Ten semi-finalists have been shortlisted in the Best Arts Project category of The National Lottery Awards 2011, nominated for “the big difference they’ve made with Lottery money”. The organisations will now compete for public votes to get their project through to the award finals. The three projects with the highest number of votes will go through to the final round of public voting later this summer. Those competing at this stage range from mac Birmingham, which received £5m towards its renovation, to three musicians, The Smiling Sessions, who were awarded just £9,435 to hold workshops at homes for the elderly in London. The other contenders are Big Dance, London; Boatyard Music and Film Studio, Wales; Inclusion Through Practice, Harlow; Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre, Leeds; Pangaa, Glasgow; The Briggait, Glasgow; Ulster Youth Choir, Northern Ireland; and Tate Movie Project.