Art Council Awards

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson today announced that Veronica Wadley has been appointed as the new London Chair and national Council member of Arts Council England. Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Olympics and Sport has approved the appointment.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson today announced that Veronica Wadley has been appointed as the new London Chair and national Council member of Arts Council England. Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Olympics and Sport has approved the appointment.

Responding to the appointment, Dame Liz Forgan, Chair of Arts Council England said:

'Veronica's appointment means that our London and national Councils are finally at full strength, which is excellent news. We can now get on with the important job of supporting and developing the arts in London and the rest of the country.

'I am confident that Veronica's skills and commitment will help us address the many challenges and opportunities ahead as we move towards a tough spending review, the need to develop the resilience of our arts organisations in the capital and nationally, and the huge opportunities of the Olympic year.'

See the full press release from the Mayor's Office at www.london.gov.uk

We are pleased to announce that 1676 schools have been awarded an Artsmark in 2010.

Round 10 of Artsmark awards was announced today showing that 1676 schools have been awarded an Artsmark in 2010. Our congratulations to all of the Artsmark schools!

Artsmark is awarded in recognition of a school's commitment to, and excellence in, arts education. There are currently 4724 Artsmark schools, which accounts for almost 19.5 per cent of all schools in England.

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

'We believe that the earlier children are creatively inspired, the more likely they are to have a lifelong engagement with art - something that can transform lives and give young people a voice for their thoughts and feelings.

'Artsmark - now nationally recognised as a prestigious and coveted award - sets the standard for an outstanding arts provision in schools and it's great to see so many new schools attaining the Artsmark award this year.'

We are currently reviewing Artsmark and will be testing new models in 2010-11. A refreshed scheme will be piloted from September-December 2010 and take into account feedback from schools and other partners.

Regional lists of round 10 schools are available to download as PDFs from the Artsmark website.

For over 10 years, the Jaguar Land Rover Awards for Arts & Business, in association with the Birmingham Post, have been celebrating and showcasing the best in cultural partnerships and sponsorships across the Midlands. 

For over 10 years, the Jaguar Land Rover Awards for Arts & Business, in association with the Birmingham Post, have been celebrating and showcasing the best in cultural partnerships and sponsorships across the Midlands. 

The Awards celebrate innovative business brands in the Midlands who work with culture. If your arts organisation is involved in a successful partnership with a business, then we want to hear about it.

 Categories this year are:

• A&B Community Award


• A&B Business Innovation Award in partnership with Clarke Associates


• A&B People Development Award in partnership with Business Link


• A&B Sustained Partnership Award


• A&B Young People Award in partnership with Marketing Birmingham


• A&B Museums, Libraries and Archives Award in partnership with MLA


• A&B Board Member of the Year Award in partnership with Land Rover

 (View 2009 winners)

 Click here to enter / nominations close on Friday 2 July 2010

Award-winning author Ian McEwan celebrated the handover of Norwich’s bid to be a UNESCO City of Literature at a recent event.

Award-winning author Ian McEwan celebrated the handover of Norwich’s bid to be a UNESCO City of Literature at a recent event.

His speech, for an event with Writers’ Centre Norwich at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, marked the completion of the bid, with the final results due to be announced in around three months.

As a graduate of the first creative writing MA in Norwich, McEwan explained his reason for backing the bid: 'Norwich has turned itself into a world hub for literature,' and, 'I’d be amazed if UNESCO refuses.'

Writers’ Centre Norwich’s chief executive Chris Gribble said: 'We were delighted to welcome Ian back to Norwich as part of Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2010 to officially deliver our bid to UNESCO. Becoming a UNESCO City of Literature will only increase the profile of reading and writing in the city and the accreditation will be the start of an increased local, national and international programme of events that will benefit writers and readers in the city and county.'

Wimbledon, in collaboration with The Poetry Trust, Suffolk, has made history with the appointment of its first ‘Championships Poet’.

Life-long tennis fan and poet Matt Harvey has been appointed to capture the flavour and fervour of the grandest of slams, in a unique literature and sport partnership. The Poetry Trust has long championed Matt's work and published his first collection after recognising the appeal of his whimsical, perceptive and above all funny poems.

Wimbledon, in collaboration with The Poetry Trust, Suffolk, has made history with the appointment of its first ‘Championships Poet’.

Life-long tennis fan and poet Matt Harvey has been appointed to capture the flavour and fervour of the grandest of slams, in a unique literature and sport partnership. The Poetry Trust has long championed Matt's work and published his first collection after recognising the appeal of his whimsical, perceptive and above all funny poems.

Matt wowed audiences at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival back in 2002 and went on to write the regular Desktop Poetry slot in The Guardian. He is now a regular on BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live programme. 

In his duty as Championships ‘poet laureate’ he will write a poem a day inspired by all things Wimbledon; from strawberries and cream, to tantrums and tears.

All of the poems will be available to read online and Matt will also give impromptu performances to queuing fans at the event, write a daily blog, and create regular podcasts and tweets to document his time at the tournament.

'Quite simply I’m delighted,' said Matt, 'with a little bit of healthy anxiety thrown in. It’s an honour, and I’m acutely conscious it’s the only time I’ll come first in anything at Wimbledon, unless you count the queue for strawberries.'

This unique and exciting new partnership between the world of sport and literature was the brainchild of Honor Godfrey, curator of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum.

Honor explained: 'We are always examining different ways of interpreting The Championships. This year the club agreed that having an official Championships Poet would provide a novel and interesting way of doing this. We are looking forward to working with Matt and the Poetry Trust and it will be fascinating to see both Matt’s take on what we see year in year out, and indeed the public’s reaction to the poems.'

With regular funding from Arts Council England, The Poetry Trust is one of the UK’s flagship poetry organisations delivering a year-round programme of live events, including Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, as well as talent development, courses, prizes, publications and digital platform The Poetry Channel.

Naomi Jaffa, director of The Poetry Trust, said: 'We couldn’t be more thrilled and excited for Matt, who’s a poet we’re so proud to champion.

'We first became aware of his talent and potential to connect with big audiences when he first appeared at Aldeburgh Poetry Festival in 2002 (after we'd heard and loved his radio show One Night Stanza). We decided to nurture and invest in his career and see him in the line of national treasure poets like Roger McGough and John Hegley.'

Matt’s poem Grandest of Slams gives a fantastic introduction to the Championships (below). To listen to his podcasts go to the Poetry Channel on The Poetry Trust website, where you will also find updates on his blog and tweets.

Grandest of Slams
By Matt Harvey

Excuse me. I’m sorry. I speak as an Englishman
For the game of lawn tennis there’s no better symbol than
Wimbledon

The place where the game’s flame was sparked and then kindled in
Where so many spines have sat straight and then tingled in
Wimbledon

Where strawberries and cream have traditionally been sampled in
Kids’ eyes have lit up and their cheeks have been dimpled in
Wimbledon

Where tough tennis cookies have cracked and then crumbled in
Top seeds have stumbled, have tumbled, been humbled in
Wimbledon

Where home-grown heroes’ hopes have swelled up and then dwindled in
Wimbledon

The Grand Slams’ best of breed, it’s the whizz it’s the biz
The temple where physics expresses its fizz
There’s one word for tennis and that one word is
Wimbledon

© Matt Harvey, Wimbledon Championships Poet 2010

Norwich has joined three other cities in submitting its final bid to become UK City of Culture 2013. The city was shortlisted along with Londonderry, Sheffield and Birmingham in December, with the results to be announced next month.

Norwich has joined three other cities in submitting its final bid to become UK City of Culture 2013. The city was shortlisted along with Londonderry, Sheffield and Birmingham in December, with the results to be announced next month.

It was Liverpool’s phenomenal success in its year as European Capital of Culture in 2008 that provided inspiration for creating a UK-specific competition. Organised on behalf of the Government by DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport), the competition will be repeated in four-yearly cycles, the second event being held in 2017.

Norwich's bid has been led by Norwich City Council in collaboration with the City of Norwich Partnership and representatives from major cultural organisations in the city. Its potential for success is boosted by its rich cultural offering which makes it a thriving hub for arts across the board. 

Broadcaster Stephen Fry said: 'The growth in the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, the establishment of the Writers’ Centre Norwich, Norwich as a City of Refuge [for refugee writers], the bid for UNESCO City of Literature and many other initiatives are all signals of the effects of the City of Culture bid which has started to change perceptions of the city.'

Stephen joins a number of local public figures who are backing the bid, including renowned author Amit Chaudhuri, and Spooks star Miranda Raison.

The winning city could attract funding from organisations such as Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund. In addition it will be designated as host to a series of major cultural events including the Booker Prize, the Mercury Prize, and the Stirling Prize.

According to a report by Liverpool Cultural Company, the European Capital of Culture title brought an estimated 3.5 million first-time visitors to Liverpool, with the local economy bolstered by £800 million as a result.

'We’re very excited by the chance to put Norwich at the centre of the UK cultural world,' say the city's bid organisers.

'We will use this process to make new connections across the city, inspire new work and develop Norwich as a true City of Culture for the 21st century.'

In the words of a recent Tweet by Stephen Fry, 'Norwich is on its way up'.

The judging panel meets in June, makes a recommendation to the Secretary of State and will announce the winner in mid July.

The arrival of summer can mean only one thing: festival season. But it’s not all muddy wellies and water-logged tents; the East of England holds host to some of the most exciting and innovative arts events in the country.

The arrival of summer can mean only one thing: festival season. But it’s not all muddy wellies and water-logged tents; the East of England holds host to some of the most exciting and innovative arts events in the country.

First up was Norfolk & Norwich Festival in May, which enjoyed phenomenal success, attracting nearly 300,000 people to a range of exciting arts events. Highlights included a ground-breaking dance spectacular Electric Hotel performed on Millennium Plains and the return of the ever-popular Spiegeltent in Norwich's Festival Gardens hosting cutting-edge shows such as La Vie - an adult-themed mix of music, theatre, dance and acrobatics.

Pulse 10 festival followed, from 27 May to 12 June, in Ipswich. Now in its 10th year, it provides a platform for new work by regional, British and international artists across a range of art forms including theatre, dance, comedy, music, event-led visual arts, participatory theatre and circus-led work.

The event has nearly doubled in size, with 67 planned events over the 17-day festival. The unprecedented scope of the 2010 programme built on the enormous success of Pulse 09, which achieved national press acclaim.

Festival Director Stephen Freeman was even more ambitious in his hopes for Pulse 10. '[It] features a genuinely international presence for the first time, with renowned companies from Belgium, Greece and Israel due to perform here,' he explained.

The event also welcomed a record number of local artists supported by Escalator, Arts Council England’s talent development programme. The Escalator Weekend opened the festival, featuring work by new artists including Bryony Kimmings with her hilarious show Sex Idiot and Shams with Reykjavik, an installation performance exploring the power of memory. These alongside established Arts Council regularly funded organisations such as the Theatre Royal Bury and the Mercury Theatre in Colchester.

Next for the arts-hungry festival-goers will be the 63rd Aldeburgh Festival, from 11-27 June, with an unmissable programme of classical music events. Now under the artistic leadership of French musicien exceptionel, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, this year’s Aldeburgh Festival offers an eclectic mix of classical masterworks and new discoveries.

Among them uniquely entertaining music theatre by George Benjamin and Luciano Berio, a celebration of the quintessential British holiday village, Thorpeness. There will also be superb concerts and residencies featuring Leon Fleisher, Ian Bostridge, the Britten–Pears Orchestra under Oliver Knussen, the Arcanto Quartet and pianist Alexander Lonquich, and towering figure of contemporary music, Pierre Boulez.

Literature is king at this year’s Worlds Literature Festival, from 20-27 June, organised by Writers’ Centre Norwich (WCN). The world-renowned festival attracts an impressive cross-section of writers from across the globe in a week of events, readings and discussion.

Katy Carr, marketing manager at WCN said: 'We are delighted to be once again hosting JM Coetzee at the Norwich Playhouse, and have a unique and stimulating line-up of events and writing workshops going on throughout the week.'

Other high profile authors such as Andrew O’Hagan are travelling from as far afield as Australia to perform at the event.

Latitude Festival 2010, in Southwold, Suffolk, runs from 15-18 July with a jam-packed programme of music and arts events. Top of your must-see list should be the veritable throng of Escalator artists performing at the festival. They include Live Literature artists Dean Parkin, Hannah Walker, Molly Naylor, Tim Clare and Ross Sutherland as well as performing artists Richard Dedomenici, nabokov and High Tide.

If you miss them at Latitude, from 6-30 August, the full outfit of Escalator artists will travel to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of Escalator East to Edinburgh. This annual programme supports around 20 artists to find venues, transport and audiences for their shows and is definitely worth the journey.

Last, but by no means least is the Metal Village Green Festival, in Southend-on-Sea. Taking place on 25 September, it is a vibrant, multi-arts event with something for everyone. Last year over 20,000 people attended to witness a unique and diverse range of creative talents from Southend and beyond. Details of the 2010 programme line-up will be announced on the Metal website in the coming weeks.

Six visual artists from the East of England are presenting work at the Contemporary Art Society in London until September as part of Rotate, an off-site exhibition curated by the Outpost gallery in Norwich.

Six visual artists from the East of England are presenting work at the Contemporary Art Society in London until September as part of Rotate, an off-site exhibition curated by the Outpost gallery in Norwich.

Outpost is an artist-run contemporary gallery space that runs a membership scheme allowing artists to submit work to its archive and play an active role in the production of exhibitions and gallery maintenance.

The six Rotate artists - Helene Appel, Neil Baker, Steve Bishop, Karen Cunningham, Rob Filby and Jacques Rogers - are all Outpost members and were chosen to represent the broad spectrum of its membership and exhibition programme. Their relationships with Outpost span its history: Rob Filby exhibited back in 2005 while Neil Baker presented Mirrom in March 2010.

In February this year, Outpost opened artist studios in Anglia Square, Norwich. Currently 30 studios provide affordable workspace for around 50 artists, many of whom are recent graduates.

For more information go to www.norwichoutpost.org or www.contemporaryartsociety.org.

It's certainly been an eventful two months since our new structure came into being in April 2010. As our new team beds in, our 10-year strategic framework Achieving great art for everyone begins to emerge and a budget appears on the horizon, it's fair to say that these are changing times.

In this issue of e-news, Helen Lax, Regional Director, reflects on how the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) budget cut announcement means we need to be even more creative, entrepreneurial and collaborative.

It's certainly been an eventful two months since our new structure came into being in April 2010. As our new team beds in, our 10-year strategic framework Achieving great art for everyone begins to emerge and a budget appears on the horizon, it's fair to say that these are changing times.

In this issue of e-news, Helen Lax, Regional Director, reflects on how the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) budget cut announcement means we need to be even more creative, entrepreneurial and collaborative.

'I am a firm believer that the key to success lies in the ability to adapt,' says Helen, 'and there’s never been a greater need for all of us in the arts sector to be open to change.'

Jeremy Hunt MP, the new Culture Secretary is no stranger to the nation’s artistic strengths and is a passionate advocate for the arts. There's no doubt, however, that he takes up the post at a time of achievement and challenge for the arts.

In the last 15 years, the arts have been thriving with the growth of more visionary leaders, entrepreneurial business models and a global reputation for excellence and innovation. That is why the news that the DCMS budget is to be cut by 4.1 per cent in the current financial year was very disappointing. Arts Council England has been asked to manage a 4 per cent cut.

As our Chair Dame Liz Forgan said in her statement following the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) announcement last month: 'The task now is for us to do everything in our power to maintain the strength and achievements of the arts sector and minimise the impact of those cuts on the organisations we fund.'

'Our priority is to do our best to protect art and artists, and to make sure that we make and communicate our decisions as quickly as possible.'

We have a real window of opportunity to make a strong case for sustained arts investment in advance of the forthcoming budget on 22 June. It is vital that as Jeremy Hunt, is making the case to the new Government for sustained arts investment, we all play our part in supporting that case.

We must drive home the argument that the arts present fantastic value for money. The arts budget is tiny; the return on that investment is huge. In fact, for less than 17p a week per person we have a cultural life in this country that is the envy of the world. To support your conversations Arts Council have produced key points about why the arts matter.

We will keep you posted on events as they unfold. The new team at Arts Council is finding its feet, but we are continuing our work to champion the arts and make our case over the coming months.

