Museums Association annual conference; David Pratley (former NCA Chair c. 1987); David Brownlee, Audiences UK; Ralph Rugoff, Hayward Gallery re Save the arts; lecturing to Goldsmith’s College MA class; Drama and Theatre for Children and Young People TAG meeting; Baroness Bonham-Carter. 

The Government has launched an independent review into the funding and delivery of Music Education, to be conducted by Classic FM Chief Executive, Darren Henley. 

As the Ryder Cup gets underway in Wales, the Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones, and Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones outlined the way forward for Wales as an events destination with the launch of Wales’ first Major Events Strategy.

Minutes from the third Culture Forum meeting are now available online. 

Earlier this Summer, we reported that Voluntary Arts England had 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. 

Joe Hallgarten, Culture, Creativity and Education; Robin Simpson, Voluntary Arts Network; John Nicholls, Arts Quarter; David Brownlee, Audiences UK; Marc Jaffrey re Music Manifesto; Phone conference with Randy Cohen, Americans for the Arts. 

Following the announcement earlier this summer that a £26.4 million scheme that funds arts companies across the city, including flagship organisations such as the Tricycle Theatre, Tamasha, Orange Tree and the Independent Theatre Council, is likely to be scrapped, London Councils has launched a consultation to establish the best way of using its grant resources.

Funded by the National Lottery, Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts Awards is an open access scheme that supports activities carried out over a set period and which engage local people in arts activities.  These awards aim to enable artists and arts organisations to carry out their work in their communities in a collaborative and inclusive manner.

Creative Scotland is currently conducting research across the sector to help deliver its goal of developing Scotland’s international reputation of excellence, innovation and quality in the arts by fostering more creative partnerships for artists and arts organisations abroad.  In partnership with the British Council and the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland is inviting Scottish members of the cultural sector to share information on international engagement activities currently taking place at both an organizational and individual level.

Creative Scotland is currently conducting research across the sector to help deliver its goal of developing Scotland’s international reputation of excellence, innovation and quality in the arts by fostering more creative partnerships for artists and arts organisations abroad.  In partnership with the British Council and the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland is inviting Scottish members of the cultural sector to share information on international engagement activities currently taking place at both an organizational and individual level.

Capital Matters Consultation document, which argues for a new forward-looking and long-term policy to improve the financial resilience of the arts and cultural sector, is currently available for download on the Missions Models Money website.  With the publication of this document, the Capital Matters task force hopes to invite discussion from a range of stakeholders in order to propose necessary actions.

This week, we launched our major, new campaign: I Value the Arts. Live since Monday, we have already captured the support of thousands of members of the public and look forward to many more signing up to pledge their support for the arts.  This campaign aims to give everyone a chance to show decision-makers the importance of arts provision to local communities.

Secretary of State for Culture, Jeremy Hunt, was this week called to appear before the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.  During the two-hour session, the Minister, alongside Jonathan Stephens, DCMS’ Permanent Secretary, outlined the measures he expected to take in order to make required departmental savings.  He reaffirmed his belief that most of these savings could be achieved through the DCMS itself: firstly by moving the department out of its current building on Cockspur Street; and secondly, by reducing the DCMS staffing budget by up to 50 percent. The ambitious saving of £28 million he hopes to achieve by reducing DCMS’ operational budget in this way is for the benefit of front-line services, argued Mr Hunt.

Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE) recently commissioned PwC to analyse the costs and benefits of its arts education programme, Creative Partnerships.  Designed to foster long-term partnerships between schools and creative professionals in order to both inspire school children and harness the potential of creative learning, Creative Partnerships is one of two programmes currently managed by CCE.  Through this programme, creative professionals are invited to schools to undertake activities either inside or outside the classroom, with the aim of transforming teaching and learning into a more creative process.

In time for this week’s deadline, the NCA responded on behalf of our members to UK Border Agency’s consultation: Limits on non-EU economic migrants.  In our response we make a strong point about the devastating effects that proposed changes to criteria for Tiers 2 would have on the sector.  We argue that the imposition of an immigration cap on top of a shortage occupation status is illogical. The NCA recommends that shortage occupations are excluded from the cap and that UKBA give further thought to allocating sector quotas to ensure that a cap limit is applied with some degree of fairness, especially in the application of language and salary selection criteria.

Download a copy of our response here

The NCA has this week submitted its response to the Mayor’s consultation: ‘Cultural Metropolis – The Mayor’s Cultural Strategy 2012 and Beyond’.  

Alan Davey this week wrote to all ACE regularly funded organisations to update them on latest news and thinking from the Arts Council.  

The NCA has this week responded to the Home Office consultation, ‘Rebalancing the Licensing Act.’  

The Government has this week released a new report titled ‘The Migrant Journey’, a study that examines the behaviour of immigrants who entered the UK in 2004 through all managed routes except visitor routes. 

Damian Green’s speech at the Royal Commonwealth Society; Susan Donnelly from the Australian Major Performing Arts Group; Will Gompertz, BBC Arts Editor.