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Speaking at the Tipping Point conference in Newcastle, Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England has today announced that the Arts Council is the first arts funding body in the world to embed environmental sustainability into the funding agreements of its major programmes.

Speaking at the Tipping Point conference in Newcastle, Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England has today announced that the Arts Council is the first arts funding body in the world to embed environmental sustainability into the funding agreements of its major programmes.

As a minimum requirement, National portfolio organisations and Major Partner museums will need to measure and improve their water and energy use. The Arts Council is committed to embedding environmental sustainability into all of its funding programmes over the next three years.

Alan Davey also announced the Arts Council's new partnership with leading arts environmental specialists Julie's Bicycle. This is an enabling partnership, designed to provide practical support and expertise for funded organisations and empower them to develop innovative approaches to sustainability.

Alan Davey said in his speech:

'Our commitment is motivated by both ethical concern and economic imperative.

'Investing to improve the environmental performance of arts organisations makes hard-headed financial sense. In a single year, Theatre Royal Plymouth saved £10,000 just be changing its water management system; the Sage Gateshead has saved 44 per cent on its electricity per concert by changing light bulbs and air conditioning filters; installing new LED lighting has saved Royal and Derngate Theatre 60 per cent on their utility costs.

'We are delighted to be working with Julie's Bicycle to offer the kind of expert, practical support organisations need to significantly reduce their environmental impact. This partnership will help organisations across the country make a fundamental change in their environmental approach, ensuring the arts in England are at the forefront of responding to the challenges of climate change.'

Download Alan Davey's full speech

Alison Tickell, Chief Executive, Julie's Bicycle, commented:

'Arts Council England has shown visionary thinking, well ahead of all other cultural policies internationally, by making the environment a critical consideration for arts practice and business. This will give the creative community the opportunity to do what the arts are so good at: reflecting and shaping public values, and, through the Arts Council funding requirements, at a scale commensurate with the issue.'

The Tipping Point conference, in partnership with Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability, is a major national gathering of artists and scientists exploring arts and culture and environmental issues.

Arts Council England has also published an Environmental sustainability report, which looks at our own environmental impact and the impact of changes made in technical performance, use of resources and organisational behaviours. The report shows that there has been a 31 per cent reduction in our electricity, gas and water bills since 2008/09, equivalent to a 40 per cent reduction in Co2 emissions.

Download the Environmental sustainability report

Visit our environmental sustainability section

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The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Arts Council and the Institute of Fundraising are working together to produce a unique event for arts, cultural and heritage organisations on how to diversify income streams, particularly focusing on legacy fundraising. 

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Arts Council and the Institute of Fundraising are working together to produce a unique event for arts, cultural and heritage organisations on how to diversify income streams, particularly focusing on legacy fundraising.

The event, which will take place on 5 March, promises to uncover how arts, cultural and heritage organisations can dramatically increase their income through legacy fundraising, which generates £2 billion a year.

There will be a keynote speech from Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt on the importance of legacy fundraising and philanthropy for arts, cultural and heritage organisations. Other subjects include ensuring understanding of your audience and sending the right message, succeeding in getting legacies onto the fundraising/development agenda within your organisation and understanding the challenges and opportunities ahead for legacy fundraisers.

Legacy fundraising for arts, cultural and heritage causes will take place on the afternoon of 5 March 2012 in London.

You can download an agenda for the event here.

For further information and to book tickets, visit the Institute of Fundraising website.

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Thousands of paintings on display at Liverpool's art galleries are now available to view online.

Thousands of paintings on display at Liverpool's art galleries are now available to view online at the Your Paintings website.

The move is part of a project by the Public Catalogue Foundation (PCF) and the BBC which aims to create an online database of every oil painting in the national collection.

All 3,000 oil paintings in National Museums Liverpool have now been added to the Your Paintings website, including works by Old Masters Gainsborough, Martini, Rembrandt and Rubens. Later works from Cezanne, Degas, Freud, Monet and Spencer will also available to view on the site.

The project, entitled Your Paintings, invites members of the public to 'tag' the artworks at http://tagger.thepcf.org.uk to help the BBC and PCF identify what can be seen in each piece.

The National Museums Liverpool paintings are drawn from seven museums in the city, including the Lady Lever Art Gallery, the Walker Art Gallery and the Museum of Liverpool.

PCF director Andrew Ellis said:

'No country has ever embarked on such a monumental project to showcase its entire painting collection online. Working with collections and individuals all over the UK, this project will reveal to the world the UK's extraordinary holding of oil paintings.'

