Audiences Central News

MusicLeader West Midlands On Tour - free events, MusicLeader West Midlands

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:57:00 GMT

MusicLeader West Midlands provides access to professional development and training for music leaders at every stage of their career. We aim to equip the region's music leaders with the skills to deliver and manage music activities with young people by providing bespoke training, networking and information.

Want to kickstart your career as a music leader? Don't know where to start?

Are you struggling to find time to train or where to go for resources? Then this is the event for you! We're touring the region and coming to a location near you...

Wednesday 24th June - Rugby Art Gallery
Wednesday 1st July - Ludlow Assembly Rooms
Wednesday 22nd July - Qube, Oswestry
Wednesday 29th July - Artrix, Bromsgrove
Wednesday 5th August - Netherton Arts Centre, Dudley
Wednesday 9th September - MusicLeader Office, Birmingham
Wednesday 16th September - Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery
Wednesday 30th September - The Hive, Shrewsbury
Wednesday 7th October - Lichfield Garrick

Times for all venues: Drop in anytime between 11am-12pm or 2pm-3pm to chat to staff and ask questions. Join us for networking and a presentation from 12.30pm-1.30pm.

This event is completely free. If you want to find out more, please contact us: west-midlands@musicleader.net

West Midlands Olympics 2012 Opening Weekend

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:07:00 GMT

Twenty three exciting events took place across the West Midlands over the weekend, (24 – 26 July 2009) from rowing regattas and brilliant bogs to rock and rollers and historical exhibitions, all as part of London 2012 Open Weekend. The weekend enables everyone to share in the excitement of the Games, be inspired, get involved, unleash creativity and try something new. To find out what’s going on across the West Midlands, click here.There’s still time to register so if you know of an event that could be part of Open Weekend visit the London 2012 website by clicking here and register your event for free.
The West Midlands Leadership Group will also host a stakeholder event on 24 July to launch its new regional plan for 2012 and mark the beginning of L2012 Open Weekend 2012. Invites will be issued soon.

Video Workshops for Women at Lighthouse

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:52:00 GMT

Light House Media Centre have another round of courses specifically for women. These workshops are designed for all skill levels, whether a beginner, an enthusiast or simply in need of a refresher. Workshops are led by Nerina Villa, an experienced documentary filmmaker who has made films for Channel 4, regional ITV and has been shortlisted for a Royal Television Society Award.

Video Production Workshop for Women
Wed 8 July, 10am - 4pm
Cost: £35+VAT

1-day workshop which gives an introduction to video production, including an overview on camera functions and lighting techniques.

There is an early bird discount of 10% if booked before Friday 3 July.

Post Production Workshop for Women
Wed 15 July, 10am - 4pm
Cost: £65+VAT

as a technical introduction to editing using Final Cut Pro.

There is an early bird discount of 10% if booked before Friday 10 July.

Short courses- Creative Communities

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:00:00 GMT

The Creative Communities Unit at Staffordshire University is offering a number of accredited short courses over the coming year. The courses run at a variety of levels and have been designed to support the continuing professional development of people who work or volunteer in the community, voluntary or statutory sectors.

Short courses for 2009-2010 include:

• Getting Communities Involved
• Making it Happen In Community Arts
• Get Talking: Creative Community Consultation
• Project Cycle Management
• Partnership Working
• Evaluation in Community Programmes
• Performance in Community Programmes
• Developing Arts for Health
• Performance Coaching and Mentoring
• Community Arts in Global Perspective
• Equality and Diversity

For more information contact:

e-mail: creativecommunities@staffs.ac.uk
web: www.staffs.ac.uk/community
telephone: 01782 294793

Can you spare 5 minutes to complete a survey

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:48:00 GMT

Wyre Forest District Council are currently bringing together a partnership to put a funding bid into the People Dancing Program. If successful this will fund a project which will increase opportunities for people in the County to participate in dance classes and performances of their choice.

They are currently trying to gather views of those who may be interested in participating in this program when it is established, and discover peoples opinions on dance in general.

Please click here if you are interested in taking part in the survey.

Cultural Research and Intelligence Network: June 2009 Newsletter

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:50:00 GMT

To see CRAIN's newsletter, June 2009, click here or visit http://culturalobservatory.createsend3.com/T/ViewEmail/r/F101526345F698CD/AE5B9B9FE79DE7B32540EF23F30FEDED

Make Your Event Part of L2012 Open Weekend 2009

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:31:00 GMT

Cultural and creative events happening between 24 and 26 June 2009 across the West Midlands are being urged to sign up for FREE and be part of the second nationwide London 2012 Open Weekend.

Twenty four exciting events across the West Midlands are already signed up from rowing regattas, brilliant bogs and outdoor performances to day long sporting events and contributing your own position to Obama’s administration team by having your portrait created as part of an exhibition.

But we’re looking for more. So if you’re already planning an event for that weekend – or have an idea that could be part of the fun – why not sign up at www.london2012.com for FREE and be part of the UK’s biggest celebration of cultural, environmental and sporting activity!

The London 2012 Open Weekend will mark the beginning of the three year countdown until the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games and will see hundreds of events taking place right across the UK between 24 and 26 July 2009.

For information about L2012 Open Weekend and to sign your event up for FREE, visit www.london2012.com

Print Distribution News

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:59:00 GMT

Charisma Q.C. will be undertaking an annual stock take the week commencing 27 July. During this period, Charisma QC will be unable to accept any deliveries so please ensure that all deliveries are sent before or after this time to avoid your print being returned to you.

Normal distribution service will remain during that week.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Modules and Insight Sessions At-A-Glance

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:30:00 GMT

Audiences Central have compiled an at-a-glance list of Member Support Modules and Insight Sessions

In order to help our members chose appropriate and useful Modules or Insight Sessions more easily; we have compiled a list of all currently available topics for these professional development sessions.

To download a copy of the available Modules and Insight Sessions, please click here.

Each membership package has a different allowance for these sessions, please click here to check your package's details.

If you have any questions or require further information about these sessions, please contact us: info@audiencescentral 0121 685 2600

2012 grants programmes open to applications from museums, libraries and archives across England.

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:50:00 GMT

Two grants programmes are open to applications from museums, libraries and archives across England. Literature & Storytelling Phase 2 has grant schemes available as part of Setting the Pace - Museums, Libraries, Archives Council’s (MLA) programme for The London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Storytelling has 27 grants of £750 to enable families to learn together using museum, library and archive collections. Funding will pay for the delivery of family storytelling events across England, which will support audiences to engage with collections in new ways. These activities within museums, archives and libraries will appeal to children and increase opportunities for families to learn together using collections as inspiration.

Events will take place to coincide with the Open Weekend 24-26 July 2009 (see below for more on Open Weekend). Closing date for applications: noon on 29 June 2009.

The Young Cultural Creator scheme has 27 grants of £750 to £1,000 for museums, libraries and archives working in partnership with students to create poetry inspired by collections. Funding will pay for projects that will build the capacity of cultural services to deliver social and learning outcomes to vulnerable young people.

Schemes will take place between October 2009 and February 2010. They will work with groups of young people outside mainstream education or at risk of exclusion – from Pupil Referral Units and other Children’s’ Services. Closing date for applications: 19 July 2009.

Vanessa Harbar, MLA Project Manager for 2012, says: “We hope this second round of grants makes as big an impact as the first – opening up collections to families and young people – and proving the creative and learning potential of museums, libraries and archives. For example, in

Phase 1 the MLA funded a festival of storytelling for the launch of the Cultural Olympiad and a programme of poetry writing workshops with students from Pupil Referral Units. There were nearly 3,000 participants at the festival – many who were first time visitors to the venues. The poetry workshops made a real difference to students’ confidence and engagement with learning and literacy.”

