The launch of ‘Film: 21st Century Literacy’ at the BFI, highlighting the BFI’s new strategy for film education across the UK; A&B seminar on legacy giving, meeting of the Participation Manifesto steering group; seminar on responsible lobbying. 

We are delighted to announce that Kate Adie has taken up the role of NCA Chair. Kate takes over from Joan Bakewell, following her retirement from the post, and who spent six successful years in the position.

This week, the Arts Council of Wales’ (ACW) announced its strategy for the renewal and transformation of the arts in Wales. It comprises, amongst other things, plans to invest in local communities, to back new talent and innovation, to create new employment opportunities and to help more young people to get involved in the arts.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is seeking views on how a cap on non-EU immigration to the UK should work. This follows the Conservative party’s election pledge to limit immigration and was further endorsed in the Coalition Agreement following the General Election. The Government aims to control the numbers of immigrants and to be more selective. Thus, it needs to know about the size of limits as well as the mechanics of how they will work in practice.  The Home Secretary, Theresa May MP, has already imposed a 5% cap on immigrants from outside the EU in order to prevent a rush of applications before the bar comes down.

Culture Minister Nelson McCausland MLA (DUP) launched a consultation on a museums policy for Northern Ireland this week. The consultation meets a commitment made by the Minister to the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee’s Inquiry into the need to have a museums policy for Northern Ireland. The policy document sets the framework for the development of Northern Ireland’s national and local museums over the next ten years

Lecture to Boston University students; UKBA Arts and Entertainment Taskforce sub-group meetings on illegal working and migrant data; Simon Boccanegra at the Royal Opera House; Andrew Macdonald and Sally Wrampling of the Art Fund, followed by the Art Fund Prize at RIBA - congratulations to the Ulster Museum for winning the prestigious award; Marc Sands at Tate.

It won’t have escaped your notice (how could it) that the Chancellor, George Osborne, delivered the Coalition Government’s first budget this week. It was described by the Chancellor as the ‘unavoidable’ budget and speculation was rife about how deep the cuts would be, how much pain they would cause and, crucially, who would feel that pain most acutely.

On Monday, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt and his ministers Ed Vaizey, John Penrose and Hugh Robertson took to the dispatch box in their first Culture, Media and Sport questions as ministers of the Crown.

The City of London has published its Cultural Strategy looking ahead to 2014. A key investor in the arts in London, the City spends over £80million every year on its cultural and leisure services. 

The summer edition of nca news will be published in July. This edition will look at the impact of the arts in health, wellbeing, criminal justice and other policy areas.

NCVO to discuss lottery issues; Arts Council England; Lord Puttnam; Sector Umbrella Bodies to discuss Budget; Don Foster MP; Sam Jones from DEMOS; ISM.

Arts & Business, Lord Mayor’s lunch at Mansion House to commemorate the City’s contribution to the arts, arts reception at Swan Walk, Conservative Creative and Cultural Industries Network, The Heritage Alliance and Arts Council England.

Voluntary Arts England, supported by the Arts Council, has launched the epic awards, an award scheme designed to recognise and shine a spotlight on the excellent work taking place within the 50,000 voluntary and amateur art and craft groups operating throughout the country.  Nominations for the award are open now.

In association with Arts & Business, the NCA is creating a forum of leading cultural figures from the UK’s cultural sector to help formulate plans to re-energise cultural funding from the private sector.

Yesterday, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced which projects were to be axed as part of a range of cuts totalling £73 million.

Arts Council England (ACE) today outlined how it would apportion the £19 million in-year budget cuts. In brief, it has been able to use £9 million of its historic reserves to mitigate the cuts to RFOs and cap these at £1.8 million, a 0.5% reduction across the board. This means that the average cut to arts organisations is £2,000, with the range varying from £142,000 to £105. 

On Thursday 10 June 2010, the NCA and Arts & Business launched a new forum to represent the UK’s cultural sector in the debate on how best to reanimate private sector cultural funding in this period of economic difficulty.

It seems that every week we’re announcing a new first in British politics and this week there was yet another. In an historic move, and one designed to reassert the independence of parliamentarians, the Commons has moved to a system of election for the Chairs of its select committees.  The Chairs of the majority of the committees were elected on Wednesday.

The NCA was in attendance at Toynbee Hall as Munira Mirza unveiled the Mayoral Cultural Strategy for 2012 and beyond. Topics addressed during the presentation included education, environmental sustainability and the improvement of arts provision for London’s outer boroughs.

Lord Bragg, Lord Puttnam, Robert Redford (via video link only - alas!), Randy Cohen of Americans for the Arts, Mayor’s Cultural Questions at Toynbee Hall, Craig Hassall at English National Ballet, a preview of the Summer Exhibition at the RA, launch of the ABO’s study Unlocking Potential Education and the Orchestra, Alan Davey at ACE, Queen’s Speech Forum.