National Museums Liverpool's head of fine art Ann Bukantas said:

'This project means thousands of works can be enjoyed by people all around the globe. We expect that many people will be inspired by these works and will be encouraged to experience the wonder of fantastic art in person through visiting our galleries and museums.'

Visit Your Paintings at www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings

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Arts Council England and the BBC today announced the 53 successful applicants who will be creating hundreds of hours of original commissions for The Space.

Arts Council England and the BBC today announced the 53 successful applicants that will be creating hundreds of hours of original commissions for The Space.

The new experimental service, managed by the Arts Council and developed in partnership with the BBC, will launch in May and run until October this year at www.thespace.org. It will give arts and culture organisations the opportunity to experiment and engage with new and existing audiences in a completely new and innovative digital environment. 

The project is designed to build the digital skills and capability of the arts and cultural sector - currently only about four per cent of the hundreds of organisations funded by the Arts Council are creating and producing high quality digital content for a variety of platforms.

The Space will be available across all four key digital media platforms; PCs, smartphones, tablets and internet connected TVs. The service will also be available as a red button, video on demand service via Freeview HD.

The Arts Council is committing up to £3.5m to The Space from its recently created £20 million Digital innovation fund, with 'in principle' grants ranging from £15,000 to £185,000.

The BBC is contributing to the partnership by developing the technological solutions and providing ongoing support through mentoring, production, training and skills development, helping the UK's arts and cultural sector to make the most of the new and emerging digital opportunities.

The launch of The Space has been timed to coincide with and complement the extraordinary arts activity in 2012: the London 2012 Festival, the wider Cultural Olympiad, plus many important celebrations such as the Diamond Jubilee. It is also the year of digital switchover.

Almost 750 organisations applied with 'Expressions of interest' to be part of The Space, these were shortlisted to 111 including Arts Council funded organisations, national museums and other cultural organisations, large and small.

Successful applicants include:

Shakespeare's Globe  - capturing the Globe to Globe festival, a once in a lifetime event which will see all 37 of Shakespeare's plays performed by 37 different international theatre companies at the Globe Theatre.

Bristol Old Vic - Tom Morris, Director of War Horse and Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic, will present a unique and interactive way of replicating the emotional experience of watching live performance using the pioneering techniques developed by the BBC Natural History Unit.

John Peel Centre for the Creative Arts - an interactive online museum housing one of the most important archives in modern music history - DJ John Peel's personal record collection. It will recreate his home studio with his personal notes, home movies, contributors' stories and filmed interviews with family and musicians he brought to the airwaves.

Faber & Faber - 60 Years in 60 Poems a digital journey that invites the nation to discover the past from the BBC and Arts Council archives through the prism of 60 new works from major poets in poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy's Jubilee Lines anthology.

Philharmonia Orchestra - the Philharmonia Orchestra will pioneer a radical way for audiences to discover and explore the individual role of each instrument within the orchestra with the launch of an interactive, digital experience - in partnership with The Science Museum - through Holst's The Planets suite.

Alan Sillitoe Committee - a  GPS-enabled mobile 'trail app' in the style of a 1950s illustrated cycle maintenance handbook that will explore the Nottingham of author Alan Sillitoe, based on his iconic novel Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.

London Review of Books - in Re-imagining the Literary Essay for the Digital Age the London Review of Books will work with a leading writer and an experienced digital developer to create a new kind of multi-layered literary experience.

See the full list of successful applicants with project descriptions

Download the full list of successful applicants

Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England said:  

'The Space is one of our most significant interventions of recent years and I'm delighted to be able to announce such exciting and imaginative contributions from artists and organisations.

'The Space will stimulate a dramatic step change in skills development, creative learning and collaboration. It will inspire a great generosity of spirit among the participating organizations, with each of them committed to documenting and sharing the journey they all are taking together.'

Roly Keating, Director of Archive Content, BBC  added:

'What excites us so much about The Space is the chance to unite the BBC's tradition of technical innovation with our commitment to partnership and the arts. 

'By bringing together the complementary skills of BBC and Arts Council in this ambitious way we believe we can make something really special happen to celebrate 2012's unique summer of arts.  And by sharing the BBC's expertise, training and mentoring we hope there'll be a lasting legacy, by putting digital creativity at the heart of artistic life in the UK. 

Key partners

Arts Council England and the BBC have also announced today some key partners in The Space.

The BFI
The BFI, which has the most significant film and TV archive in the world, will become a key partner in The Space and a new film strand will be created in addition to the other art forms strands. The BFI will be making available a wide range of films, some of which have not been seen before, some exciting new work and some films dating back to 1895. The BFI's contribution will include short films, artist's film and video, arts documentaries, and non-fiction films from the archives. The BFI, BBC and Arts Council will work together to link material from the various archives and  The Space commissions to create a richer experience for the public and work together to extend public access.

