A new £1.8m, three-year programme of research aims to strengthen understanding of how best to deliver culture and sporting opportunities to the widest audience and generate the best outcomes for society. Led by the DCMS, the first stage of ‘CASE’ is now underway, with a consortium of the University of London and the Matrix Knowledge Group undertaking a review of key evidence on the drivers and impacts of public participation in culture and sport.
w: http://www.culture.gov.uk/case
Event organisers are being encouraged by the Northern Irish Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure (DCAL) to apply for funding. The Events Growth Fund will support small events which have the potential to grow into large-scale or international events. The Major Events Fund is to assist large events that will attract significant numbers of foreign visitors and international media coverage. All events must secure private sector sponsorship in order to be eligible for funding. The deadline for applications is 10 July.
w: http://www.dcalni.gov.uk
The Scottish Ballet’s ‘Tramway’ project has raised the final £1m needed to create its £11m new home. The old building (pictured) has no space for the full Company to rehearse, and in half of its studios ceiling heights mean that the dancers are unable to perform a full lift. The site is largely inaccessible to people with disabilities, the building is prone to sewage flooding and on-going repairs have uncovered extensive asbestos. The new building will have the only dedicated studios in the West of Scotland for the independent dance sector, as well as an injury treatment and prevention centre, video editing suite, and an education centre.
Aberdeenshire will get its own audience development agency, if a project, ‘Growing Audiences North East’, is successful. Arts development agency HI~Arts will work with the cultural sector of North East Scotland to help establish an audience development agency and marketing services. In Scotland, currently, only Edinburgh and Glasgow have dedicated audience development agencies.
w: http://www.ganeaudiences.co.uk

‘Step Up’, an initiative to support the development of a new generation of cultural leaders, is to be rolled out by the Federation of Scottish Theatre, following a pilot in 2008. The mentoring training programme aims to give senior leaders from across the performing arts sector the mentoring skills to support junior managers in new projects and promoted posts, and to enhance support of staff within their own organisations.
w: http://www.scottishtheatre.org
Arts Council England (ACE) has published Capital Case Studies of five organisations (Live Theatre, Newcastle; Laban, London; The Creative Foundation, Folkestone; Centre for Music and Arts Technology, Birmingham; and Hextable Dance, Kent). Each study describes the rationale behind ACE’s decision to fund the organisation, project development and lessons learned.
w: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publications/publications.php
Cultural organisations across the UK have been awarded more than a quarter of a million pounds by the Government-funded Cultural Leadership Programme (CLP). Part of the second round of the CLP’s ‘Meeting the Challenge: Development Programme’, the funding aims to improve leadership in the UK’s cultural sector. Four partnerships have been formed by 23 organisations in order to run the leadership development projects. The deadline for applications to the final round of the programme is 7 September.
w: http://www.culturalleadership.org.uk
Peckham Space, the South East London arts initiative developed by Camberwell College of Arts and Southwark Council, will open a new arts venue in November. The new sustainable building, to be installed in Peckham Square, will be a free showcase and exhibition venue for the Peckham Space arts programme. Peckham Space is committed to working with local residents, and both established and emerging artists, as well as local schools, community groups and cultural producers. The new building will host a rolling programme of collaborative commissions that respond to the neighbourhood and surroundings.
w: http://www.peckhamspace.com
A Craft Blueprint has been launched, to tackle the increasing skills crisis across the heritage and contemporary craft sector. Following the first ever skills audit of the craft sector, which shows that craft generates almost £3bn gross value added to the UK economy each year, the blueprint is the result of wide consultation with the employers in the craft sector across the UK.
w: http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk