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Voluntary Arts England > news > current news
epic awards – information helpline - posted 06.9.2010
If your art or craft group is considering nominating themselves for an epic award, our national awards scheme for the voluntary and amateur arts and crafts but needs more information or advice on which of the four categories you may be most suitable for then we will be manning an epic awards helpline on 7, 8, 15 & 16 September to answer all of your questions.
Nominations are now open in four categories:
• Engagement
• Partnerships
• Innovation
• Creativity
Winners receive a package of prizes, recognition and an invitation to a winners reception at the House of Lords in January 2011.
The deadline for nominations is 10 October 2010
www.epicawards.co.uk
Festival Awards UK - posted 06.9.2010  deadline: 12 September 2010
Applications have now opened for the Festival Awards UK – the only event solely dedicated to recognising the hard work which goes into producing Britain’s world-leading contemporary music festival scene. Voted for by the fans, categories include Best Major, Medium and Small Festival, The Grassroots Festival Award, Best Family-Friendly Festival and of course…Best Toilets.
Public voting in the Awards is weighted by attendance, so smaller capacity events have an equal chance against the larger ones.
To have an event included on the longlist, organisers need to fill out a short application form at http://uk.festivalawards.com/index.cfm/apply
source: The Association of Festival Organisers Engaging people from BME communities – new guide available - posted 06.9.2010 
A new guide for those interested in engaging or consulting with BME communities has been published by brap, a not-for-profit equalities charity.
The guide was funded by Government Office for the West Midlands and explains:
• common approaches to engaging with marginalised groups – and the problems associated with them
• how committing to some core values can make your consultations more effective and fair
It also contains:
• a step-by-step guide to creating more effective consultations
• bright ideas from across the country
• key lessons from recent research
More: www.thecompact.org.uk/files/141919/FileName/Brap-EngagingPeople.pdf
How museums, libraries and archives contribute to lifelong learning - posted 06.9.2010 
This supplementary paper to the independent Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning - outlines how museums, libraries and archives have widened participation in recent years and how they have brought people together and bridged gaps between generations.
The publication, however, recognises that more can be done to get even more people learning in local communities and examines key recommendations of the Inquiry's final report - Learning Through Life - like opening up existing spaces and resources in new ways and working closer together with other partners.
The paper is available for free from http://shop.niace.org.uk/ifll-sector-10.html
Amateur Drama centre stage at the RSC - posted 06.9.2010
An article in The Stage reports that the reopening programme for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s transformed £112.8 million Stratford-upon-Avon home, will focus heavily on amateur theatre.
Artistic Director Michael Boyd said that he wanted to use its opening to put amateur theatre “centre stage” and help overcome the “crucifix and garlic” attitude between professional and amateur sectors.
“As part of a programme of work between now and 2012 with the World Shakespeare Festival, we are very interested in trying to renegotiate the relationship between amateur theatre and professional theatre in this country. We’re sticking the amateurs centre stage with our opening - with an open house night of local amateur performers, with another night where there’s amateur choirs from across the UK, as well as a major thing from school kids.”
Read more on The Stage website at www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/29408/amateurs-to-get-first-taste-of-113m
Festival looking for playwrights aged 13-25 - posted 06.9.2010  area: Merseyside
Did you know that future US President Theodore Roosevelt fought with Jefferson Davis Jnr. as a child on Crosby beach in 1869? Or that in 1910 a third of Britain's licensed daredevil pilots were based in Formby?
These, and other hidden histories, will be brought crashing into the present at the Theatre in the Rough Festival 2011, thanks to a major grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Express Sefton.
The Sefton-based theatre company, working in partnership with the Botanic Gardens Museum, is looking for playwrights aged 13-25 from Merseyside to create new work for next year's event. Weekly playwriting workshops will be held in autumn 2010, resulting in a series of 15-minute plays for professional production at a Liverpool theatre in 2011. The writers' work will also be published, and form part of an exhibition at the Botanic Gardens Museum.
For further details, go to www.theatreintherough.com/fest2011.htm
Government response to arts and mental health petition - posted 06.9.2010
The Government has responded to a petition from earlier this year asking the Prime Minister to make greater resources available within the NHS and Local Authorities for the use of the arts in the care of people with mental health problems.
The short response, which although recognising “the therapeutic value that recreational activities can have in helping to alleviate mental health problems” affirms that it is the responsibility of NHS Trusts, their partners and stakeholders, at a local level, to support arts activities.
The full response can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/34znedb
source: LAHF DCMS release the latest data from the 2009/10 Taking Part survey - posted 06.9.2010 
The latest estimates from the 2009/10 Taking Part adult and child surveys produced by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have been released.
The latest data provides reliable national estimates of engagement with sport, libraries, the arts, heritage and museums & galleries. It contains data for both adults and 5-15 year old children. The Taking Part survey is a continuous annual survey of adults and children living in private households in England, and carries the National Statistics badge, meaning that it meets the highest standards of statistical quality.
For further information and to read the report visit www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7386.aspx
source: Nalgao Can you add some sparkle to our office wall? - posted 31.8.2010 
Voluntary Arts England have recently moved to a lovely new office – good times. The walls though are as bare as they can be – bad times. We know that there are some incredibly talented people reading this right now – would any of you like to donate a piece of your art to us so that we can hang it on our wall?
Send us a photo of your piece (not the original), its dimensions and any additional information that you would like us to know about the piece and we will choose our favourite, have it couriered up to us and make sure that everyone who visits our office knows how thoroughly talented you are!
We will be sure to also include your artwork and details in a future e-newsletter so that everyone can see your handiwork.
Send a photo of your artwork to mary@vaengland.org.uk
Arts Council England publish Stakeholder Focus research - posted 31.8.2010 
In 2009 Arts Council England (ACE) launched a programme of research to examine current attitudes towards it, with the aim of understanding ACE’s areas of strength and areas that needed improvement.
On the whole, responses reflected a lot of goodwill towards the Arts Council with stakeholders feeling engaged and positive about ACE’s direction. However, some felt that more could be achieved in the way of building a more coherent, unified and collaborative arts sector.
There were some questions around ACE’s wider remit as champion for the arts among the public and its role as a bridge between arts and other areas of public life. Although many considered ACE to be first and foremost a funding body, it was broadly agreed that ACE must also present a unified voice for the sector, looking to bring about the best possible outcomes for the sector in general.
ACE are hoping to repeat the survey next year with aim of measuring improvement in their services and interactions with stakeholders.
Download a copy of the published results and ACE’s response from www.artscouncil.org.uk/publication_archive/arts-council-stakeholder-focus-research/
source: NCA |
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