Strategy & Technology
Strategy & Technology (S&T) will provide its S&T Player interactive Video on Demand application for The Space.   This will enable most users with Freeview HD receivers that are connected to the Internet to search through the catalogue of content available and stream the content directly to their TV or set top box.  

Digital TV Group (DTG)
The interactive technology behind The Space complies with the standards set by the Digital TV Group (DTG), who facilitated the partnership with S&T.  DTG is the industry association for digital television in the UK. The Group works with over 150 member organisations to develop the specification for Freeview in the UK.

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Arts Council England will today begin consulting with library experts on Envisioning the library of the future - a programme of research and consultation that will help them to shape what libraries should be in the future.

Arts Council England will today begin consulting with library experts on Envisioning the library of the future - a programme of research and consultation that will help them to shape what libraries should be in the future.

Envisioning the library of the future will begin with an assessment of trends in society which may affect the delivery of library services in the future. Following on from this, we will undertake a programme of consultation with library experts. In mid March 2012, an online consultation will open to all, with a series of short articles prompting public thoughts and opinions on the future of public library services, providing a deep understanding of the public value of libraries.

A final report will consolidate the findings of this research, enabling the Arts Council to shape a well-informed vision for the future of public libraries.

Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England, said:

'It’s essential that we gather a wide range of views from people that run libraries, fund libraries and use libraries, to help us develop a shared vision of what the library of the future may look like. This consultation will be invaluable in helping us envisage the shape of that library, sitting at the heart of its community, providing services that local people value and enjoy.'

The Arts Council assumed responsibilities for museums and libraries, formerly held by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in October 2011, at the government's request. In September 2011 we published Culture, knowledge and understanding: great museums and libraries for everyone, a framework on decision making for museums and libraries during the current spending period (2011-15).

Through consultation and research, Arts Council will look to build on this short-term framework with the development of a long term vision for libraries, and to move debate to encourage fresh thinking, promoting positive change in the libraries sector.

Last week we announced 13 successful Libraries Development Initiative projects that tested new approaches to library service delivery. The learning from these projects, and learning from Envisioning the library of the future consultation, will help us shape future library policy.

 

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The longlist for the Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award – the biggest museum award in Britain and the only one judged by families – has been announced. From Scotland to Southsea, Cardiff to Cumbria, there are museums that entertain and entrance visitors of all ages. And from the necklace of dried frogs at World Museum to Andy Warhol in Wolverhampton Art Gallery, they have stories to share and real things to wonder at. 

The longlist for the Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award – the biggest museum award in Britain – has been announced. Kids in Museums joined forces with the Telegraph newspaper for the the award which was launched by poet and broadcaster Michael Rosen in the Life section of the Sunday Telegraph.  

Dea Birkett, Director of Kids in Museums, said:

'Museums are changing and visitors are becoming more and more discerning. It's no longer enough to offer a few finger paints for five year olds. Visitors have said in their hundreds that they want the whole family – from 15 to a few months – to feel they belong among the mummies and old masters. That's the challenge they’ve set museums. And that’s what the longlist are working so well towards meeting.'

A distinguished panel of judges, chaired by Jenny Abramsky, chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, will pick a shortlist, which will be announced in the Telegraph in April. The shortlisted museums will then be road-tested anonymously by families who will pick the winner, to be announced in May.

The longlisted museums are:

• World Museum, Liverpool


• Haslemere Educational Museum, Surrey


• Museum of London and Museum of London Docklands


• National Army Museum, London


• The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent


• River and Rowing Museum, Henley on Thames


• Yorkshire Sculpture Park


• Jewish Museum, London


• Museum of English Rural Life, West Berkshire


• Brixham Heritage Museum, Devon


• Geffrye Museum, London


• The Cardiff Story 


• Cumberland House Natural History Museum, Southsea


• Manchester Museum


• Nottingham Contemporary 


• Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon


• Wolverhampton Art Gallery


• National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh


• Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives


• Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, Cumbria

Find out more about the award at www.kidsinmuseums.org.uk/awards

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Arts Council England has today announced the award of Designated status to the collections of BT (British Telecommunications) Archives and the Black Country Living Museum. This is the first time the Arts Council has administered and awarded Designated status since assuming responsibilities for museums and libraries from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in October 2011.

