Artists and teachers have created a new website resource looking at creative approaches to literacy and numeracy. The ‘Creativity for Life’ project was developed with staff, pupils and parents at 26 schools in Essex and Hertfordshire. Numeracy projects included dance work, a Sound Garden by artist Andrew Jameson at Roydon School (pictured) and landscape development. Literacy projects included scripting and recording ‘Science TV’ programmes and recreating a Roman banquet.
w: http://www.creativityforlife.co.uk
The Mayor of London has established a £1.4 m fund for smaller arts organisations to develop new cultural projects across the capital. Delivered in partnership with Arts Council England for an initial period of 18 months, if successful, the funding will be extended in the run up to the 2012 Olympics. The announcement follows the publication of ‘London – A Cultural Audit’, a new report commissioned by the London Development Agency which compares London’s cultural environment with New York, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai. With more museums and galleries, theatres and concert halls, and music venues and cinemas, London is found to be ahead on many indicators.
A new national scheme is encouraging providers of teacher training to offer their students placements in galleries, museums, sports centres and young offenders institutions. The Teaching Outside the Classroom programme will offer a package of support and guidance for providers and settings who wish to develop creative placements for student teachers.
w: http://www.teachingoutsidetheclassroom.com
A new website dedicated to Cultural Exchange has been unveiled by HSBC bank, in support of its international cultural sponsorship programme. The site showcases cultural projects ranging from Bangla music and contemporary Chinese design to street festivals in Bermuda, classical orchestras, cooking and craft. It will also feature research and showcase ‘People Exchanges’, with diaries from individuals on cultural bursaries abroad.
w: http://www.hsbc.com/culturalexchange
Arts Council England has released a final report of its 2006/07 Arts Debate, a consultation investigating public opinion of the arts and their funding. The research, which aimed to reveal whether and how people in England value the arts, gathered the views of more than 1,500 people. The 16-page report, ‘What people want from the arts’, concludes that ACE must address two main issues in the medium and long term: enabling as many people as possible to experience high quality arts, and improving accountability and transparency in funding decisions.
w: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publications/publications.php
Grant-funded Welsh arts organisations that can “demonstrate consistent and sustained excellence across all areas of their work,” are being invited by the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) to apply for ‘Beacon Company’ status. Beacon Company awards for smaller organisations will be worth up to £60,000, and for larger companies, up to £140,000. Their purpose is to encourage organisations to extend their strategic aims and ambitions, which may be related to activities ranging from commissioning new work, international touring and audience development, to capacity-building through new management methods, systems or structures.