A new online resource for artists and performers in Powys is gearing up for its public launch in the autumn. ‘Arts Engine’ is a new, searchable online directory of Powys artists, creatives, performers, musicians and writers. The ultimate aim is to include every professional or semi-professional practitioner, across all arts disciplines, in the county.
{www.arts-engine.org.uk}
This year’s BBC Proms saw the festival’s highest-ever audience figures, with a 5% increase in overall attendances. The Royal Albert Hall recorded 87% average attendance, with 37,000 people buying tickets for the first time – up 11% on last year. Nearly 5,000 under-16s took advantage of half price tickets, a 32% increase.
{www.bbc.co.uk/proms}
The BBC has launched a UK-wide project, ‘Sing Hallelujah’, which encourages everyone from beginners to established choirs to learn the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ from Handel’s ‘The Messiah’ and perform it during November or December to mark the 250th anniversary year of Handel’s death. This follows a Proms performance earlier this month of The Messiah, involving youth choirs from all over Britain (pictured). The BBC Performing Arts Fund in association with Making Music is supporting a funding scheme for choirs and other singing groups. The deadline for applications is 30 October.
{www.bbc.co.uk/sing}
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has launched ‘Tune In – Year of Music’, designed to encourage children and young people across England to take part in more music-related activities. Events and activities will be displayed online so that children, young people, parents and carers can see what’s happening in their area. The project begins this month and will run throughout the academic year 2009/10.
{www.dcsf.gov.uk/tunein}
Twenty-nine cities and local areas have announced themselves as candidates to become the UK City of Culture in 2013, including Aberdeen, Norwich, Derry City, Reading, Wakefield, and ‘The Countryside’. Bids will be assessed, by a panel chaired by Phil Redmond, on “the ability of the proposed City of Culture programme to make a step change in that city”, and must demonstrate “a clear approach to maximising legacy and being able to evaluate impact”. The winning city or area will be given rights to the UK City of Culture brand.
{www.culture.gov.uk}
‘Opening Eyes and Minds’, a new report from Arts Council England, highlights the diversity and creativity of the East Midlands, the fourth largest region in the UK. The report notes that eight new or refurbished arts buildings have been completed recently, including Curve in Leicester, First Movement for arts and disability-led work in rural Derbyshire, Royal and Derngate Theatres in Northampton and the New Art Exchange in Nottingham.
{www.artscouncil.org.uk/downloads/openingeyesandminds.pdf}
A video conferencing product designed for learning-disabled users has been launched by First Movement, a Derbyshire-based arts organisation. ‘Level Screen’ has been developed as a tool for social, education and creative collaboration for schools, colleges and arts organisations working with learning disabled people.
{www.first-movement.org.uk}
A new arts, culture and heritage venue will open in Dorset, as the Chapelhay Community Partnership works to redevelop the Old Town Hall. It will host a heritage centre on its upper floor, while the ground floor will be a centre for arts and culture. The Chapelhay Gardens also form part of the project and aim to host performing arts events, living history, theatre groups and culinary workshops using produce grown in the gardens. An official launch will take place in 18 months time, when the arts and heritage halls are fully restored.
Nominations are invited for this year’s Jodi Awards for museums, galleries, libraries, archives, arts organisations and heritage venues which use digital technology to widen access to information, collections, learning and creativity for disabled people. Every kind of digital technology is eligible, from websites, interactive displays and audio-guides to PDA tours and multimedia projects. The deadline for nominations is 25 September.
{www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk/jodis}
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has launched its 'Just Tick It' campaign warning consumers of fraudulent ticket websites. A new survey of 3,000 UK consumers found that 20% knew someone who had been scammed trying to buy a ticket to a music, theatre or sporting event, with the average victim losing £80. The OFT is encouraging event-goers to take simple steps to help ensure they are not scammed when buying tickets online.
{www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/ticketscams}
Tate, The Royal Ballet School and BT are working together to create interactive films to bring the arts to life for six- to twelve-year-olds. Two new interactive games will be launched this autumn, to enable young people to explore art on the Tate Kids website.
{www.kids.tate.org.uk}
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is to give grants to museums across the country for 25 creative apprentices, through its first round of funding for the Creative Apprenticeship scheme, developed by Creative and Cultural Skills to offer an alternative route into the creative and cultural industries. Twenty successful bids have also been made to the MLA Challenge Fund for small grants to open up spaces and resources for adult learners. These include Creative Arts, a new collaboration with a group of local residents including free painting, sculpture and textile workshops for adults, and Cheshire East poetry network which provides workshops and performance opportunities for adult learners at all levels.
{www.mla.gov.uk}