Arts Council England has today announced the award of Designated status to the collections of BT (British Telecommunications) Archives and the Black Country Living Museum. This is the first time the Arts Council has administered and awarded Designated status since assuming responsibilities for museums and libraries from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in October 2011.

Designation identifies the pre-eminent collections of national and international importance held in England's non-national museums, libraries and archives, based on their quality and significance. In recognising these inspiring collections, Arts Council England believes that the collections of BT Archives and the Black Country Living Museum represent a vital part of our national cultural heritage.

Alan Davey, Chief Executive of Arts Council England said:

'We are delighted to be awarding this prestigious standard to both BT Archives and the Black Country Living Museum. Both organisations' collections offer a fascinating and important insight into the history of the nation, and should be celebrated.'

BT Archives was awarded Designated status for its compelling documentation of the leading role that the UK and BT and its predecessors have played in communications technology from its very beginning. The archives cover the provision of communications services around the country and across the globe, and its profound influence on society and impact on people’s lives. 

The collections of the Black Country Living Museum constitute a comprehensive record of industrial activity and society in the Black Country chiefly spanning the period 1800 to 1950. They include four original industrial features on site - including two mine shafts, limekilns and a canal arm - representing a microcosm of the classic Black Country industrial landscape.

Suzi Williams, BT Group Marketing and Brand Director, said:

'We're thrilled - Designation recognises BT Archives as an important collection not just about BT's corporate history and leading role in the development of telecommunications technology, but also for social, economic and industrial and many other histories. We're proud to preserve and share these unique and exceptional resources as part of our commitment to the nation's, indeed the world's, memory and heritage.'

Andrew Lovett, Director and Chief Executive of the Black Country Living Museum said:

'This is an enormous step forward for the museum, not only recognising the strength of our entire collection, but an endorsement of how we are developing our own style of engaging people - our visitors - creatively in history.'

Following today's announcement, there are 140 Designated collections in England, held in 112 different organisations. Organisations holding Designated collections are expected to work towards the provision of high-quality services which deliver the fullest possible public access to those collections, and to take a leadership role in the sector by helping other cultural institutions in ways such as sharing expertise, offering advice and lending objects or materials.

You can download a list of the Designated collections here.

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Full details of the Artists international development fund will be announced by the British Council and Arts Council England on Wednesday 29 February.

Liz Forgan, Chair, Arts Council England today (Tuesday 14 February) announced in her keynote speech at State of the Arts that, in what is a new chapter in the relationship between the Arts Council and the British Council, we are launching the Artists international development fund, a £750,000 fund which will support English artists to travel, explore and collaborate internationally, developing markets and audiences overseas for their work. The fund will open for applications next month and responds to the evident and increasing insistence by artists that they need access to their peers, to audiences and to influences from other places and other cultures.  The fund will, it is hoped, be a valuable help to artists to build on domestic success at crucial stages of their career.

Full details of the Artists international development fund will be announced by the British Council and Arts Council England on Wednesday 29 February. Guidance will be published for applicants on the strategic funding section of the Arts Council website, with the online portal open and up and running for applicants from 1 March 2012.

Download Liz Forgan's speech here.

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Arts Council England and the Local Government Association have today, Monday 13 February, awarded £230,000 to fund 13 library projects through the Libraries Development Initiative.

Arts Council England and the Local Government Association have today, Monday 13 February, awarded £230,000 to fund 13 library projects through the Libraries Development Initiative.

The 13 successful projects are:

• ASCEL (Association of Senior Children's and Education Librarians) (National)


• Bournemouth Borough Council


• Cambridgeshire County Council


• Consortium led by London Borough of Camden including Islington Libraries; Hackney Libraries


• Consortium led by London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames including the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames; Wandsworth Borough Council; Merton Council


• Consortium led by The Reading Agency including Essex County Council - Libraries; Luton Cultural Services Trust Ltd - Libraries; Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council - Libraries; Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust - Libraries; Studiolift; Faber; Bloomsbury Publishing; Little Brown Book Group; Random House Group; Pan Macmillan; Booksellers Association; Publishers Association; Society of Chief Librarians (National)


• Derby City Council Libraries in partnership with QUAD


• Fresh Horizons (Yorkshire)


• Newcastle City Council in partnership with Manchester City Council


• Portsmouth City Council


• Public Libraries Health Group (National)


• Publishers Association (National)


• Writing West Midlands

You can download a list of the projects and amounts awarded from the Libraries Development Initiative funding page.

Designed to test new approaches to library service delivery, these projects will look at ways libraries can work together with arts and other cultural organisations to enrich the way that people experience arts and culture. They will explore innovative, locally appropriate and enterprising ways of working, resulting in a resilient vision for future public library services.

