Sector news

Arts Council England's mission for the next three years is Great art for everyone.

They have outlined the four priorities as:
- Digital opportunity
- Visual arts
- Children and young people
- London 2012.

To read about ACE's priorities for the next three years, its delivery and to find out how the plan will affect London and other regions, visit the website (see below).

Organisation: Arts Council England
Website: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/plan/
Contact: enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk

Diagonal Thinking is the ability to engage in both linear and lateral thinking, a quality that only 10% of the population possesses, says the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA). The self-assessment tool was developed for the IPA, the UK’s leading trade and professional body for advertising, media and marketing communications agencies.

Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham introduced the tool at the Creative Britain in Golden Square event. He is hopeful that the initiative will help give more young people the opportunity to develop careers in the advertising industry, and add to the continuing growth of the UK's creative industries.

For the full Guardian article, visit: http: //www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/sep/27/careers.advertising

Further information can be found on the IPA website: www.ipa.co.uk

Diagonal Thinking Self-assessment Test: www.diagonalthinking.co.uk/

New Work Network is the national networking organisation for the development and promotion of experimental and interdisciplinary arts practices.

The New Work Network website allows members to:
- access new ideas
- link up and share projects, events and opportunities
- contact each other directly
- market their work
- post opportunities for collaboration and participate in online discussion
- access feedback and critical dialogue.

Visit www.newworknetwork.org.uk for more information.

Qulture Link is a new online networking site for Queer Artists living or working in London. The site has been developed by Pride Legacy Project in collaboration with Wise Thoughts. Qulture Link is a resource for new, emerging and established queer artists.

The main aim of the Qulture Link website is to support the specific needs of queer artists by providing up to date information on queer supportive venues, organisations, festivals and platforms in London. There is space to display your own work, events and much more. Qulture Link is also a great space to meet other queer artists and ignite collaboration.

Sign up as a member for free to access all areas of the website, and see its evolving content: www.qulturelink.ning.com

September 2008 sees the launch of Creative Graduates - Creative Futures, the largest survey of the career patterns of graduates in art, design, crafts and media subjects, being undertaken in 2008-9, involving more than 25,000 first degree and foundation degree UK and international graduates up to six years after graduation.

If you graduated from a full-time first degree or foundation degree in art, design, crafts or media practice at a UK university or college, then we would like to hear about:
- your experiences, the kinds of work and activities you've been doing since - related or unrelated to your course
- how you found work, the choices you made and your plans for the future
- what you valued from your course and suggestions for other experiences that might have helped you.

To join in go direct to the online questionnaire: www.employmentresearch.co.uk/cgcf.htm or you can download a copy from the research website: www.employment-studies.co.uk/projects/creative Print, fill it in and return to us using the freepost address. Or you can write to creative@ies.ac.uk or phone the research team on 01273 873 641.

Your participation in this research is very important. The results will directly influence course design and higher education planning, and inform future students about 'real' career choices.

At the same time, you could win a prize from a total fund of £3000, including a top prize of £1000 in gift vouchers and 20 other prizes. For each completed questionnaire, we will donate 50 pence to a nominated charity. You can also see the results of the survey as the study progresses, on our project website.

You may have received a questionnaire from your university or college by post, and already returned it. If so, then thank you for doing so.

Please forward this message to friends or colleagues who may be eligible to take part.

A funding partnership of 26 UK higher education institutions and the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design (CHEAD) is commissioning the study.
The project is based at and supported by the University of the Arts London, working with staff at the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) who are undertaking the research.

Linda Ball, Project Director
Creative Graduates - Creative Futures
Centre for Learning and Teaching in Art and Design University of the Arts London
2-6 Catton Street
London WC1R 4AA
l.ball@arts.ac.uk  020 7514 9322
Fax: 020 7514 8050 
Mobile: 07872 816 504
Website: www.employment-studies.co.uk/projects/creative

The Group for Learning in Art and Design (GLAD) recommend that art and design teaching at UK universities should be dramatically changed to equip students with practical, problem solving and business related skills in order for them to compete successfully within the creative industries.

Access the rest of The Guardian's article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/aug/26/artanddesign.universityoftheartslondon

Meeting the Challenge: Development Programme has been developed in direct response to the capacity development issues of leadership within the cultural and creative sectors, and will provide seed funds to support organisations in meeting their leadership development needs.

The deadlines for applications are as follows:
15 September 2008 – for projects starting from November 2008
12 January 2009 – for projects starting from March 2009
4 May 2009 – for projects starting from July 2009
8 June 2009 - for projects starting from October 2009

To find out more visit www.culturalleadership.org.uk/meetingthechallenge/meetingthechallenge/default.aspa

Organisation: Cultural Leadership Programme
Tel: 020 7015 1835
E-mail: info@culturalleadership.org.uk
Website: www.culturalleadership.org.uk

Arts Council England has launched a new website providing information and guidance on how the arts can become more community and customer focussed. The website has sections on ‘Facts & Figures’, ‘Case Studies of Current Practice’ and ‘Guidance & Advice’.

The ‘Facts & Figures’ come from ‘Taking Part’, a major, continuous national survey commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in partnership with Arts Council England, Sport England, English Heritage and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. Further information about Taking Part can be found on the DCMS website at www.culture.gov.uk.

Organisation: Arts Council England
Contact telephone: 0845 300 6200
Website: www.takingpartinthearts.com

Treading the boards, crafting a short story or performing a show-stopping tune are just some of the ways that nearly 6 million English people participate in the arts, according to a new study.

This study was commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Arts Council England (ACE) to improve the knowledge base on the voluntary and amateur arts sector in England. The study is the first of its kind on a national scale and represents the first step towards developing a comprehensive understanding of a very complex sector. The study considers two key aspects of the sector:

• voluntary and amateur arts groups
• informal adult learning in the arts.

Organisation: Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Website: www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/VoluntaryArtsreport.pdf