While launching its 2010 International Festival programme, Lake District Summer Music - recently included in the Telegraph's 'Ten truly festive festivals' list - has announced a new home for its International Summer Music Academy from August 2011: Windermere St Anne's School.

While launching its 2010 International Festival programme, Lake District Summer Music - recently included in the Telegraph's 'Ten truly festive festivals' list - has announced a new home for its International Summer Music Academy from August 2011: Windermere St Anne's School.

Andrew Lucas, Senior Executive Officer at regularly funded organisation Lake District Summer Music says: 'The 2010 International Festival and Summer Music Academy has just launched with one of our strongest programmes in our 25 year history. The new base for our International Summer Music Academy, Windermere St Anne's School, will bring some exciting additional benefits. The Young String Venture, our children's course, is already based at Elleray, their preparatory school. With this move, we are fulfilling a long held ambition to bring the whole summer school together.'

This year's International Festival runs from 30 July to 15 August 2010. It features: The King Singers, a rare opportunity to hear the Beethoven Diabelli Variations played by Andreas Staier on an instrument from Beethoven's own period, Gregor Horsch, principal cellist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Raphael Wallfisch, Leon McCawley, the Chilingirian and Škampa quartets, among many other international musicians and ensembles.

Commenting on the move, Windermere St Anne's School Headmaster Ian Lavender says: 'We are delighted to extend this partnership of Windermere St. Anne's School and Lake District Summer Music to host the International Summer Music Academy next summer in August 2011, and for many years to come.'

'This important event on the international music calendar not only brings wonderful opportunities to the school and increases our international profile, it also strengthens our shared message that the Lake District is a centre of excellence for the creative arts. We are keen to be involved with the local community and support this effort.'

More information about Lake District Summer Music and details of this year's festival are available on their website www.ldsm.org.uk.

Lakes Alive, a major programme of outdoor arts events in Cumbria, is calling on local people and visitors to help it win a poll to find the National Lottery's Best Arts Project.

Lakes Alive, a major programme of outdoor arts events in Cumbria, is calling on local people and visitors to help it win a poll to find the National Lottery's Best Arts Project.

Lakes Alive is one of 10 projects that has been selected by an independent judging panel to go through to the semi finals of the National Lottery Awards 2010 and to compete for the title of Best Arts Project. 

Now in its second year, Lakes Alive stages a wide variety of world class events across the county bringing the towns, villages and spectacular landscapes of Cumbria alive. Taking people out of the ordinary, offering awe-inspiring and memorable experiences, Lakes Alive explores play and the possibilities of space and the imagination. Featuring the best international artists, the programme animates public spaces in Cumbria across spring and summer each year, culminating with Mintfest, its flagship street-arts festival. 

Lakes Alive is Cumbria's unique contribution to the Legacy Trust UK programme which was set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Legacy Trust UK funding is provided through an endowment from the Big Lottery Fund, the Department for Culture Media and Sport and Arts Council England. 

Over 75,000 people attended the Lakes Alive events in 2009 and academics from Manchester University have calculated that they generated £3 million of extra spending in the county. 

Julie Tait from Kendal Arts International, which runs Lakes Alive along with Manchester International Arts, says: 'We are all delighted that we have got through to the semi finals of this year's national Lottery Awards. It's recognition of the quality and popularity of the Lakes Alive events and also the social and economic benefits that they bring to the area.

'We hope that as many people as possible who have seen one of our events will give us their support in this competition. If Lakes Alive makes it to the final stage we will appear with the other finalists on the lottery programme on BBC1, which would obviously be great publicity not just for the events but for the whole of Cumbria.'

The winner will be decided by two rounds of public voting. The first round, which takes place between 1 June and 18 June, will whittle down the semi finalists to three projects. The next round, between 26 July and 13 August, will decide the winner. 

Kendal Arts International are asking all their supporters to vote for them by visiting www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards or calling 0844 686 8790. The winning project will receive a £2,000 prize and appear on a special lottery show on BBC1.

For more information on the Lakes Alive programme visit www.lakesalive.org.

The Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, which is supported by a National Lottery award of £153,818 from our Grants for the arts scheme, has just been presented with the Arab British Culture & Society Award 2010. This national award, an initiative of the Arab British Centre, adds further prestige to an event which is growing in stature and international recognition. This year's festival will take place between 2-11 July at venues across the city of Liverpool.

The Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, which is supported by a National Lottery award of £153,818 from our Grants for the arts scheme, has just been presented with the Arab British Culture & Society Award 2010. This national award, an initiative of the Arab British Centre, adds further prestige to an event which is growing in stature and international recognition. This year's festival will take place between 2-11 July at venues across the city of Liverpool.

The Arab British Culture & Society Award of £5,000 is presented annually to an individual or organisation which, in the opinion of the judges, has made an outstanding contribution to the British public's knowledge and understanding of the life, society and culture of the Arab people.

The judges unanimously chose Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, who beat nine other shortlisted candidates, in recognition of the wide range of events and activities from throughout the Arab world which it organises during its annual festival, as well as the large and growing audiences it attracts.

Through its arts and cultural programme held in a variety of Liverpool venues, and its outreach work in schools and other centres, it has introduced Arab culture to many thousands of adults and children, and played an important role in increasing appreciation of Arab life and culture and combating prejudice.

Last year's Arabic Weekender event, presented by Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, was enjoyed by over 25,000 people and this year's 10 day event promises a further vibrant taste of Arabic music, dance, literature, film, food and culture, for all the family.

Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival Manager, Ngozi Ikoku, said: 'The first Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival took place in 2002 and thanks to our strong partners and the support of the Arabic community it has outgrown all our expectations. We are extremely honoured to be recognised with this award and for the encouragement it gives to our attempt to bring together a wide variety of people to share and learn about Arabic culture. The award will only strengthen our resolve to ensure that we continue to deliver a significant national and independent festival which resonates within the city and far beyond.'