The Arts Council assumed responsibilities for museums and libraries, formerly held by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), at the government's request on 1 October 2011. The Libraries Development Initiative builds on the MLA and Local Government Association's Future Libraries Programme to look at new approaches to public library service delivery.

Following receipt of expressions of interest, Arts Council England invited 19 applicants to make a full submission. They requested a total of £339,743 against a total budget of £230,000.

We publish Opening up a new world: public libraries connecting housebound people to the networked nation

Also today, the Arts Council has published a summary report of Opening up a new world: public libraries connecting housebound people to the networked nation. This is a project initiated by the MLA and now managed by the Arts Council to provide skilled library staff and volunteers as coaches to elderly and housebound people in connecting to the internet.

The project had a huge impact on the lives of participants who found new ways to be in touch with friends and family, and to forge links across generations and geographies through their public library provision. The full report can also be downloaded here.

This is a partnership project with Race Online 2012, the BBC, the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) and Microsoft, in response to statistics outlined in The Race Online 2012 Manifesto for a Networked Nation, which stated that over 10 million adults in the UK have never used the internet, of whom 39 per cent are over 65.

Through the projects funded by the Libraries Development Initiative and other initiatives such as Opening up a new world: public libraries connecting housebound people to the networked nation, libraries will build on the best of current practice to create a vibrant, sustainable, 21st century public library service.

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The Photographers' Gallery will unveil its new home for international and British photography on 19 May 2012, which will see a new education area and the doubling of the space available for exhibitions.

 

The Photographers' Gallery will unveil its new home for international and British photography on 19 May 2012, which will see a new education area and the doubling of the space available for exhibitions.

Designed by architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, the transformed building will launch with exhibitions from Edward Burtynsky and Raqs Media Collective. Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky will present his acclaimed series OIL, a ten year survey of the subject, and New Delhi based Raqs Media Collective who will present a video projection An Afternoon Unregistered on the Richter Scale (2011). The two launch exhibitions will be on display until 1 July.

Moira Sinclair, London Executive Director of Arts Council England, said: “The Photographers’ Gallery is nationally and internationally significant, presenting and developing the very best contemporary art and artists and playing its part in our city’s reputation for great artistic experiences and visitor attractions. Our support for this project is an investment in the ambitions and aspirations of the Gallery; giving it more space to share the work of exciting new and established photographers and putting education, literally, at the heart of the Gallery’s work. Like many, I’m really looking forward to the reopening of this fabulous institution.”

One feature of the new space is the Studio Floor. This floor will feature a full schedule of talks, workshops and events. The Studio Floor will include a camera obscura and a study room, where people will be able to access an archive of material related to exhibitions and events which have taken place since the gallery was established in 1971.There will also be new spaces for the bookshop, print sales room and café.

Another highlight of the gallery’s opening will be a new digital programme curated by a specially appointed digital curator. Responding to recent trends, the digital programme will feature projects which raise questions concerning the changing status and circulation of photography in today’s digital culture.

 

Arts Council England awarded £3.6 million for this capital project from its Lottery funding. The Photographer’s Gallery is also Regularly funded and will be one of our National portfolio organisations.

 

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Nominations are now open for the National Lottery Awards 2012 - the annual search to find the UK's favourite Lottery-funded projects, including projects funded by the Arts Council's Grants for the arts scheme. 

Nominations are now open for the National Lottery Awards 2012 - the annual search to find the UK's favourite Lottery-funded projects, including projects funded by the Arts Council's Grants for the arts scheme. 

Visit the National Lottery Awards website before Monday 12 March to nominate your favourite project, or to enter your own project.

The entrants that make it to the finals of The National Lottery Awards will receive national recognition at a star-studded event, broadcast on BBC One later this year. They will also have a chance to win a £2,000 cash prize.

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You can watch next week's State of the Arts conference and have your say online.

If you can't make it to next week's State of the Arts conference in Salford, you need not miss out as you can watch and have your say online.

Watch audio and video online after the event

If you're unable to attend the conference, you can still take part via Twitter using #sota12 or comment via the State of the Arts blog. Video and audio from the event will be available online from Friday 17 February.

Live streaming

The conference's morning plenary session will be live streamed from the event between 9.30am and 11am on 14 February at artscouncil.org.uk/sota12.

