Arts Work has gathered evidence over the past year to support their National Campaign for Youth Arts and as a result recently released their report Youth Arts Transforms Lives.

Art colleges across the country are taking part in the National Art and Design Saturday Club Scheme, which aims to give artistically gifted children from disadvantaged backgrounds a chance to develop their skills.

Boris Johnson was out and about on Monday to promote the recent publication Culture and Volunteering,

In 2009, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation commissioned Dr Bernadette Lynch to research levels of engagement within museums and galleries.

The results of the DCMS Taking Part survey for January to December 2010 have been released. 

‘TakingPart’is an ongoing national survey, commissioned by the DCMS, of those living in a representative cross-section of private households in England. The adult survey was launched in mid-July 2005, with the child survey introduced in January 2006.

A new survey published by Arts Council of Wales (ACW) reveals that, even with the recession, the arts in Wales are more popular than ever before.

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.

A reminder that if you work in drama and theatre and with children and young people, there are opportunities to get involved in the consultation sessions to develop a statement of common purpose that could unite the sector to advocate for its work at the highest level.

A reminder that if you work in drama and theatre and with children and young people, there are opportunities to get involved in the consultation sessions to develop a statement of common purpose that could unite the sector to advocate for its work at the highest level.

In 2008 the National Campaign for the Arts brought together practitioners from across drama, theatre and learning to explore ways of working together in order to raise the profile of their work. There was general consensus in support of a statement of common purpose that could unite the sector to advocate for its work at the highest level.

The NCA has submitted its response to Arts Council England’s Achieving great art for everyone consultation, ACE’s ten-year strategy which aims to place the arts at the centre of national life and ensure their continued growth throughout the next decade.

The Departments for Children, Schools and Families and Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have published good practice guidance, aimed at local authorities, on providing positive activities for young people, particularly on a Friday and Saturday night. The guidance references some good case studies showcasing the work of the cultural sector and aims to encourage local authorities to partner with organisations who could help to deliver a diverse range of arts, culture and sports activities.

A reminder to members that Arts Council England (ACE) launched Achieving great art for everyone – a consultation on future priorities for the arts, the results of which will inform a ten-year strategic framework and ACE’s future investment decisions. The consultation represents the first time the Arts Council has brought together all arts forms and development areas into one set of long-term priorities. The consultation is a very important one, to which the NCA will be responding. We invite members to submit comments and evidence to the NCA for inclusion before 2 April. These can be sent to campaigns@artscampaign.org.uk.

The Association of British Orchestras (ABO) has published A Platform for Success: A Five Year Vision for Orchestras. The ABO’s vision sets out the following aspirations:

Maintain our programme of great performances at home and abroad, challenging audiences with a wide repertoire and diverse approach. Place orchestras within the national celebrations towards the London 2012 Olympic Games and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Nurture home grown talent and attract the world’s best composers, performers and conductors to the UK. All these artists have at their disposal a hugely talented and highly skilled pool of musicians, with a rich orchestral heritage. Ensure every orchestra in the ABO commits to an environmental ‘touring charter’ by 2015.

The Conservative party has published its vision for the arts under a Tory government, setting out plans to “provide coherent and sustained support for the arts.” The document outlines approaches to matters of funding, structure, access, and education should a Conservative government be successful in the General Election. The introduction strongly sets out the party’s aims to “build on the success of the arts”, which focus on the following principles:

Liberal Democrat shadow Culture Secretary, Don Foster, has published new proposals for the arts and creative industries in a manifesto entitled The Power of Creativity. The document calls for creativity and culture to be celebrated, and to be seen as important in their own right, as powerful drivers of our national identity, global standing and affluence. The Liberal Democrats believe the status of the arts and creativity should be raised across society and government. The policy proposals set out Foster’s vision of how to support the arts and culture and celebrate creativity in this country.

Last week, we reported that Arts Council England (ACE) had launched Achieving great art for everyone – a consultation on future priorities for the arts, the results of which will inform a ten-year strategic framework and ACE’s future investment decisions, and asked Members to submit comments and evidence to inform our response. Briefly, the consultation outlines five long-term goals that will drive ACE’s development work, inform its funding priorities and strengthen relationships with artists, organisations and audiences.

Arts Council England (ACE) has launched Achieving great art for everyone – a consultation on future priorities for the arts, the results of which will inform a ten-year strategic framework and ACE’s future investment decisions. The consultation represents the first time the Arts Council has brought together all arts forms and development areas into one set of long-term priorities. The NCA will be responding to the consultation, and asks Members to submit comments and evidence before 22 March. This can be sent to nca@artscampaign.org.uk

The National Museum Directors Conference has this week published Museums Deliver, demonstrating the wide-ranging social and economic importance of museums in the UK.