Taher Qassim MBE, Chair of Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival, said: 'I am immensely proud that the diversity and richness of Arabic culture is being seen to flourish in Liverpool. It is a testimony both to the enterprise of the Arab community within the city and the energy of the city as a whole that this festival continues to grow year after year into the most vibrant celebration of Arab culture in the UK if not Europe. We warmly invite you to come along this July, to enjoy and take part in the festivities from across the Arab World and its diaspora.'

Details of this year's festival are available from www.arabicartsfestival.co.uk.

Supported by a £100,000 National Lottery award from our Grants for the arts scheme, Tatton Park stages its second biennial of contemporary art from May to September 2010. The biennial provides a laboratory for creative experiment and exchange, with new works commissioned for the Deer Park, Mansion and Formal Gardens.

Supported by a £100,000 National Lottery award from our Grants for the arts scheme, Tatton Park stages its second biennial of contemporary art from May to September 2010. The biennial provides a laboratory for creative experiment and exchange, with new works commissioned for the Deer Park, Mansion and Formal Gardens.

Tatton Park has commissioned a series of emerging and mid-career artists and writers to produce works that examine the making of identity through landscape and architecture. Twenty-one artists are contributing to the life of the biennial, with commissions considering ideas about what links people to place, notions of history and place-making and collective visions for the future.

The biennial, which runs until 26 September, is curated by Danielle Arnaud and Jordan Kaplan, Parabola and supported by a host of partners including A Foundation, Cornerhouse, Manchester Art Gallery and RSA Arts & Ecology.

The curators Danielle Arnaud and Jordan Kaplan said: 'The biennial positions itself as a creative laboratory that embraces the unknown, commissioning new works from a range of innovative artists and writers to develop considered responses to issues surrounding identity, landscape and sustainability.' 

Tatton Park is a listed site, owned by the National Trust and managed by Cheshire East Council. Framing Identity responds to the estate as a living and evolving subject rather than as an historical keepsake.

For further information visit www.tattonparkbiennial.org

With the help of Galapagos Conservation Trust and an Arts Council England Grants for the arts award of more than £30,000, two Brighton-based artists have recently returned from a study of live volcanoes on the Galapagos Islands.

The artists are Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt of Semiconductor who will use what they learned and the materials they gathered on the islands to inform what is sure to be a fascinating new body of work Worlds in the making.

Iceland's recent volcanic eruption has served as a sharp reminder to all of us of the power of the natural environment and the impact it can have on our lives.

Much of what we accept as scientific fact about the natural world has been inherited from the father of evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin, and his study of the Galapagos Islands.

With the help of Galapagos Conservation Trust and an Arts Council England Grants for the arts award of more than £30,000, two Brighton-based artists have recently returned from a study of live volcanoes on the Galapagos Islands.

The artists are Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt of Semiconductor who will use what they learned and the materials they gathered on the islands to inform what is sure to be a fascinating new body of work Worlds in the making.

Semiconductor create moving image works that reveal the physical world in flux, driven by a fascination with how we, as humans, understand the world through science. So the opportunity to study scientists at work in a unique natural environment proved to be an unmissable and exhilarating experience.

During January and February 2010, Ruth and Joe travelled to the islands to take part in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's Galapagos Artist Residency, which included spending three weeks on the Galapagos Islands, seven days at the Charles Darwin Foundation on Santa Cruz Island and a trip to mainland Ecuador.  

'We wanted to visit the volcanically produced Galapagos Islands to provide us with a rich palette for a new body of work exploring volcanoes,' Ruth explains.

The initial stage in the trip involved an eight day boat trip touring the islands, chaperoned by a naturalist guide who explained what they were seeing in terms of the natural history and politics of the islands.

'It turned out to be quite literally an out of this world experience,' says Ruth.

'The laws of nature appeared to be different. We had time travelled to an era when animals had no fear of humans and the matter and processes that had gone into the initial forming of land dominated the scene. It suggested a formidable and alien world.'

The next part of their expedition was a physically gruelling week on Isabela Island, the largest in the Galapagos archipelago. Here, Ruth and Joe trekked on horseback, bike and on foot to document through image and sound some of its six volcanoes and lava strewn environments.

It was their time on mainland Ecuador however that allowed them their most 'explosive' filming conditions while staying at the foot of the Tungurahua volcano.

'Tungurahua was not erupting when we initially left for Ecuador so it was a twist of fate that we coincided with this exciting episode in its history,' Joe tells us.

'We spent about two weeks in Banos, returning a couple of times drawn in by the eruptions. It was such a physical experience. As the volcano violently exploded rocks and lava from its crater, a sonic wave would hit you followed closely by the most thunderous blast.

'It was so exhilarating that we spent two sleepless nights of volcano watching and filming.'

Since returning from their adventures, Ruth and Joe have been reflecting on their experiences and making plans to start bringing together their ideas and material to make their new moving image work. We wondered whether they have had any early thoughts about how this new body of work might take shape.

'We are creating a multi-screen installation work that is much more ambitious in length and scale than anything we have done before,' Ruth tells us.

'The work looks at how we make sense of the physical world; by exploring the volcanic mechanisms that create it and the processes we develop to understand it.'

To create the work, Ruth and Joe will be using the film footage they collected during their trip, applying their own custom animation techniques and using processes that they have learned from the volcanologists they met.

'We're interested in how we apply meaning to matter,' Ruth continues, 'and how these relate to our actual experiences of the perceivable world.'