This will include:

• Premiere of State of the Arts film commission What Matters? by artist film-makers straybird (Becky Edmunds and Lucy Cash) featuring Jeanette Winterson and Hofesh Shechter, among others


• Keynote panel discussion: 2012: and then what?
  Panel includes: Ed Vaizey MP; David Edgar, playwright; Jonzi D, Artistic Director of Breakin' Convention and Jonzi D Projects; Ruth Mackenzie Director, Cultural Olympiad, LOCOG; and Sally Lai, Artistic Director, Chinese Arts Centre; and Liz Forgan Chair, Arts Council England 

You can put your put your question to the panel via Twitter using #sota12 or as a comment via the State of the Arts blog.

Have your say

The State of the Arts blog, curated by Hannah Nicklin and Andy Field already contains some thought provoking posts around the event themes.

You can follow the blog during the event next Tuesday, when our team of live bloggers will be posting their thoughts on every discussion taking place, but we also want to hear from you now. Post your thoughts and comments on the blog and we will pass them to the event chairs, who will use your ideas to shape discussion on the day.

Discussions at State of the Arts will focus around the artist's role in society with topics ranging from Artists and the imagination to Artists and fundraising. Visit the State of the Arts page for a full list of themes.

We will be tweeting live from the Lowry on Tuesday 14 February from @ace_national, but you can have your say now using #sota12.

The Guardian's Mark Brown (of the Culture Cuts blog) and the Culture Professionals network will also be live blogging from the event, and we have also invited university students to make short films exploring some of the conference themes.

To top it all off videos and podcasts from all the State of the Arts sessions will be available online after the event.

For more information about State of the Arts and to see a full programme and list of speakers, visit the event page.

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See how artists with mental illness, guerilla art and a 19th century steam powered weaving mill are inspiring people

As part of our digital content offering around State of the Arts we invited university students to make short films exploring their choice of theme selected from the nine themes that will shape the discussions at the conference. (see the full list of themes).

Watch the films they submitted below - you can leave your comments about then or join in the State of the Arts discussions on Twitter using #SOTA12 or at the State of the Arts blog.

North Tyneside Art Studio by Michelle Carrick
University of Sunderland

Artists shaping the communities
Synopsis: Each year one in four people are diagnosed with a mental illness in the UK. This short documentary explores a community of artists located in North Tyneside who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. They tell their stories about their art and how they hope to be seen by the wider community outside of the studio.

Have your say by Ben Frank Houghton and Stephanie Archer
Salford University

Artists and the imagination
Synopsis: During the short, a variety of food produce is thrown at a canvas to create a 'by chance' piece of artwork. The film focuses on combining art and imagination with a comic style.

 

Ways of Seeing: Interwoven Lives by George Wesley Haydock
Salford University

Artists and young people / Artists and audiences
Synopsis: The film documents and audio/visual art installation in Queen Street Mill, Burnley, which is the world’s only surviving 19th century steam powered weaving mill. The project is part of the Cultural Olympiad.
The photographs taken, the interviews conducted, and the sound design in the installation were all done by young people - through art they engaged in local history in an interesting way which transcended any history textbook experience.
Find out more about the project.

Plants of the Gods by Matthew Burdis and David Donald
University of Sunderland

Artists and the Imagination
Synopsis: The film is a response to The Plants of the Gods a lecture at Newcastle's historical Literary and Philosophical Society by Scientist and traveller Dr George Wake, which focussed on the ritual use of botanic entheogens  throughout various cultures as ‘gateway’ drugs. The lecture was part of a series of events exploring themes within Newcastle-based artist Ben Jeans Houghton's photographic work, Black Cloud and also discussing the role of the artist to consider scientific enquiries and shamanistic practice. The film reflects both the approaches of Ben Jeans Houghton and the filmmakers’ own interest in alternate realities.

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The shortlisted museums have been announced for the Connect10 national arts competition which will see leading visual artists taking part in Museums at Night events across the country. Vote now to help decide which museums will host the events.

The shortlisted museums have been announced for the Connect10 national arts competition which will see leading visual artists taking part in Museums at Night events across the country. Vote now to help decide which museums will host the events.

Proposed events include: Bompas and Parr heading to Bristol to fill the glass plate around the SS Great Britain with jelly; Polly Morgan giving a practical demonstration of her taxidermy process in Liverpool's neo-Gothic Victoria Gallery and Museum; and The People's History Museum bringing Martin Parr back to his student home in Manchester with the aim of inspiring the next generation of photographers.