Further information from: Vanessa Harbar, 2012 Project Manager 0121 345 7331 vanessa.harbar@mla.gov.uk

New report shows that volunteering in archives benefits the volunteer and boosts the service

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:49:00 GMT

In the week of the 25th anniversary of Volunteers’ Week, a new report Volunteering in Archives has been welcomed as a timely reminder of the importance of volunteers and how archive services can contribute to the personal development of those who give up their time to help out.

Written by the National Council on Archives (NCA) and funded by the MLA, the report gives a picture of the army of volunteers across the archives sector, outlines the benefits for the individuals who volunteer, shows how archive services can make more effective use of the time donated by volunteers and acknowledges the importance of promoting diversity in terms of volunteer recruitment.

The report shows how people identify and value the skills they acquire through their voluntary work with archive services. Nearly one-third of respondents said that they had benefited from improving their IT and other work-related skills, but other major benefits to the individual volunteer include gaining a better sense of being part of a community, improving confidence when job hunting and increasing social life and gaining new friends.

Welcoming the report, the Chair of the National Council on Archives, Geoff Pick, said: “It is important that we celebrate the contribution of volunteers to the archive sector. Volunteers add real value to the services that archives can provide to users, for example by providing a more detailed finding aid, giving additional support for users, or providing valuable opportunities to engage users and wider communities with the archive.

Roy Clare, Chief Executive of the MLA, said: “We are extremely grateful for the commitment from the thousands of volunteers across the country who give up their time and who add real value to archive, museum and library services. The MLA, the NCA, The National Archives and the Society of Archivists and many other professional bodies are committed to developing new and better ways for encouraging and integrating volunteers, not least in the recession. Archives need to seize the moment and show not just what volunteering can offer to the sector, but what the sector can offer to potential volunteers.”

More: http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press/releases/2009/Valuing_volunteers

New guide promotes learning through culture for young people

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:48:00 GMT

A new guide for everyone involved in providing extended and cultural services for children and young people is published today. It aims to encourage partnerships to flourish between schools, extended services and arts and cultural organisations that will benefit children, young people and families.

‘Culture for All’ produced by the MLA, Arts Council England and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) provides an overview of how children’s services and cultural organisations such as museums, libraries and archives can work together as partners and as joint providers. Integrating culture and extended services not only helps to broaden the range and depth of opportunities available for children and young people but improves their outcomes. The creative approaches on offer develop young people’s social and emotional well-being and offers a personalised approach to learning which can motivate and engage the most disaffected. Culture can also help to bridge gaps in summer holiday provision as part of the extended services accessed through schools. Schools and clusters planning for the summer should include local museums, libraries and arts services in their offer.

Phil Redmond, Creative Director – Liverpool: European Capital of Culture 2008, says of the booklet: “You’ll find plenty of practical examples of how this is already happening around the country and how culture is inspiring people to work creatively, collaboratively and collectively. You’ll also see how it is helping to boost young people’s self-esteem and confidence – and how from confidence comes success.”

More: http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press/releases/2009/Culture_for_all

£100,000 informal adult learning fund open

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:47:00 GMT

A new small grants programme to promote adult informal learning is now available to museums, libraries and archive venues in England. The MLA is looking for partnership bids with self-organised groups of adult learners to support them in the use of our spaces and resources in new ways. Museums, libraries and archives may apply for grants of up to £5000 from a pot of £100,000. The minimum that organisations can apply for is £500 for projects to be delivered by end March 2010.

The government defines informal adult learning as learning for its own intrinsic value. The term covers a huge variety of activities; it could include a reading group in a village hall, a music class in an FE college, researching the National Gallery collection on-line or taking part in a volunteer project to record the living history of a particular community.

Natasha Innocent, MLA Senior Policy Adviser Learning and Skills, says: “Museums, libraries and archives have a vital role to play in the government’s new vision of lifelong learning. We hope this challenge fund will spark innovation and creativity by providing grants to organisations with the best ideas of how to help self-organised learning groups thrive.”

The deadline for applications is noon on 17 July 2009. All applications to the MLA Informal Adult Learning Challenge Fund 2009-2010 must be made on the application form available on the MLA website http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press/releases/2009/AIL_Challenge_Fund

Applicants must have demonstrated their commitment to the new informal adult learning movement announced in the Learning Revolution White Paper by signing the Learning Revolution pledge. To sign up to the pledge visit the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) website http://www.dius.gov.uk/skills/engaging_learners/informal_adult_learning/pledge

If you would like to check your eligibility or have any specific queries regarding your eligibility or the application process, please contact Chris Fardon chris.fardon@mla.gov.uk

MLA invites applications for museum apprenticeships

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:43:00 GMT

The MLA has pledged funding for up to 50 Apprenticeships in museums across England over the next two years as part of the Creative Apprenticeship developed by Creative & Cultural Skills. Designed to open up entry routes into museums, the new funding will provide £5,000 for each year of the apprentice’s employment. They will ensure young people from a range of backgrounds are given the opportunity to work in the sector and will help forge stronger links with local communities.

Roy Clare, Chief Executive, MLA says: “Current economic circumstances emphasise the urgent need to invest in the cultural workforce in Britain. We are fully committed to creating more training opportunities, nurturing creativity and improving diversity. We are excited about what these Apprenticeships can bring to the industry and the start it can give people wanting to make a career in our sector. More importantly, it allows museums to engage young people and develop talent by offering them an alternative vocational route that is based on ability and potential rather than social background or who you know.”

Tom Bewick, Chief Executive, Creative & Cultural Skills says: “In a recession, now is precisely the time to invest in a strong, loyal and dedicated workforce. We need to invest more in all our creative and cultural industries – one of the success stories of the UK economy - and what better way than investing in the next generation that aspire to work in the museums sector. The Creative Apprenticeship opens doors to a broader talent pool and the evidence to date suggests that employers are welcoming the opportunity to mould more non-graduates at the entry point to their organisation. It’s nothing short of a culture shift in how employers recruit.”

There are three pathways which museums can choose: Community Arts Management; Cultural and Heritage Venue Operations; Live Events and Production . The apprenticeship has been successfully designed to meet the skills and future workforce development needs of the creative and cultural sectors. National Museums Liverpool and Tate Liverpool are both currently running successful Creative Apprenticeship schemes in their venues and are seeing the benefits of the award. For further information and to apply visit www.ccskills.org.uk and click on ‘Qualifications’ then ‘Creative Apprenticeships’ or contact Jennie Godsalve at Creative & Cultural Skills on 020 7015 1813 or jennie.godsalve@ccskills.org.uk

artscentral SALE - up to 50% off!

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:20:00 GMT

artscentral is soon to become Scene Central - the region's one-stop-shop for arts and cultural events listings. Keep your eyes peeled for future Marketing Services Newsletters which will detail everything you need to know about the new site and the benefits that it has to offer.

artscentral sale!

To send the old site off in style, we’re running a special sale on some of our most popular artscentral services, giving you a great opportunity to promote your events at bargain prices.

Bespoke e-mails - save 25%

Bespoke e-mails are normally £65 per 1,000 records for members (£90 non-members), but now we’re offering them at the special price of just £49 per 1,000 (non-members £68).

Banner ads - save 50%

On Banner ads we’re offering an amazing 50% discount on both member and non-member rates, with prices starting at just £25 for one week (non-members £48). We can also design your ad for you for a small extra fee.

Get them before they're gone!

This is your last chance to take advantage of other artscentral opportunities as well, as we have just one Competition and two e-listing slots left.

Last Orders

Last orders for sale services is Friday 10 July, with promotions on the site continuing until Friday 17 July, so get your skates on or you might miss it!

To find out more about any of the services above, or to place your order, contact the Marketing Services Team on 0121 685 2600 or at services@audiencescentral.co.uk.

Arts and Communities Journal Launched

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:56:00 GMT

Voluntary Arts Network have launched the Arts and Communities Journal

The inaugural issue of The Journal of Arts and Communities has now been published, and a free copy is available to download from www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals.php?issn=17571936.

The Journal examines community and participatory arts, encompassing work which incorporates active creative collaboration between artists and people in a range of communities. Articles in the first issue include a look at music participation and wellbeing – 'The power to heal us with a smile and a song' and 'Puppetry as Community Arts Practice'.

The Journal seeks original researched articles, case studies, reports of projects in progress, particularly from practitioners and research students, as well as book reviews, conference reviews and reports. To read more about how to submit work to the Journal, visit www.intellectbooks.co.uk/misc/contributornotes.pdf.

Member News: July 2009

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:01:00 GMT

Over to you ...

This section of The Loop contains news from our members. It will include information on any awards, extraordinary happenings or significant changes/developments within Member organisations. This is also an opportunity for Audiences Central members to offer special discounts or other ticket offers to other members.

Prize pickings for Bilston Craft Gallery

Having been selected as 1 of 10 shortlisted galleries for the Art Fund Prize (a cut of £75,000 to purchase a piece of craft for their collection), Bilston Craft Gallery recently attended the Collect Fair at the Saatchi gallery in London to choose a piece and complete a further application form to win the prize. Successful in their application - only 5 galleries were awarded - the chosen piece by sculptor Junko Mori, worth £9,500, will go on show in the gallery this month.

Digbeth Gets Arty

Following a successful Commuinity Event hosted at the end of May, the Digbeth Public Arts Project - implemented by Audiences Central member EC Arts - is well underway with its 3 commissions as part of the coach station re-development. These are 'Boundary': a 181 linear metre sculptural fence, a new visual art installation for the Irish Quarter and a 'Short film' creatively documenting the project including a timelapse of the coach station construction. For more info, click here

The Bard on The Beeb

The RSC are making their presence felt again, but this time on the small screen rather than the stage . Their latest production of Hamlet, starring David Tennant, is set to be reprised for BBC2, with filming having started in June for broadcast later this year, followed by broadcasts to the US and Japan in 2010. Now that's reaching a wider audience .. More info here

New Members

Audiences Central are pleased to welcome the following organisations as members:

Birmingham International Jazz Festival

Loudmouth theatre

Movers and Shakers

Audiences Central would like to extend a warm welcome to the following new staff at member organisations:

Vicky Price:           Press and PR Manager at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Sally Johnson:      Marketing and Communications Assistant at The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
Lisa Falaschi:       Back from maternity leave as Administrative and Marketing Assistant at Craftspace
Nicola Peace:       Visitor Services Officer at the Museum of Cannock Chase

If you have any information that you would like us to feature in The Loop; please forward it to melissa.davies-lawrence@audiencescentral.co.uk

Audiences Central's Open Day: 4th June 2009

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:18:00 GMT

From 12:30 pm on the 4th June, Audiences Central opened its doors to members, visitors and passers-by!

It was great to see a good crowd of people on the 4th June for our Open Day; which proved to be an excellent opportunity to put faces to names, to chat more about what we do, to find out more about what you do, and to offer more of an insight into the workings of the Audiences Central office - all over a nice cup of tea and lots of cake; of course.

We would like to say 'thank you' to all who attended. It was great to see you all and we hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did. Please feel free to let us know if you think events like this would be beneficial to run again in the future, or any other feedback you might have about the Open Day: info@audiencescentral.co.uk 0121 685 2600

Thanks again and we hope to see you again soon!

Print Distribution: We've made some changes

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:03:00 GMT

Marketing Services continue to make every effort to respond to customers' needs as well as taking initiative on refining our products and processes.

They have been busy making improvements to the print distribution service and are delighted to bring you news of how you can make ordering your distribution even easier.

They have extended the list of Standard Distribution Runs with Charisma QC, giving you more choice and flexibility in using run lists which have already been developed, tried and tested. These include runs in Wolverhampton as well as to dance shops, independent cinemas and heritage and visitor attractions all over the West Midlands. Click here to see for yourself.

They have also attempted to make the run selection process easier for you by creating Run Description Sheets for each Standard Distribution Run with both Take One Media and Charisma QC. For each run, these description sheets detail: the type of outlets, the type of people you will be targeting, the number of outlets there are, how long you can expect your print to be displayed for and other key points which will enable you to make an informed decision in no time.

If you have any questions about the changes, please contact services@audiencescentral.co.uk 0121 685 2600

Using arts and culture to deliver positive activities for young people and NI110 targets

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:53:00 GMT

Three free events are being run by the Arts Council and Museums, Libraries and Archives Council in July 2009 exploring the contribution that arts and culture can make to delivering positive activities for young people and National Indicator 110 argets.

Key note speakers from local authorities and arts organisations will draw on evidence of what young people say they want to do and highlight how the arts and culture are actively engaging young people and meeting their needs. Facilitated discussion sessions will include using the arts and culture to engage hard to reach young people and young people not in education, employment or training; young people and new media; festivals and events for young people and evidencing the contribution arts and culture make to the five Every Child Matters Outcomes.

The dates are:
July 2nd 2009 - Austin Court, Birmingham
July 7th 2009 – The Rosebowl, Leeds Metropolitan University
July 15th 2009 -Southampton Solent University, Southampton

These events are for all local authorities and their delivery partners. They will be of particular interest to local authority arts and cultural officers, officers working with or commissioning services for children and young people and NI110 lead officers.

The European Cultural Fund: Artistic Projects Grants

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:36:00 GMT

deadline: 31 July 2009

The European Cultural Fund (ECF) is seeking applications to its Artistic Project Grants programme. Grants are available to both cultural organisations and individual artists but need to include partners from other eligible European countries. The programme supports outstanding artistic projects which show vision in illuminating the issues of diversity in Europe. The usual grant given by the Foundation is between £30,000 and £60,000.

For more information visit www.eurocult.org/we-support-culturalcooperation/grants

Spotlight On ....

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:19:00 GMT

Anna Cook : Marketing Services and Campaigns Officer

1. So, is there any such thing as a normal day in Marketing Services/ Campaigns?

Yes, I think so. Whilst the detail of the work differs in every situation, I think I’ve been here long enough to consider most things normal. I’m not sure that’s such a good thing considering some of the things we end up doing! Maybe I’ve just become de-sensitised to the weird and wonderful world of arts marketing.

That’s not to say that there aren’t new daily challenges, of course. Why, only yesterday I was trying to fit as many post-its as possible into the four-slice Breville toaster. Endless challenges.

2. What's the best aspect of your job?

The best thing, without doubt, is being exposed to so many different types of organisations with different needs and agendas. There’s plenty going on to keep things interesting and to keep me learning.

I love getting out and about meeting people too – you’re all gorgeous!

3. What's it like to work at Audiences Central?

Bad for my waistline. There’s a bit of a cake fetish going on here which is easy to get sucked into. I’ve really tried to cut down on my general cake consumption this year which might be helping but perhaps not enough to counteract my frequent spontaneous chocolate gorge-fests.

4. Did you always want to work in arts marketing?

No – I wanted to be a lawyer for years. That was the plan until 6th form when I asked myself “do I want to spend three years studying law or theatre?” Theatre won the day.

I will say that ever since I studied arts marketing as part of my degree I knew that it was definitely something I needed to explore further… and here I am. Living the dream.

5. It seems you come from a rather theatrical family - any plans to take to the stage again?

I think it would be more likely that a hippo would get into a lift, stroll into the office, dance a hula, stroll out, get back into the lift and wander down the street unnoticed than it would be for me to never get on the stage again.

No immediate plans as yet, though. I like to think of myself as more of an ‘enabler’ at the moment, helping other people to perform. I’m often around some rather talented people and I’ve never been competitive in the sense that I try and shout the loudest so it often means I just let other people get on with it and, if they’re good enough (i.e. if they’re worthy!), I like to help them in any way I can. I enjoy being behind the scenes as much as I enjoy being in the spotlight (pun intended) and I’m happy being there for now.

I do miss singing though. From age 16 to 21 I sang a lot and I really do miss it so maybe I need to get off my sofa and do something about it!

6. What's your favourite animal and why?

Ooh, that’s harsh. I hate having favourites. It’s got to be a show down between the mightily playful Otter, the magnificently romantic Emperor Penguin or one of the kittens I’ve been fostering.

Why?

Otters are so cute and cheeky; I love their love of play-time and who couldn’t be impressed by the lying-on-their-back-smashing-rocks-into-crustaceans trick? They’re just too cool. I think I see a lot of myself in them - less so with the lying-on-my-back-smashing-rocks-into-crustaceans, more with the playing. I love to play.

The March of the Penguins movie was a stunning portrayal of the struggle of the Emperor Penguins’ to ensure the survival of their eggs – and I thought the Bullring on a Saturday was a gruelling experience! Their annual journey is incredible and I defy anyone not to feel moved by their complete devotion to the protection of their family and their loyalty to their mate. Respect for the penguin values.

Kittens…well they’re just ridiculously cute. I almost ate one it was so cute.

7. What's the strangest dream you've ever had?

I used to have a recurring one about being chased around my school campus by a wolf. It would never get me but it kept trying!

Also, I’ve been watching a lot of The X-Files (making my way through the 9 series box set and the two movies. Yeah it’s taken about 9 months.) As a result, a lot of my recent dreams tend to be a bit apocalyptic, usually involving some fire or floods or something. So, you know, quite calming.

8. What would you put in Room 101?

I have a serious pet hate for pushchairs in crowded areas like shopping centres or on pavements during some sort of carnival etc.

It stems from when I was about 5 years old and I was walking out of my primary school, up the little lane alongside it (don’t worry, it was a very residential area in a quaint little Welsh town) toward the road where my mum would wait for me. One day, this lady with a pushchair properly started gaining on me in this narrow thoroughfare and got so close to my little feet that she actually bumped me out of the way! I was only five. What a witch.

Anyway, now it just really bugs me when I have to try and negotiate myself around pushchairs in small spaces. Besides which I can’t image why anyone would want to take them into crowds – they must be really difficult to manoeuvre in situations like that. I’m all for the papoose, myself.

Oh and chavs – they can go in there too. And cling film. I hate cling film. Maybe cling film covered chavs can go in. Although, that sounds like a lot of fun…

Audiences Central Staff Changes: Summer 2009

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:53:00 GMT

Summer 2009 is proving to be a great time of comings and goings at Audiences Central, with the appointment of three new managers, some changing roles and some farewells.

Alongside Sarah in the Senior Executive Team, Vishalakshi Roy took up position as the Senior Manager: Business Development from mid-June. Vishalakshi has been working within Audiences Central’s Research function since 2004; and as Research & Intelligence Manager for two years. In her new role, Vishalakshi sits with the business development unit; responsible for income generation, the development of consultancy and campaigns as well as establishing effective external partnerships.

We also waved farewell to Fiona Handscomb, Communciations Assistant at the end of June. Fiona has been at Audiences Central for nearly two years, but has now taken up the position of Assistant Digital Media Producer at the RSC. We are delighted to announce that we have appointed Melissa Davies-Lawrence as the new Communications Assistant. Melissa will be working with us for 3 days a week, and continuing her role as Project Co-ordinator at the shape of things for the remaining 2 days.

Kerry Hodgkiss also moved on to pastures new in June, to become Project Co-ordinator Walsall Council's Creative Development Team, after 18 months as Research Assistant. Helen Knott, previously our Operations Co-ordinator; stepped into Kerry's shoes mid-June; as a welcome new edition to the Research Team. Claire Flanagan has joined us as the new Operations Co-ordinator; she will also be working part time.

We would like to wish Sarah, Vishalakshi, Dave, Fiona, Kerry, Helen, Melissa and Claire all the best in their new roles!

Audiences Central Appoint Three New Managers

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:35:00 GMT

Audiences Central are pleased to announce the appointment of three new members of staff to its management team.

Sarah Kennedy will be joining the company in the role of Senior Manager: Audience Engagement; leading on the core audience development work of the agency. This will include developing our activities in the fields of research and market intelligence, audience development projects, professional development and member support.
Sarah has substantial background in arts and culture marketing and will bring to the team a wide range of skills and experience in marketing intelligence, audience engagement, project management, staff development and customer relationship management

Sarah is due to start in post on Monday 20th July 2009

Alongside Sarah in the Senior Executive Team, Vishalakshi Roy will be taking up position as the Senior Manager: Business Development. Vishalakshi has been working within Audiences Central’s Research function since 2004; and as Research & Intelligence Manager for two years. Vishalakshi has many years of commercial experience from her accountancy background, as well as a knowledge of the cultural sector and client relations management. In her new role, Vishalakshi will sit with the business development unit; responsible for income generation, the development of consultancy and campaigns as well as establishing effective external partnerships.

Vishalakshi is due to start in post on Monday 15th June 2009

Also joining the company will be Dave Freak, as Communications Manager. Dave joins us from his previous post as Editor of What’s On magazine to foster Audiences Central’s regional, national and international profile, as well as working on internal communications and brand values. Dave comes to Audiences Central after many years in arts marketing, PR and journalism, with extensive experience in print, digital and broadcast media, as well as forging partnerships between media organisations and cultural events.

Dave is due to start in post on Monday 20th July 2009

We are excited about the range of skills and experience that each of these new appointments will bring to the company and look forward to working with them all.

If you have any questions regarding these appointments, please contact ian.jarratt@audiencescentral.co.uk

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Hosts Debate

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:27:00 GMT

Is Our Democracy Under Threat?
An Independent Debate

On Wednesday 10th June at 6.30pm Birmingham Musuem and Art Gallery is hosting a debate on the state of our democracy, lead by Simon Kelner, Editor-in-Chief of The Independent.

Speakers include:

Clare Short, MP for Ladywood Birmingham
Roger Alton, Editor of The Independent
Steve Richards, Political Editor of The Independent
Johann Hari, Columnist for The Independent

Tickets are free and include complimentary drinks on arrival. For your place please email rsvp@independent.co.uk, putting the word ‘DEBATE’ in the subject line.

In association with:
Birmingham Museum and Gallery – www.bmag.co.uk
Birmingham Forward - www.birminghamforward.co.uk

Government invites bids for a share of £20m for Informal Adult Learning

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:53:00 GMT

Museums, libraries and archives can bid for a share of £20 million in Government cash from today to open up new opportunities and build new alliances that will help to secure a thriving informal adult learning movement in the UK.

The MLA welcomes the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills’ (DIUS) publication of the transformation fund prospectus which identifies how a wide range of groups and partnerships of all sizes can win funding. The deadline for bids is July 12 this year but an ‘early bird’ funding pot of £1 million is available for ideas submitted by June 12.

The Transformation Fund will help to deliver the Government’s Learning Revolution White Paper published in March which set out how Government and a multitude of partner organisations could work together to create a new movement for informal learning, making the best use of all that’s on offer and joining up what’s currently disconnected.

The White Paper invites organisations to indicate their support for this new joined-up movement by signing the learning revolution pledge – the MLA has set itself a target of encouraging 3,000 individual museums, libraries and archives to sign this pledge by March 2010, achieving this target would be a visible demonstration of the key role our spaces, collections and staff play in supporting a thriving culture of informal learning.

The £20 million will fund innovative ideas and Secretary of State John Denham called for people to submit imaginative bids at the launch of the prospectus. Bids will be particularly welcomed that demonstrate partnership working – involving teaming up in new ways to inspire adults to learn new things and organisations coming together from different sectors - such as public sector organisations working with local self organised learning groups.

Natasha Innocent, MLA Senior Policy Adviser Learning and Skills, said: “MLA believes this is a real opportunity for museums, libraries and archives to open up the potential of our sector to work in new ways with new partners.”

The Transformation Fund Prospectus 2009-10 can be found at http://www.dius.gov.uk/skills/engaging_learners/informal_adult_learning/transformation_fund

To sign up your museum, library or archive to the Learning Revolution pledge, go to http://www.dius.gov.uk/skills/engaging_learners/informal_adult_learning/pledge.aspx

Plans for more than 5,000 new jobs in culture, music and creative industries unveiled

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:50:00 GMT

Government plans to create between five and ten thousand new jobs for young people in the culture and creative industries sectors have been set out by Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell and Culture Secretary Andy Burnham.

Local councils, third sector groups, arts organisations and creative industry bodies will be able to bid for Government funding for new, innovative jobs. The new jobs are being created as part of the £1.1bn Future Jobs Fund announced in the Budget last month. Plans for the culture and creative sectors will include working with orchestras, arts organisations, heritage bodies and the music industry. The Culture Department is already working with key stakeholders in the cultural sector to put together partnerships that include music and arts leaders; the Heritage Lottery Fund; Arts Council England; the National Museums Directors Conference; the MLA and many others.

Organisations can visit http://www.dwp.gov.uk/campaigns/futurejobsfund to express interest in bidding for jobs.

Leading the way in the cultural sector

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:50:00 GMT

People Create is entering into its third year of partnership with the Cultural Leadership Programme to deliver a new programme of free Leadership Development Days and LDDplus sessions across the UK.

This progressive and innovative series of workshops is designed to encourage and support the early development of leadership potential in the cultural sector (arts, museums, libraries, archives and creative industries). In particular we are seeking to support the critical development of people working in micro-enterprises, disabled people and people from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Upcoming dates in the next two months are: 18th June, Manchester (LDDplus); 19th June Birmingham; and 20th July London. Other dates and locations are available 2009 to 2010.

The content and style of the Leadership Development Day and its next step, the LDDplus workshop, are uniquely tailored to the needs of the cultural sector using new updated materials and ideas. If you, somebody you work with or your network would like more information, or to apply for a place, please visit http://www.leadershipdevelopmentdays.org.uk/

Plans for enhanced Museum Accreditation Scheme – have your say

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:47:00 GMT

Events and consultations are being planned for the summer to guide the development and build on the success of the Museum Accreditation Scheme.

As the nationally agreed standard, the scheme has played a major role in the transformation of over 1800 museums across the country in the last 20 years. It is regarded as the sector benchmark, and one of the most innovative and effective developments in the sector.

The MLA is embarking on a project to explore how Accreditation could be strengthened and updated to support development in museums, and how the process can be streamlined.

Roy Clare, MLA Chief Executive, said: “Our priority is to ensure that the public enjoy excellent cultural services. The success of the Accreditation scheme is a baseline on which we can build. Our objectives are to simplify the bureaucracy of the existing process, extend the scheme to include archives and ensure that we find a way to hear and reflect the views of visitors and users.”

An Advisory Panel has been convened by MLA to oversee the development of the standard. Nine members of the Advisory Panel (listed in the notes section below), including the Museums Association and Association of Independent Museums, met on 6 May and agreed that:

“For Accreditation to be valued, respected and used we need to be sure it reflects and relates to the context in which all museums operate. This is the first review since 2003 and it needs to look at all aspects of what makes Accreditation such a well recognised benchmark and a useful improvement tool.”

Full consultation will take place during summer 2009 with a series of consultation events and an online consultation paper which will be available from the MLA website www.mla.gov.uk

Government launches consultation on future policy for archival services

Fri, 15 May 2009 16:15:00 GMT

Following close work between The National Archives and MLA, the government is asking people for their views on its proposed new policy on archives, which it published this week

The consultation document, Archives for the 21st century, seeks to build the foundations for a sustainable future for archival services, responding to the challenges of the digital age and the opportunities to make archives accessible to a wider range of people. The main proposals the Government is seeking views on are:

Fewer, bigger, better - working towards increased sustainability within the sector through the integration and collaboration of services;

Strengthened leadership and a more responsive, skilled workforce;

A co-ordinated response to the growing challenge of managing digital information so that it is accessible now and remains discoverable in the future;

Comprehensive online access for archive discovery through catalogues and to digitised archive content by citizens at a time and place that suits them;

Active participation in cultural and learning partnerships promoting a sense of identity and place within the community.

Archives for the 21st century builds on the progress made following the publication of the last policy on archives in 1999. It reflects the challenges created by the rapidly evolving information and communication world, the need to deliver archives services by more effective and efficient means, and increased public expectation for access to archives' resources.

Michael Wills, Justice Minister with responsibility for The National Archives, said:

"Publicly funded archives have a vital role to play in society: they are the custodians of our collective memory, and an integral part of a healthy and robust democracy. It is crucial that archival services are able to embrace the digital revolution and start addressing the complex challenges this has created. I would encourage anyone with an interest in archives to participate in this consultation, and look forward to hearing people's opinions on our proposals."

Culture Minister Barbara Follett, said: "Our archives hold the stories of our past and therefore play a unique role in building understanding and learning for our future. It is important that public archives are easily accessible, whether that is in physical buildings or online, so that the benefit is spread to as wide a range of people as possible."

Baroness Andrews, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said: "Archives play a fundamental role in shaping our sense of individual, community and national identity and place. They make a valuable contribution to local democracy and accountability, and to learning, history and culture within the communities they serve."

Comments on the policy proposals are welcome from all parties interested in archives including local authorities, universities, individual information professionals, archival organisations and the general public.

The document can be downloaded from http://www.mla.gov.uk/

The consultation will run for a period of 12 weeks, until 12 August. To take part, go to www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archivesconsultation

Recession research - Update on West Midlands Cultural Sector

Fri, 08 May 2009 16:10:00 GMT

Hot off the press - here is the latest WM cultural sector economic snapshot:

http://wmro.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/latest-recession-research-highlights-contrasting-fortunes-of-cultural-organisations-in-the-west-midlands/

Key findings for the January-March 2009 quarter include:

- Positive visitor trends for the region’s visitor attractions but mixed fortunes elsewhere;

- A halt on growth in employment in the cultural sector;

- Increasing concern about a squeeze on local authority and private sector arts and culture budgets;

- Evidence that the cultural sector is having to work very hard to win new business, which is leading to innovative offers and discounting in some instances.

For more information about this research please contact

Lauren Amery

Cultural Research Analyst

West Midlands Regional Observatory

Tel: 0121 202 3249

Upcoming Events: Audiences Central Open Day & ACE Segmentation Roadshow

Wed, 06 May 2009 12:56:00 GMT

A date for your diary: Audiences Central's Open Day and the next ACE Segmentation Roadshow are both to be hosted on 4th June

ACE Segmentation Roadshow
Thursday 4 June
10.30 am – 12.30pm

The next of our popular ACE Segmentation Roadshows is taking place at our offices just before the Open Day. Once you've heard about some of ACE's plans; please feel free to stay around at the Open Day and find out about ours!