Semiconductor's adventures in science and art do not stop there. As a result of their Galapagos residency, they have been awarded a Smithsonian Artists Fellowship.

Ruth explains: 'This is really exciting for us because it offers us an opportunity to continue to research we've been doing on the Galapagos Islands. We'll be spending three months in the mineral sciences department of the Smithsonian Natural History in Washington DC this August.'

Meanwhile, as opportunities to exhibit the new work Worlds in the making are explored teaser excerpts will be available to view at www.semiconductorfilms.com

You can also hear Ruth and Joe from Semiconductor talk about their work at Lighthouse's Monthly Talks Programme in July, August and September in Brighton.  

It's certainly been an eventful two months since our new structure came into being in April 2010. The new team in the south east is bedding in and we are not far from a full complement of staff, which is great.  

Here Sally Abbott, Regional Director, reflects on how the recent DCMS budget cut announcement means we need to be even more creative, entrepreneurial and connected.

It's certainly been an eventful two months since our new structure came into being in April 2010. The new team in the south east is bedding in and we are not far from a full complement of staff, which is great.

Here Sally Abbott, Regional Director, reflects on how the recent DCMS budget cut announcement means we need to be even more creative, entrepreneurial and connected.

As our new team beds in, our 10-year strategic framework Achieving great art for everyone begins to emerge and a budget appears on the horizon, it's fair to say that these are changing times.

As our Chair Dame Liz Forgan said in her statement following the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) announcement last month: 'The task now is for us to do everything in our power to maintain the strength and achievements of the arts sector and minimise the impact of those cuts on the organisations we fund.'

'Our priority is to do our best to protect art and artists, and to make sure that we make and communicate our decisions as quickly as possible.'

We have a real window of opportunity to make an even stronger case for sustained arts investment in advance of the forthcoming budget on 22 June. We all have an essential role to play in championing why the arts matter. It is vital that as Jeremy Hunt, the new Culture Secretary, is making the case to the new Government for sustained arts investment, each and every one of us plays our part in supporting that case.

Thanks to 15 years of sustained support, the arts are thriving. That is why the news that the DCMS budget is to be cut by 4.1% in the current financial year was very disappointing. Arts Council England has been asked to manage a 4 per cent cut.

We must drive home the argument that the arts present fantastic value for money. The arts budget is tiny; the return on that investment is huge. In fact, for less than 17p a week per person we have a cultural life in this country that is the envy of the world.

I am a firm believer in the saying that the key to success lies in the ability to adapt. And in my mind, there's never been a greater need for all of us in the arts sector to be open to change.

Jeremy Hunt MP, whose constituency lies in the heart of the south east, is no stranger to the artistic strengths of the region. We, and the artists and arts organisations in the region, have developed a strong relationship with Jeremy over the last couple of years and he is a passionate advocate for the arts. There's no doubt however that Jeremy takes up the post at a time of achievement and challenge for the arts.

The DCMS statement refers to the Arts Council's historic reserves which - in common with museums and other DCMS bodies - the Department has prevented us from accessing to date. We are now in discussion with the DCMS about the possibility of using these funds to mitigate against the reductions to our budget. This move would need to be approved by our National Council and the Charity Commission and would have to be in the best interests of the arts.

Following our restructure, the Arts Council has already reduced its operating costs this year by £6.5 million (Lottery and Grant in Aid). Our operating costs are currently 6.6 per cent of overall spend - of which 3 per cent is spent on management and administration. The remainder is spent on direct support to frontline delivery. This latest reduction is in addition to the £4 million already cut from the Arts Council's government funding this year so we have suffered cuts of £23 million this year, or 5 per cent.  

We now have a significant job to do to identify these savings.

Only £23 million of our overall Grant-in-Aid budget goes on running costs so the vast bulk of our income goes straight to the arts. It would therefore be impossible to meet a cut of this size from running costs alone.

We will keep you posted on events as they unfold. The new team are finding their feet and are now on hand to ensure your work continues to be a success over the coming months.

Contemporary visual art fans will be heading for the coast this summer as  international artists Tracey Emin and Antony Gormley display their work in Margate and Bexhill.

Contemporary visual art fans will be heading for the coast this summer as international artists Tracey Emin and Antony Gormley display their work in Margate and Bexhill.

In Margate, Emin's latest work was commissioned by Arts Council England regularly funded organisation, Turner Contemporary, with support from Thanet District Council.

The piece, a bright pink neon sign emblazoned with the words I Never Stopped Loving You, hangs above the entrance to Droit House on Stone Pier. Hundreds turned up on 30 April to see it unveiled.

Emin is most famous for her works My Bed and Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963 -1995, and was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1999.

The artist has dubbed this latest neon piece a love letter to Margate, her former childhood home, which has suffered decades of decay but is now the focus of urban regeneration.

Emin says: 'This neon is for everyone who knows that Margate is a truly beautiful place. It's a shame that the Golden Mile has lost its lighted crowning glory. Margate needs neon to bring it back to its former self.'

Victoria Pomery, Director of Turner Contemporary, says of the commission:  'We were delighted when Tracey Emin agreed to work with us on a new commission for the façade of Droit House.

'It has taken a long time to realise the neon work but it looks fantastic and it projects a truly beautiful sentiment that can be shared by everyone. I am sure that it will soon become an iconic part of the Margate seafront, enjoyed by local residents as well as crowds of summer visitors.

'For Turner Contemporary the unveiling of I Never Stopped Loving You also marked the start of a countdown to the opening of our new gallery next year, and we are all very excited that Tracey has agreed to work with us on an exhibition in autumn 2011.'