The full list of artists and shortlisted venues are: 

• Claire Barclay, futuristic Scottish sculptor: The Old Operating Theatre Museum, Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum


• Bompas and Parr, Jellymongers:  Caithness Horizons, Belgrave Hall, SS Great Britain


• Ryan Gander, provocative installation artist: Oliver Holt Gallery with Sherborne Museum, Ipswich Museum, Dorchester Abbey


• Jon McGregor, award-winning novelist: Discovery Point, Scott Polar Research Institute, Turner Contemporary


• Polly Morgan, contemporary taxidermist: Victoria Gallery and Museum, The Yorkshire Museum and Gardens and The Art Gallery, Anglican Chapel, Arnos Vale Cemetery


• Terry O'Neill, fashion and rock photographer: Ragged School Museum, The Museum of Soho


• Martin Parr, documentary photographer: The Wedgwood Museum, Haworth Art Gallery and The People's History Museum


• Simon Roberts, photographer: Guernsey Museum, Quay Arts, Working Class Movement Library in Salford


• Bob & Roberta Smith, installation artist: The Peace Museum Bradford, The Towner, Leeds Art Gallery


• Susan Stockwell artist: The Fitzwilliam Museum, Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, Wolverhampton Art Gallery

To find out more or vote for your favourite museum or event visit the Connect10 website.

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Use your smartphone to help celebrate UK public libraries this weekend by putting your local library on the map.

Use your smartphone to help celebrate UK public libraries this weekend by putting your local library on the map.

You can use the Find a Library website on your phone to locate your nearest library, checking in once there to ensure that your library is added to a free national database of 4,300 public libraries across the UK.

Put Your Library on the Map is a campaign led by the Collections Trust, with the support of the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) to encourage people to show their support for their local libraries, and to find out about the exciting range of services they offer.

Speaking about the initiative, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey MP said: 'This campaign is a great way to encourage people to make use of their public library services. Libraries provide invaluable opportunities for literacy and learning and I really hope that people get behind this campaign and put their local library on the map. I will certainly be doing so for my local library.'

The campaign coincides with National Libraries Day which takes place this Saturday, 4 February, with events happening across the country.

For more information and to add your library to the map visit the Find a library website.

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Norfolk-based poetry magazine The Rialto will help inspire and develop editors of the future with support from Arts Council England.

 

Norfolk-based poetry magazine The Rialto will help inspire and develop editors of the future with support from Arts Council England.

The magazine was recently awarded National Lottery-funded Grants for the arts totalling £90,000 over three years to finance an Editor Development Programme and other initiatives aimed at organisation resilience and innovation.

Grants for the arts is Arts Council England's open application funding programme. It supports activities that engage people in the arts and helps artists and arts organisations to carry out their work.

The magazine's editor Michael Mackmin is widely recognized as one of the world's leading poetry editors. As part of the Editor Development Programme, four aspiring editors will have the rare opportunity to work alongside him, getting valuable training and mentoring.

Helen Mitchell, The Rialto's Development and Special Projects Director said:

'Michael Mackmin reads some 12,000 poems a year to find 180 to publish in The Rialto. With the explosion in self and online publishing, it's more important than ever for there to be good editors sifting through, finding and promoting the best poetry. To our knowledge this is the only programme looking to invest in the editors of the future.'

The Rialto will also be establishing an advisory board to support its work, exploring e-publishing and developing a new partnership with nearby Arts Council funded organisation Writers' Centre Norwich.

Helen Lax, Regional Director, Arts Council England said:

'Since its inception in 1984, The Rialto has upheld its reputation for artistic excellence producing a well-respected national poetry magazine with a loyal and wide-ranging readership.

'This Grants for the arts award will help to move the magazine into a new era, enabling both organisational and artistic development. It will support the team to pioneer new digital approaches to increasing engagement with poets and readers, helping more people to experience high-quality writing.'

The Rialto costs £7.50 for a single issue or £19 for a year's subscription and is available from the website or from The Bookhive on London Street in Norwich.

For more information on Grants for the arts go to the funding section of our website.

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From April Arts Council England, in association with Trinity College London, is launching two brand new levels of Arts Award open to children and young people aged seven or over.

From April Arts Council England are delighted to be working in close association with Trinity College London to launch two brand new levels of Arts Award open to children and young people aged seven or over. These new levels will open up Arts Award to younger ages and enable them to gain recognition for their artistic achievements and enjoyment of the arts. 

Those interested in running Arts Award for ages seven and upwards can now book to train as Discover and Explore advisers.

Discover, an introductory level, and Explore, accredited at Entry Level 3 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), will complement Arts Award Bronze, Silver and Gold (at Levels 1, 2 and 3 on the QCF) that recognise the personal creative development of young people. The development of the new awards follows a successful pilot involving 123 organisations across the country.

