On Tuesday, Business Secretary Vince Cable, Foreign Secretary William Hague and Trade and Investment Minister Lord Green launched a new five-year strategy for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), alongside the Foreign and Commonwealth’s new Charter.

The Social Enterprise Coalition published research into people’s preferences for public service provision, illustrating a marked preference for community based social enterprises.

Museums at Night is an annual event aimed at raising the profile of the UK’s museums sector.

Following the Henley Review into Music Education, Darren Henley has been asked by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to conduct a second review, this time into the provision of cultural education for 5-19 year olds.

The summer edition of nca news will be published in June. This edition will look at the impact of the Arts Council England National Portfolio announcements for the sector.

Today bought further announcements on the Red Tape Challenge from DCMS, this time to the hospitality and tourism sectors. Over the next four weeks, between the 6th May and the 20th May, businesses, communities and individuals will have the chance to share their views with Government on the various regulations relating to hospitality, food and drink services. Ministers will then have 3 months in which they must justify which regulations they wish to keep.

The Red Tape Challenge is also inviting views on the current Licensing Act, which deals specifically with the sale and supply of alcohol and live performances.

The consultation opens today and closes on the 20th May 2011 to take part click here

For more information on the Red Tape Challenge visit the website here

To read the DCMS press release on the announcement click here

It seems apt that during the month in which we respond to Darren Henley’s review into cultural education that on Tuesday the Guardian launched the Children’s Manifesto. The manifesto comes as a result of a recent during which the Guardian asked children across the country about what type of school they would like. Areas of particular interest within the manifesto included a call for creative and colourful learning environments as well as the need for greater flexibility within the school day for favoured subjects, pupils also emphasised the importance of cultural experiences, food and music.

To read the Children’s Manifesto in full please click here

To read more about the Guardian The school I’d like series click here

Following the Henley Review into Music Education, Darren Henley has been asked by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to conduct a second review, this time into the provision of cultural education for 5-19 year olds. The review will be seeking evidence from teachers, parents and pupils, alongside input from those working in cultural education, whether individually or part of an organisation.

For details of how to respond to the cultural education review click here.

The NCA will be responding to the consultation and would like members to share their views with us. Please send your comments to: campaigns@artscampaign.org.uk no later than NOON on Thursday 12th May 2011

The Migration Advisory Committee has launched its first full review of the UK labour market for highly skilled workers since 2008. The MAC welcomes evidence to support the following question

“In which occupation(s) or job title(s) skilled to National Qualifications Framework level 4 or above is there a shortage of labour that it would be sensible to fill using labour from outside the European Economic Area (EEA)”

The MAC will potentially recommend occupations and job titles are added to, and removed from, the Tier 2 shortage occupation list. For details of how to respond to this review click here

The deadline for submissions to MAC is 10th June 2011

The NCA will also be responding to the review and invites members to share their views. Please send your comments to campaigns@artscampaign.org.uk by noon on Wednesday 1st June 2011 

nca News Spring cover image

And finally…a humble apology from the NCA regarding the last edition of nca news, where we mistakenly omitted to fully credit the artist for our fantastic cover image last month. So without further ado, we would like to credit the image ‘Lucienne Cole, Party Piece, 2010. Documentation of performance at New Art Gallery Walsall. Courtesy of the artist and Axis www.axisweb.org/artist/lucienne-cole   Photo Credit; Chris Keenan 

AXA, in association with Arts Council England, have recently launched the Ambition AXA Awards, making available £200,000 to 5 talented 11-18 year olds in the UK.

Vote now to see your favourite museum make it through to the last round of the Art Fund Prize, which will see one institution crowned “Museum of the Year” and awarded £100,000.

Following the Henley Review into Music Education, Darren Henley has been asked by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to conduct a second review, this time into the provision of cultural education for 5-19 year olds.

The Migration Advisory Committee has launched its first full review of the UK labour market for highly skilled workers since 2008.

 The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) recently published a report into the proposed role for the Big Society Bank.

The summer edition of nca news will be published in June. This edition will look at the impact of the Arts Council England National Portfolio announcements for the sector. 

Recent evidence submitted by CLG to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee lays out plans for a new regeneration toolkit aimed at supporting local and national growth.

On Wednesday, Mayor of London Boris Johnson attended Access All Areas, a seminar on how young people can get into music.

Arts Council Wales today announced a £500,000 investment via the Arts Lottery for a number of festivals across Wales including Hay and the Vale of Glamorgan festival.

The Old Town Hall in Merthyr Tydfil will be transformed into an arts centre after the Welsh Assembly agreed to grant £4 million towards the project.