responsibility for all training within a particular area (p3) ? but just how appropriate is this for the arts? Arts organisations of all sizes have looked to a range of providers, including industry bodies such as the Theatrical Management Association (TMA) and the Association of British Orchestras (ABO), for training which can be highly specific to individual art-form areas. Other sources include regional arts boards, regional and local marketing agencies and even individual small-scale companies offering insights into their own recent developments. New emphasis on disseminating evaluation results, coming from Arts Councils and other funders, has boosted the availability of this type of training. The closeness of these organisations to their subject matter makes them valuable, though some may lack a national perspective. Natural networks in training cut across regions and art-form sectors, making the picture a complex web of suppliers and customers. Many fall on both sides of the divide. Overarching training issues such as equal opportunities, ICT skills and disability access are obvious candidates for national schemes, yet trainers with local knowledge or an art-form specific background can benefit customers in other ways. Rolling out regional training nationally must also be taken into account. Keeping track of innovations across the country must be part of the remit of a national training body ? receiving policy and ideas not only from above but also from the coal-face of the arts community.

Liz Hill & Brian Whitehead, Co-editors are on holiday.