Laura Gander-Howe, Arts Council Director or Learning and Skills, said: 'Arts Council England has seen the demand for Arts Award to reach the younger age group grow and grow, and are really delighted to see the new levels get off the ground and arts organisations and schools start to deliver. It's fantastic that young people can now follow their Arts Award journey from 7-25.'

Visit the Arts Award website for information on how to train to deliver the award.

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As part of the Cultural Olympiad the West Midlands is playing a major role in Music Nation - presented by the BBC and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Music Nation comes to West Midlands as part of 2012 celebrations

As part of the Cultural Olympiad the West Midlands is playing a major role in Music Nation - presented by the BBC and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

On 2, 3 and 4 March there will be a spectacular weekend of concerts celebrating the best of the UK's live orchestral music.

Music Nation also marks the beginning of an unprecedented programme of events, performance, participation and possibility that make up this year's Cultural Olympiad programme in the region.

The West Midlands Music Nation line-up includes:

2 March, 8pm at Victoria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent. In association with the BBC Philharmonic, Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii returns to Hanley to perform Chopin's Piano Concert No.1, in a programme of American-influenced music.

2 March, 7.30pm Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) presents a programme performed by a quintet of BCMG soloists at the CBSO Centre in Birmingham.

3 March, 4pm, Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. After rave reviews for his accounts of Lohengrin in Birmingham and Bayreuth, Andris Nelsons will conduct a hand-picked cast at Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

3 March, 7.30pm. Choir with No Name (a choir for people who have experienced homelessness) brings two choirs together from London and Birmingham for a joyfull Olympic-themed concert, One Nation Under a Groove, performed at Carrs Lane Church in Birmingham.

4 March, 3pm: The Northern Chamber Orchestra and Raphael Wallfisch will perform the world premiere of a new cello concerto by John Joubert in St Mary's Church, Shrewsbury, alongside a programme of work by Sibelius, Delius and Mozart.

Information is on the BBC 3 website.

Full details of the West Midlands Cultural Olympiad programme will be announced in March. Visit www.wmfor2012.com/culture for updates.

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These include village halls, school halls, studio spaces and community venues such as churches. Arts Alive shows create a special experience for both artists and audiences.

 

Arts Alive is the rural touring scheme that serves rural Herefordshire and Shropshire with professional events hosted by local volunteers taking place in informal settings.

These include village halls, school halls, studio spaces and community venues such as churches. Arts Alive shows create a special experience for both artists and audiences.

Sian Kerry director of Arts Alive said: 'We work hard to find the right space and community for every show that will create the best event. Church acoustics are great for choirs, small halls for intimate shows. It's a bit like running an arts centre with a hundred different spaces.

'Our programme is eclectic and diverse, we aim to please most of the people most of the time, and add shows that will challenge and excite as well as entertain. Think of it like adding spices to cooking!'

This winter the Arts Alive programme features a large selection of companies and shows. They range from Hansel and Gretel by Northumberland Theatre Company, Hot Swinging Musical Mayhem by The Hot Potato Syncopators, Instant Wit comedy show, Postcards from Blackpool by About Face Theatre Company and Rapunzel by the Clydebuilt Theatre Company.

All information on shows and venues is on Arts Alive's website www.artsalive.co.uk, where tickets can be purchased online.

Arts Alive is currently an Arts Council Regular Funded Organisation and from next April has been invited to join the National portfolio of organisations.

 

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2012 is Godiva's year and Imagineer Productions invite you to join them in counting down to her awakening in Coventry on 28 July.

 

2012 is Godiva's year and Imagineer Productions invite you to join them in counting down to her awakening in Coventry on 28 July.

To kick start the year Imagineer have released a stunning new image (shown here), created by Midlands based advertising agency Cogent Elliott, who have been working in partnership with Imagineer contributing their skills, ingenuity and resources to the project.

The image reflects the forthcoming awakening as Godiva appears out of the darkness and into the light surrounded by representations of the diverse industries of the West Midlands past, present and future that are at the heart of this once-in-a-lifetime project.

Rehearsals have also started with a number of the groups which will perform as part of the awakening in July.

In early January the eight apprentice aerialists came together for only the second time to be put through their paces and train together ahead of their performance.

 In mid January the 150 strong Godiva Awakes Choir met to begin their monthly rehearsals focussing solely on the Godiva Anthem written by BAFTA award winner Ilona Sekacz.

To keep up to speed on Godiva Awakes and to find out more about the many elements and people involved in the project visit www.imagineerproductions.co.uk

Let Imagineer know what you think of the image of Godiva by posting a comment on their facebook site.

 

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