Book a place for the roadshow here

Audience Central’s ‘Open Door' Day
Thursday 4 June
12.30 – 2.30pm

While you're here, why not stay around for our Open Day? It’s been four years since we’ve moved to the Big Peg Offices in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. A lot of changes have taken place since our Meet the Team Launch in February 2006. We’ve had a new Chief Executive, broken a World Record and are taking part in ground-breaking Customer Relationship Enhancement programme - we even had a few babies!

So we’re inviting you all to come and spend some time with us (as long or as short as you’d like) to see what we do over a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.

You’ll be able to:

Ask us about our new membership support modules which we have designed based on your feedback and current and future needs.
Catch up with the different teams - Audience Development, Marketing Services, Research and Communications.
Learn about the projects and consultancies we’ve had the privilege of delivering.
Ask us questions about other events, such as the Digital seminar; scheduled for October 2009.
Find out more about the planned artscentral re-development

We’re going to have lunch in the Hockley Bar and Kitchen which has been beautiful refurbished and boasts a new menu which is a fusion of South Asian and British cuisine. You’re very welcome to join us.

We look forward to seeing you!

Raising Funds and Captivating Audiences

Wed, 06 May 2009 11:26:00 GMT

Captivate Project Manager Pamela Zigomo gives us the latest news from the project, as well as insights into that all-important art of fundraising

Having now passed the halfway mark of our development phase in the Captivate organisational development programme, the team at Audiences Central is preparing to meet and review the progress we have made so far.

One thing that is still very clear at this point is that we still believe an opportunity for arts and cultural organisations to increase profitability and long term sustainability lies in building stronger relationships with their internal and external customers. Maximising the customer experience will increase audience loyalty and life time value and will be the source of the survival of an arts and cultural sector that is facing the threat of future cuts in Public Spending.

The importance of focusing on developing strong customer relationships is also the secret to successful fundraising. Having just attended the National Arts Fundraising School, the continuous message given to delegates was that it was important to know the funders and develop a dialogue with them, and this applied to all funding sources, be it individual giving schemes, legacy giving, and even trusts and foundations fundraising and sponsorships. I could clearly see the link between audience development, engagement and fundraising.

In times when our audiences are facing personal crises such as unemployment, there will be a renewed negotiation for their spending power. The arts and cultural sector will have to ensure it remains flexible and innovative enough to continuously provide an offer that is relevant, engaging and of a quality that will promote repeat visits.

Audiences Central has been working on improving its own internal customer relationships as well, so as to maximise your experience with us. The team has specifically focused on our new Membership scheme and account management procedures along with the necessary skills development and resource planning. We have also developed new services such as Digivey, Prospect Locator, Mystery Shopping and Creative Thinking strategic planning sessions. The entire team is constantly looking at ways of strengthening our offer so we can maximise the return on your investment in us.

Any queries about Captivate can be discussed with Pamela Zigomo at any time: 0121 685 2619 pamela.zigomo@audiencescentral.co.uk

Museums UK-wide prepare to tell their stories for the Cultural Olympiad

Fri, 01 May 2009 16:19:00 GMT

As London prepares to welcome the world in 2012, major museums and libraries across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are preparing to host an unprecedented exploration of our past.

Stories of the World, one of the major projects of the four-year London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, was launched at an event in London this week, where a film and contributions from young participants heralded the series of exciting exhibitions that will reconnect museum collections with the people and communities that they came from.

Hosted by 59 venues across the UK, the £6 million programme is organised by the MLA in partnership with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). The programme will be delivered through 14 partnerships and will generate over 35 exhibitions and events UK-wide.

The celebration will inspire young people to dig into the past and dust it down. They will work as curators, finding new ways to present objects and artefacts, discovering untold stories and hidden meanings, and working with museums, libraries and archives to generate a network of innovative exhibitions for 2011 and 2012.

Andrew Motion, MLA Chair said: "Much of our museum's collections come from all over the world; brought here through exploration and trade and uncomfortably tied up with our imperial histories. These stories have often been described from the same, familiar perspective. Stories of the World makes a break from all that. It is a real opportunity to do something that's bold and creative on a national scale like never before. It's hugely exciting that curators and historians are taking a back seat and we are connecting museum collections back with the people and communities they came from. It's equally as exciting to see young people engaged with museums and objects, helping to curate exhibitions and making them relevant to Britain today."

More: http://www.mla.gov.uk/

Mystery Visitors ....

Fri, 01 May 2009 12:59:00 GMT

The first Mystery Visitor reports back ...

In March 2009 Audiences Central carried out the first pilot of this new Mystery Visiting service at a venue in the West Midlands. The organisation will use the information gathered to understand its audiences’ feedback, experiences and perceptions in order to form a baseline of information which would inform marketing and other customer services.

This method of investigation is used mainly in the retail sector and is commonly known as ‘Mystery Shopping’. However it is increasingly being used in cultural organisations, especially venue-based organisations, to test quality of customer experience, staff training and customer satisfaction.

Research has shown that the service yields better results if done periodically over a few months. Audiences Central has a bank of visitors from all walks of life and visitors can be chosen to gain insight into how different segments of audiences interact with your organisations i.e. families, young professionals, etc.

To find out more and explore the suitability of using mystery visitors to gather information about your organisations please contact the Research team on research@audiencescentral.co.uk or call 0121 605 2600.

Spotlight On ....

Fri, 01 May 2009 11:29:00 GMT

Natalie Cole: our new Data Inputting Administrator

So, what do you think of it so far? ...

It’s great working with such a friendly bunch of people

Would you say that Audiences Central has any particular office 'habits'?

Lots of random email requests – does anyone have a rowing machine? where can I get roller blades from?

What made you want to apply for this role?

I wanted to work for an arts based organisation and as I also work at a gallery I was particularly interested in the audience development work that Audiences Central does.

What else do you do when you're not at Audiences Central?

I work part time at Bilston Craft Gallery as a member of the Exhibitions Team

Do you have any other hidden talents?

I design and make furniture!

What would you put in Room 101?

Call centres

Museums at Night and Adult Learning Pledges from MLA

Fri, 01 May 2009 11:08:00 GMT

Two new opportunities from the MLA to get involved, and get others involved

Museums at Night – May 15th to 17th

Museums at Night is a national campaign, led by Culture24, and funded by MLA and the National Museum Directors' Conference, to showcase the unique and vibrant museums, galleries, heritage sites, libraries and archives in the UK. With less than a month to go, more than a hundred venues across the country have signed up to take part in the weekend celebration

More: http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/programmes/museums_at_night

Has your service signed up to the Informal Adult Learning Pledge?

The MLA is encouraging all museums, libraries, archives and other learning partners to sign up to the informal adult learning pledge announced as part of the government’s Learning Revolution Strategy launched in March.

The pledge is the way individual museums, libraries and archives can express their commitment to bringing the vision for informal learning to life. The target is for 3,000 museums, libraries and archives to register by March 2010.

Signing up to the pledge is quick and straightforward. Complete the short online form at

http://www.dius.gov.uk/skills/engaging_learners/informal_adult_learning/pledge

You can also see which other organisations are signatories.

Artscentral re-development

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:05:00 GMT

Audiences Central are currently in the throws of re-developing our popular event listings website, artscentral.

The development will include a complete re-brand to allow us to cover more than just arts events right through to culture, heritage and entertainment.

The website is set to launch this summer and we will make sure you are kept fully informed of all the new functionality the site will bring, as well as the exciting promotional opportunities that go with it.

We will be sending out further communications regarding the re-development and what this means for our members in the next few weeks.

A funny thing happened on the way to the Eye Centre..