Meanwhile in Bexhill, Antony Gormley's life-sized iron body casts installation, Critical Mass, is currently on display on the roof of the De La Warr Pavilion until August 2010. This is the first time the entire 60-piece collection has been exhibited in the UK since 2001.

Gormley says the Modernist building and its seaside landscape are the perfect complement to his 1995 work.

He says: 'It is great to have a chance to test this piece of sculpture against the clarity of Mendelsohn and Chemayeff's English masterpiece. I am excited to see these dark forms in the elements against the sea and in direct light. It will be like a sky burial. How these masses act in space is very important. The challenge is to make the distance intimate, internal.'

For further information visit www.turnercontemporary.org and www.dlwp.com

Three south east Deaf and disabled artists have been awarded £55,000 to take their work into the public realm.

Three south east Deaf and disabled artists have been awarded £55,000 to take their work into the public realm.

Sarah Scott, Lorna Giezot, and Zoe Partington-Sollinger were chosen for the Go Public art commissions by two Arts Council England regularly funded organisations, arts agencies Dada-South and Artpoint.  

Go Public, launched in 2009, is a two-year initiative that aims to raise the profile of the unique and inspiring contribution Deaf and disabled artists make to contemporary society.

The initiative is part of Accentuate, a transformational programme of 15 projects that seeks to change perceptions and offer a wide range of opportunities across the south east to showcase the talents of disabled people.

Accentuate is funded by Legacy Trust UK, SEEDA and regional cultural agencies, including Arts Council England.

All of the chosen artists will exhibit their commissions across the south east, ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The winning commissions include plans for a project that creatively documents the impact of yoga on disabled participants; a scientifically mapped and transmitted journey through urban space; and a tactile glowing resin door sculpture.

The commissions present an opportunity for artists to showcase their work in new and innovative ways, sometimes for the first time.

For multimedia visual artist and designer Lorna Giezot, Go Public will support her to create her first large-scale public work.

Lorna says her resin doorway represents the unknown, but also the possible: 'The ability to look through the sculpture to see what is on the other side breaks down that fear of the unknown associated with many metaphors, including disability and disabled people.'

Conceptual artist Zoe Partington-Sollinger, also an Arts Council England West Midlands Regional Council member, hopes that her Go Public project will influence urban planners to consider the needs of Deaf and disabled people.

Zoe said: 'My idea puts Deaf and disabled people at the centre of the creative process, and by capturing scientific data, informs that process in a useful and groundbreaking way.'

'We are delighted that these exceptional artists have been selected,' says Stevie Rice, Director of Dada-South, the development agency for Deaf and disabled artists in the south east.  'I have no doubt that the work will seek to engage and challenge audiences' perceptions and will give a much needed opportunity for disabled and Deaf artists to present their work in the public realm.'

‘Go Public has enabled Artpoint to further understand the needs of disabled artists in the south east,’ says Kevin Wilson, Director of Artpoint, the public art agency for the south east. ‘It continues to be a very rewarding process to support disabled artists in all stages of their development.’

In addition to the three large awards, Greek installation artist Vicky Vergou also won a smaller research and development award.

Applications for the Go Public public art commissions were accepted from emerging and established artists living or working in the south east. Applicants then underwent a rigorous and competitive commissioning process.

Go Public offers further opportunities for disabled and Deaf artists this year including workshops on the development and delivery of public realm initiatives.

For further information about Go Public or Accentuate, see their website http://www.accentuate-se.org/go-public

Artichoke, producer of London’s The Sultan’s Elephant, brings some of the fairytale magic from the French carousel to Milton Keynes’ first international multi-arts festival this July.

Artichoke, an Arts Council England regularly funded organisation, has teamed up with artist and engineer François Delarozière and Sky Arts to present the world’s largest and only square carousel, The Magical Menagerie, for the first time in the UK.

Artichoke, producer of London’s The Sultan’s Elephant, brings some of the fairytale magic from the French carousel to Milton Keynes’ first international multi-arts festival this July.

Artichoke, an Arts Council England regularly funded organisation, has teamed up with artist and engineer François Delarozière and Sky Arts to present the world’s largest and only square carousel, The Magical Menagerie, for the first time in the UK.

Originally commissioned in 2008 by the French newtown of Sénart, The Magical Menagerie - or Le Manège Carré Sénart - has toured through Europe including Spain, Portugal and Belgium, charming visitors with its mechanical herds of strange beasts from exotic fish and brightly coloured insects to oversized buffalos.

IF: Milton Keynes International Festival presents a dynamic programme of theatre, dance, circus, music, visual arts and sound installations from international and UK artists and performers from 16 July to 25 July 2010. 

The festival is produced by music venue The Stables in partnership with Milton Keynes Theatre & Gallery Company, both Arts Council England regularly funded organisations. Arts Council funding of £462,000 supported the early stages of the festival’s development, while an additional award of £100,000 has made the inclusion of The Magical Menagerie in the festival’s programme a possibility. 

Sally Abbott, Arts Council England Regional Director explains the impetus behind the Arts Council’s support: ‘Milton Keynes is one of the UK’s fastest growing cities, offering a fantastic opportunity to place the arts at the heart of its development and create a vibrant arts offer to unite and inspire the burgeoning population.

‘By supporting a strong cultural infrastructure in the city, Arts Council England is in turn supporting the local economy to thrive. The quality and diversity of the IF programme has exceeded all of our expectations and I wholeheartedly congratulate the team. I can’t wait to see the city come alive with people enjoying the arts.’

