Newsreel

Performance Matters, a three-year creative research project investigating contemporary performance and cultural value, has launched its new website. The site will carry information about collaborators and events, news stories and updates on activities, as well as being a space for expanded writings, ideas and images.
http://www.thisisperformancematters.co.uk
 

Youth Dance England has launched ‘Stride!’, a national leadership and development programme aimed at 14–19-year-olds. It aims to boost the career opportunities of young people who wish to explore the options within the dance sector. Selected participants will develop their skills and knowledge and then undertake a placement and receive support from a mentor. The deadline for applications is 15 January.
http://www.yde.org.uk/ydestride

Visiting Arts (VA) is to become the official UK Cultural Contact Point for the European Commission’s Culture Programme from 1 January, taking over from EUCLID. VA will provide information about the Culture programme and other EU funding opportunities, carrying out presentations across the UK and providing the Alert e-newsletter.
http://www.culturefund.eu; www.visitingarts.org.uk

Applications for the Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts ‘Start’ programme, which aims to help school pupils engage with arts, are now being accepted. The programme comprises a framework of stepping stones: introducing young people to the arts; inspiring them to learn more; enhancing their experience through critical analysis and participation; and encouraging them to create their own art. The deadline for applications is 29 January.
http://bit.ly/84tatl

Arts Council England (ACE) has launched an online submission process to speed up to the of annual figures by funded organisations. The process was previously completed on a spreadsheet, and now involves less manual data processing and less error checking. Ninety-nine per cent of organisations now complete their submission within six weeks, compared to 85% in six months previously. ACE has also issued a reminder that, due to changes being made to Grants for the arts, applications to the programme should be submitted by 15 January to ensure they are assessed before 1 March, when applications will open again.
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk

A new report from Arts & Business, ‘Beyond experience: culture, consumer and brand’, looks at how culture can be placed at the heart of commercial practice. It considers definitions of ‘authenticity’ and explores how business and the arts can work together.
http://www.artsandbusiness.org.uk

Sofia Akram and Sophie Dyer have won Scottish Opera’s competition for Glasgow School of Art students to promote opera to young people. They will now work with Scottish Opera’s design and marketing team on a multi-media campaign that will be seen across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness.
http://www.scottishopera.org.uk

Industry experts from the film and music sectors in Scotland met last month to discuss a programme of work to identify and recommend actions that will develop and grow each sector. The quarterly meetings, chaired by Creative Scotland, were established as part of Scotland’s Creative Industries Partnership, to advise on the core strengths and needs of these key sectors.

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF) has launched a new grant application system, which aims to resolve technical problems and updates some of the questions asked of applicants. It corresponds with a new set of guidance notes designed to help organisations with some of the issues they face when applying for funding, whether from PHF or any other organisation.
http://www.phf.org.uk/news