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:07:00 GMT

Sometimes projects can have unexpected outcomes ...

As part of our support of Art Sense's Art Speaking pilot project, Audiences Central commissioned local designers Supercool to create some leaflets for the project; with the specific remit that they had to be accessible for people with visual impairments.

Supercool, of course, did a great job, but what we weren't expecting was the call from the Birmingham & Midlands Eye Centre. They had received some of the Art Speaking print and, inspired by its design, thought they should redesign the interiors (noticeboards/artwork/signage etc) of the Eye Centre to be more friendly for people with visual impairments.

A nice, if not unexpected, outcome from a project all about accessibility. Hopefully, visually impaired visitors to both the participating Art Speaking galleries and the Birmingham & Midland Eye Centre will now feel more welcome.

Young People Art Project: Research begins ...

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:42:00 GMT

Audiences Central, in partnership with experienced arts consultant Kerry Endsor, is looking to develop and deliver a high-profile, public-facing, arts project that will encourage and inspire young people in the West Midlands to engage with the arts and culture.

Following calls for interest earlier this year; we have appointed Natalia Duzyk on a 6 week work experience placement at Audiences Central from the beginning of May.

Natalia will be mainly working on the Young People Arts project with the following areas of responsibility:

- Consulting with arts and cultural organisations to explore demand for the project and possible links with existing activity in the region

- Establish a project steering group based on the findings of the initial consultation

- Compile information on new and upcoming policies and agendas regarding young people to be accessed by arts and cultural organisations on www.audiencescentral.co.uk

Contact Natalia here: Natalia.Duzyk@audiencescentral.co.uk

For more information on this upcoming project; please contact johnathan.branson@audiencescentral.co.uk

Special Ticket Offer for Members

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:13:00 GMT

Complimentary Tickets available for employees of Audiences Central member organisations.
(4 per person, subject to availability)

For tickets, please call Symphony Hall Box Office on 0121 780 3333 quoting 'CBCU'.

Wednesday 6 May, 7.30pm
IgorFest: Biblical Works

Sakari Oramo - conductor
Roderick Williams - baritone
Exaudi - consort of solists
New London Chamber Choir

Stravinsky: Babel 5'
Stravinsky: Abraham and Isaac 10'
Stravinsky: The Flood 24'
Stravinsky: A Sermon, a Narrative
and a Prayer 15'
Stravinsky: Threni 30'

Though he was never especially strict in his Church attendance or attitudes, religion played an increasingly important part in Stravinsky's output, and his later works based on Biblical texts are among his most profound and original. Tonight Sakari Oramo offers up four varied pieces based on Old Testament stories, culminating in Threni, Stravinsky's extraordinary setting of the Lamentations of Jeremiah. There is also a New Testament counterpart in A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer.

News from our Members: May 09

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:19:00 GMT

Over to you ...

West Midlands theatre goes global

Fierce Earth are set to programme the North East's first Live Art and Performance Festival in Newcastle in November. Watch this space for further details..

Meanwhile, Stan's Cafe are heading across the pond to take The Cleansing of Constance Brown to Toronto. Closer to home, they've recently opened their new theatre space at the A E Harris factory in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. The first theatre company in to use the rehearsal space are another Audiences Central member, The Happiness Patrol

What's new in cyberspace?

The Hippodrome and BMAG both have new websites. The Hippodrome's site features an exciting new Media Centre, where visitors can look at videos and images of performances, and will soon host podcasts of interviews.

Better than the Bard?

The RSC are running a poetry competition, inviting members of the public to write a love poem. The best entries will be used as part of the set for As You Like It and includes a Twitter category. For more information, click here

Movers and Shakers

Audiences Central would like to extend a warm welcome to the following new staff at member organisations:

Donna Hounsall: Marketing Assistant at The Rep

Amisha Mistry: Marketing & PR Offier at sampad

Maria Smallcombe: Marketing Manager at The Place; Telford

Paul Darke: Visual Arts Manager at DASh

New Members

Audiences Central are pleased to welcome the following organisations as members:

CMAT, Staffs Performing Arts
Herefordshire Council

and we welcome back:

Surdhwani

Ticket Offer

Click here for an exclusive Audiences Central Member ticket offer from the CBSO

If you have any news that you would like to share in The Loop, please email fiona.handscomb@audiencescentral.co.uk

ArtsFest 2009 application deadline extended until Fri 17 April

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:22:00 GMT

Due to widespread demand following the ArtsFest 2009 application closing date on Friday 17th April, application forms will now remain on the ArtsFest website (artsfest.org.uk) until Thursday 30th April. Late applications will be accepted until 30th April for any artists still wishing to complete one.

To apply online and for more information go to www.artsfest.org.uk.

Screen WM's Investment Fund now open for applications

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:02:00 GMT

Screen WM's Investment Fund for 2009/10 is now open for applications. They can now accept applications via online application forms which can be accessed through their website. It is hoped that this will make the application process simpler, quicker and more cost effective for applicants.

The Investment Fund can award grants for film-related projects in the West Midlands including film festivals, exhibition and audience development projects, education and training projects, film archive projects, script development, festival or market attendance, and talent development projects.

Screen WM are accepting applications anytime until 30th April. From May onwards, they will have application deadlines throughout the year.

For more information, or to apply online, please visit the Investment Fund page on Screen WM's website.

Arts Council information about Sustain, an important programme of support through the economic downturn

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:57:00 GMT

Here's a message from the Arts Council.

"The current and future effects of the economic downturn on the arts understandably continue to concern us all. So I'm writing to you today to outline a number of practical steps that we're taking to ensure the continued success story of the arts through the recession.

Today we are announcing Sustain, a £40 million, open application fund which will provide extra support for organisations under pressure as a result of recession. This is not a fund for failing organisations, but a way that we can sustain artistic excellence in the context of the economic downturn.

Sustain will be funded from our Lottery income by reducing our Lottery cash balances to £30m a year and is a fixed-term two year programme (09/10 and 10/11) designed to address short term needs (such as cash flow) and long-term sustainability. They will be one-off awards to cover two years (2009-2011).

In addition there will be additional support for individual artists and smaller arts organisations through Grants for the arts. We are increasing our Grants for the arts budget from £52 to £54 million in 2009/10 and to £56 million in 2010/11. This increase has also been funded by reducing our lottery cash balance.

We will also provide support through the Town Centres Initiative, setting aside £500,000 of our lottery income as a fund to which artists can apply for grants to help them carry out artistic activities in empty shops made available to them through the scheme. We hope these smaller grants (£1,000 to £10,000) will help individual artists do even more to help reinvigorate town centres.

Finally, as you will have seen earlier this week the Chancellor announced a £4 million cut in the Arts Council's government funding for 2010/11.

We've stated that in implementing these cuts we will not reduce our planned investment in the arts organisations we fund on a regular basis. Instead we will reconsider our existing and planned new projects and look to find savings there. We've also made a commitment to do our best to protect the interests of audiences who deserve the best art there is.

Finding savings from our projects is a short term solution but not without its implications - this is our investment in the development of the arts. The Arts Council will do all it can to keep that investment in place in the years ahead and continue to support innovation and creative courage and focus on recovery. We understand that this is particularly vital when other sources of funding are under threat during the recession.

As well as doing what we can to support artists and arts organisations we will continue to champion the role of the arts in recovery from recession. Showing that the arts can make a real contribution in even the most difficult of times will make the case for continued public investment in the arts and culture through - and beyond - the recession.

For more detail about these measures and our wider actions to support the arts during the recession please visit our website at www.artscouncil/actiononrecession

People Dancing – first round deadline approaching

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:48:00 GMT

A message from the Interim Programme Managers of People Dancing:

Since we launched People Dancing nearly two months ago we have been inundated with interest for this exciting dance programme and are expecting a large number of bids to be submitted by the first round deadline in just over two weeks time.