The Magical Menagerie is Artichoke’s sixth production. However, the London-based creative company is probably best remembered for its production of sculptor Antony Gormley's One & Other for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in 2009. An incredible 2400 members of the public had the chance to stand on the plinth. 

Artichoke has worked with François Delarozière twice before. In 2006, Delarozière created a 50 foot mechanical elephant for Artichoke's production of Royal de Luxe’s The Sultan's Elephant. In 2008, he designed the spider in La Princesse in Liverpool.

The Magical Menagerie will be constructed in central Milton Keynes, in the car park of arts venue The Point, outside shopping centre thecentre:mk. The carousel runs from 16 July to 8 August. Sky Arts are offering discounted tickets, two tickets for the price of one, on Sunday 18 July and 1 August as part of their Sky Sunday programme.

IF: Milton Keynes International Festival kicks off with a pyrotechnics spectacular that incorporates music, light, projections and performance, Full Circle, and ends with a family picnic event in Campbell Park, World Picnic, with free entertainment and performances.

Highlights for this year’s festival include InStallation, a Swiss circus performing under the big top; a concert from world acclaimed percussionist Evelyn Glennie played to a prone audience in the City Church; music, comedy and cabaret curated by The Stables in the famous Victorian Spiegeltent; and Asleep at the Wheel, a soundscape art commission built in a disused Sainsburys superstore.

For more information, visit: http://www.ifmiltonkeynes.org

Voting has opened for the annual National Lottery Awards, which recognises Lottery-funded projects that have had a positive impact on people, places and communities across the UK.

Voting has opened for the annual National Lottery Awards, which recognises Lottery-funded projects that have had a positive impact on people, places and communities across the UK.

Now in its seventh year, the awards highlight the UK's favourite Lottery projects. Winners of the seven categories will be featured in a programme on BBC1 and also receive £2000 towards their projects.

Six Arts Council-funded projects have made it on to the shortlist. Five feature in the Best Arts Project category:

• Kids R Us, St Ives


• Lakes Alive, Cumbria


• Streetwise Opera's My Secret Heart, UK-wide


• The De La Warr Pavillion, Bexhil on Sea


• The Sage Gateshead

While Lost Chord, Yorkshire & Humber, which has also received Grants for the arts funding, is featured in the Best Health Project category.

This round of public voting closes midday on Friday 18 June. The top three projects in each category will then go on to a final public vote from 26 July to 13 August. To vote for your favourite Lottery-funded projects or to find out more visit The National Lottery Good Causes website.

www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards

There's one month to go until The T-Mobile Big Dance 2010. Over 600 events will take place across London from 3-11 July, led by the Mayor of London in partnership with Arts Council England.  

There's one month to go until The T-Mobile Big Dance 2010. Over 600 events will take place across London from 3-11 July, led by the Mayor of London in partnership with Arts Council England. 

The Big Dance is the world's biggest and most influential dance initiative. It aims to reach out to all the communities across London with events organised and curated by East London Dance, English National Ballet, Greenwich Dance, Sadler's Wells, and Siobhan Davies Dance.

Opportunities to get involved have already started. This month the T-Mobile Big Dance Bus set off to tour London, rolling out its dance floor in communities all over the capital, inviting everyone to join with professional dancers to experience the joy of dance.

Registration is now open for Londoners to join the world's biggest dance, the Big World Dance. Southbank centre has commissioned Protein director Luca Silvestrini to choreograph and direct the Big World Dance with live music mixed by DJ Walde. Up to four thousand people can take part in the advance workshops and join the dance procession which will begin at Southbank Centre and culminate in Trafalgar Square, transforming Central London into a giant stage for dance on Saturday 10 July.

Big Dance is also being funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games. Leading mobile operator, T-Mobile is the headline sponsor for Big Dance 2010. Big Dance is supported by the Dance Champions.

Selected highlights for Big Dance 2010 include:

Thursday 1 - Sunday 4 July
Counterpoint, Shobana Jeyasingh at Somerset House
Award-winning choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh leads five professional dancers and fifteen of the UK's exciting emerging talents in Counterpoint a specially commissioned free performance in the spectacular setting of Somerset House Courtyard. Free and open to all. Hub partner: English National Ballet.

Saturday 3 July 12pm
Bolero Remixed, Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf
100 dancers from East London join 50 members of the New London Orchestra and DJ Excalibah for a spectacular open air remix of Ravel's Bolero, choreographed by Jeanefer Jean-Charles. Free and open to all. Hub partner: East London Dance. 

Sunday 4 July
The Big Dance Bubble, Eltham Palace
Berlin based urban design team, Raumlabor, creators of 'bubbletecture', have designed the Big Dance Bubble, a mobile dance space, which lands at Eltham Palace Gardens to host a free programme of dance, theatre, circus and music for all the family as part of Greenwich World Cultural Festival. Hub partner: Greenwich Dance.

Tuesday 6 - Wednesday 7 July
Artist Bank children's project, Borough Market
270 children from four local primary schools in Southwark and Lambeth take part in a giant public performance set in the unique location of London's oldest food mark, Borough Market, led by dance artists, Catherine Bennett and Pari Naderi, and visual artists Lucy Cash and Ruth Gibson. Free and open to all. Hub partner: Siobhan Davies Dance.

Tuesday 6 - Friday 9 July from 10pm
Slow Dance, Trafalgar Square
The internationally acclaimed Slow Dance brings a serene change of tempo after dark to Trafalgar Square with 46 mesmerising larger than life, hyper slow motion, high definition video portraits of dance from around the world, created by American artist, David Michalek.  Free and open to all. Hub partner: Sadler's Wells.