This week, the NCA reports on a meeting with the Liberal Democrat Culture team, Arts Council England opens consultation on new criteria for their regularly funded organisations, the NCA updates on the Future Britain conference and requests images for the Arts Manifesto.

This week, the Government announced plans to create up to 10,000 jobs for young people in the creative industries while also accepting contemporary dancers and orchestral musicians as shortage occupations; the Arts Council of Wales published information on an Investment Review of their revenue funded clients; and the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee published a report on their inquiry of the Licensing Act.

This week, the National Contemporary Art Collections Working Group seeks your views on a strategy for making best public use of contemporary art; the Government welcomes bids for funding of adult learning projects; while a book on young people, education and museums is published; and the NCA has published an advocacy toolkit for use by members in advance of the English local elections in June.

This week we’re looking forward to Future Britain: Arts leading the way, our national conference, for which tickets are fast selling out. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport are also planning for the future as they prepare to argue the sector’s case when changes to Gift Aid are made. And we take this final opportunity to remind all members that there are European and Local Government elections next week on 4 June.

This week, the latest cabinet reshuffle sees the appointment of new Culture Secretary; the importance of the creative economy was debated in the House of Lords; a new guide promoting cultural opportunities for young people was published; and the Community Channel seeks feedback on a programme about community based art in England.

This week, the NCA launched the Arts Manifesto at our Future Britain conference and would like to thank all of you who attended; the government published the final Digital Britain report; Liberal Democrat Lord Clement-Jones announced plans to introduce a Private Member’s Bill to address live music licensing legislation; and the NCA responded to two Arts Council England consultations.

This week, a new report was published on behalf of Arts Council England which explores the impact of participatory budgeting on the arts; the Department for Communities and Local Government published the results of the Place Survey 2008; and the NCA would like you to answer a short survey on financial resilience of the cultural sector (with the chance to win a case of wine).

This week, NCA responds to the first of the Arts Council of Wales’ Investment Review consultations; Big Lottery Fund publishes the results of a recent consultation; The Art Fund publishes a report on the value of public art collections and the government announces plans to fill Heathrow Terminal 5 with works of art.

This week, Arts Council England (ACE) finalises the details of its organisational review, the Cultural Olympiad receives a funding boost from the National Lottery, the NCA reports on a meeting with Secretary of State for Culture, Ben Bradshaw, and reminds you of upcoming consultation deadlines.

This week the NCA expresses concerns over DCMS budgeting; the Government publishes a formal response to an inquiry into the Licensing Act 2003; Lord Clement-Jones’ Live Music Bill has its first reading; and a new guide helping local authorities to plan cultural developments is published, as is a guide for investing in the creative industries.

This week, the NCA attended a meeting of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) Arts and Entertainment Task Force; Arts Council England has published the findings of their Theatre Assessment 2009; and the NCA has submitted responses to two separate consultations on the Primary Curriculum Review and the Planning Guidance for Arts Council Wales Investment Review.

This week, a new report from Arts & Business brings hopeful news about individual donations to the arts; the government allocates its £3 million fund to encourage art in empty spaces and bidding is open for additional funding from Arts Council England; the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published new report on the points based system and the NCA has submitted a response to MLA’s Museum Accreditation consultation.

With the effects of the recession still being felt in arts organisations across the country, this week the NCA scrutinises Arts Council England’s sustain awards. We have an update on the Arts Council of Wales’ Investment review and we bring you the latest news from the UK Border Agency about sponsorship rules and their latest consultation.

This week saw the return of Margaret Hodge to her former position as Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism as well as the announcement of cuts to the arts in Scotland. The NCA urges you to check your responsibilities as an employer and respond, in light of UKBA plans to implement identity cards for foreign workers. Also this week, the NCA responded to the Government consultation on the BBC Licence Fee to support regional news and the Arts Council England publish latest findings from their Taking Part survey.

With bated breath we listened to Ben Bradshaw’s speech at the Labour Party Annual Conference this week, but disappointingly so far both the Lib Dem and Labour conferences have provided very little with regards to the arts and culture.  Let’s see if the Tories have anything more substantial to say. The NCA has been busy this week responding to the consultation on file sharing and analysing the Arts Council England (ACE) recent Sustain award announcements.  Also this week the first nation wide audit of councillors was published and the Arts Council of Wales initiated a review of the Lottery Capital Programme.

The end of the Conservative Party Conference brings the political conference season to a close in England. As at the Labour and Liberal Democrat conferences, Jeremy Hunt chose to make sport his focus in his platform speech, although Ed Vaizey made a clear commitment in the Q&A session preceding the speech to “get behind music in schools”.  All eyes now turn to Scotland where the SNP conference is soon to get underway. Given the upheaval in the Scottish cultural landscape at present, can we expect some artistic pronouncements from Scotland’s party of government? This week sees Margaret Hodge delaying the publication of DCMS’ Library Review; we seek your views on the latest stage of the Arts Council of Wales Investment Review; Arts Council England announces contacts for City of Culture hopefuls and seeks new blood for its regional councils; and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland publishes its latest report on lottery funding.

This week saw MPs return to Parliament but it is almost as if they never left with the expenses scandal and troops in Afghanistan dominating the headlines once more. The NCA has submitted its response to the Arts Council of Wales regarding the appeals process. Also this week, we draw your attention to Creative Scotland’s Perspectives online forum, the launch of a Participation in the Arts website, and the Learning Revolution Festival taking place throughout October.

This week we welcome the Arts Council of Wales new funding from the Assembly Government and ballet dancers retain their shortage occupation status. Elsewhere, the NCA has been invited to join Arts Council England’s new Investment Strategy External Reference Group and the National Skills Academy announces funding for up to 1125 new arts apprenticeships. Finally, NCA congratulates the winners of London 2012’s Artists taking the lead project.