If you are planning to submit a proposal in this first round please ensure that your bid arrives by close of business on Friday 8 May.

You can either email this to peopledancing@artscouncil.org.uk or post to People Dancing, Arts Council England, West Midlands, 82 Granville Street, Birmingham, B1 2LH. Details on the information you need to supply and the criteria your bid will be assessed against are provided in the People Dancing booklet which is now available online.

People Dancing Online

The People Dancing booklet, along with all the People Dancing supporting material, is now available for download and viewing online at www.westmidlandsdance.com/peopledancing .

This website also has a notice board facility which you can use to post requests for information/partners /contacts to assist with your People Dancing proposal. This resource was requested by people attending the launch events so we hope it will prove to be well used and valuable in helping you build partnerships throughout the region.

Support for your bid

We have been holding numerous regional surgeries over recent weeks, discussing potential commissions and providing advice and guidance on the programme and the assessment criteria. Although all the surgeries are now fully booked if you have any queries or need further information in order to prepare your bid for submission please email peopledancing@artscouncil.org.uk .

A couple of questions have been raised more than once during these surgeries so we have documented these queries on an updated FAQ document which is available to view and download at www.westmidlandsdance.com/peopledancing .

We hope that you find this information useful and look forward to receiving your bid. In the meantime if you have any queries or need any further support please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Kerry Endsor & Nicola Saunders

Interim Programme Managers

People Dancing

Digital Marketing Masterclass

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:23:00 GMT

More Bang for Your Marketing Buck

Fullrange has teamed up with digital marketing guru Andrew Gordon to put on a series of breakfasts to help you discover what digital marketing could really be doing for your organisation.

How will you benefit?

For just £99+VAT you will:

• Gain a deeper insight into the important differences between on and offline marketing
• Learn how to plan and implement a digital marketing campaign and track your reputation online
• Understand how and why visitors to websites are persuaded to take actions
• Develop a raft of new ways to reach your target customers
• Improve your ROI in digital marketing
• Stay ahead of your competitors by experiencing success in digital marketing
• Leave with a useful set of techniques to drive new traffic to your websites and improve your search engine rankings

Who should attend?

• Anyone who needs to understand how digital marketing is planned, managed and analysed, regardless of sector and whether B2B or B2C
• Anyone with previous offline marketing experience but limited exposure to digital marketing channels
• People who are happy with the basics of marketing communications and are likely to have had at least 2+ years of marketing exposure

The learning outcomes:

• Understand how to design, build and construct a website that not only attracts customers but engages and converts them
• See how to integrate acquisition, retention and conversion techniques so that you build an effective online marketing strategy
• Search engine optimisation
• Make intelligent decisions on which traffic building techniques you should use and which you can avoid
• Use the web to keep your customers close with email and personalisation so and make sure that they don’t defect to your competitors

Who is leading the course?

Andrew Gordon has more than twelve years of experience in digital marketing and is a main trainer for national market leaders E-consultancy as well as industry heavyweights the Institute of Direct Marketing. In addition to this he is a visiting lecturer on the Manchester Metropolitan University's MSc in Digital Marketing.

The masterclass is on Tuesday 12 May 7am-10am at Fazeley Studios, Birmingham. To book go to http://fullrange.eventbrite.com/

Ticket offer for Edinburgh Fringe hit, this Thursday at DanceXchange

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:05:00 GMT

DOT504 Holdin’ Fast

Thursday 16 April // 8pm // DanceXchange, Birmingham Hippodrome

Three couples try to get to the bottom of love in this hour long mix of physical theatre and dance, for audiences 14yrs+. From flirtatious beginnings to the all consuming and destructive potential of desire, watch as laugh out loud humour combines with dark dramatic moments to create a show that’s as compelling as it is thought provoking.

“An exhilarating ride...” 4 star review from the Edinburgh Fringe 2008

Read a preview at WestMidlandsDance.com

Watch video here

SPECIAL OFFER – call the box office on 0844 338 5000, quote “Last Minute Offer” and you’ll get your tickets for just £5*.

*This offer is limited to telephone bookings or bookings made in person at the box office (Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst Street – open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm). It’s not available online or retrospectively on tickets already purchased. A 6% transaction fee may be added to your booking.

English Heritage launches first national survey of nation’s most special places

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:27:00 GMT

England has some 9,300 Conservation Areas, historic parts of cities, towns, suburbs and villages designated by local authorities to protect their special character. But what condition are they in? Are they cherished through a close partnership of council and residents? Or are they at risk from neglect, decay and inappropriate development?

Conservation Areas vary enormously. They include, for example, the Belgravia Conservation Area in central London, the industrial heritage of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, the fishing village of Clovelly in North Devon and the Victorian People’s Park Conservation Area in Halifax. The heart of a historic town might be a Conservation Area. So too might be a street of well-preserved 1930s semi-detached houses or an isolated group of farm buildings. Details of local Conservation Areas are held by councils and can usually be found on their websites.

English Heritage has asked every Local Authority in the country to fill in a questionnaire for each of their Conservation Areas as part of the first nationwide census of the condition of this important element of our heritage. The results will be announced and a campaign will be launched on 23rd June to help councils, communities and individual residents to care for these special places.

Conservation Areas identified as at risk will be added to the Heritage at Risk register, published annually by English Heritage. Each year new categories are added to the register in an attempt to create a Domesday Book of every aspect of England’s threatened heritage. The register helps everyone to prioritise action, direct resources to areas of need and focus attention on saving the best of the past for the future. Eventually it will make England the first country in the world to have a comprehensive picture of its heritage at risk and the necessary understanding to save it.

Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “Conservation Areas play a vital role in protecting the most important historic places in England from ill-considered change. Designated by local authorities after widespread local consultation, millions of us live in or near one, go to work or shop in one or visit them for leisure. Thanks to help from hundreds of Local Authority Conservation Officers all over the country, this survey will give us a true picture of the condition of these important, historic places.

“Are sash windows still gracing house-fronts or are Conservation Areas suffering from a plague of plastic ones? Are front gardens being lost to car parking? Are the hearts of our most historic towns and suburban high streets under threat from the wrong kind of change? Does the existence of an active local amenity society make a difference?

“We will be analysing the results carefully so that we can help to provide answers to questions like these and propose solutions where Conservation Areas are in decline. This is a strategic, national campaign and English Heritage won’t be able to get involved in individual issues at a local level. However, we will be providing residents and local groups with information and advice and explaining how they can help by working constructively with local authorities to manage the places they value most. There is a lot that residents can do themselves and we will support Conservation Officers in their tireless work to halt decay and inappropriate change before it is too late.”

To receive information and get involved in the campaign, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/conservationareas

MLA: Gathering information about libraries’ role in health

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:24:00 GMT

The MLA is gathering information about health and wellbeing activities undertaken by museums, libraries and archives to gain a full picture of the sector’s contribution in this area.

Are you involved in organising bibliotherapy or yoga sessions in your library service? Does your museum run object handling sessions with hospital patients? Have you been involved in reminiscence work with people with Alzheimers? Or do you know about other health and wellbeing initiatives taking place in museums, libraries and archives your local area? If so, we would like to hear from you.

We would like to find out which museums, libraries and archives have health and wellbeing projects or programmes at present and any information the sector has collected about their impact.

If you would like to share information about health and/or wellbeing projects and programmes that you are involved in or know about, please contact Katie Pekacar, Policy Advisor at MLA at Katie.pekacar@mla.gov.uk or call her on 020 7273 1405.

This information will inform the MLA’s future policy and best practice guidance for the sector on health and wellbeing activities.