Arts professional 206 (November 2009)

The quality of arts organisations, and their relevance to the overall portfolios of their respective arts councils, are the common criteria in new documents on core funding just released by Arts Council England (ACE) and the Arts Council of Wales (ACW). ACE has published its criteria for regular funding following a ‘light touch’ consultation exercise earlier this year. Although ACE has not previously published such criteria, a spokesperson for the organisation told AP that they do not represent significant change. “Rather, we are trying to explain more clearly and more openly the framework for decision-making that we use,” she said. The criteria apply not only to organisations which produce, perform and exhibit art, but to service, umbrella and networking organisations. The main points of assessment are excellence, reach, engagement, financial sustainability and governance. ACE has pointed out that it has “recognised more explicitly that it is more difficult for organisations which do not already receive regular funding to meet the financial sustainability criteria, so we said more clearly that that those organisations are judged on their potential to meet it”. However, it does not plan to issue any more detailed guidance on how organisations might address this.

The issues of relevance to ACE’s portfolio are identified as reflecting “the diversity of contemporary England”, supporting a range of artistic practice and roles, a mix of sizes and types of organisations including both traditional and innovative work, and geographical spread “to support an infrastructure of regularly funded organisations across the whole of England”. Obligations of regularly funded organisations (RFOs) will continue to include providing

monitoring information, producing a race equality or diversity action plan, and complying with English and EU procurement law.

As previously, there will be no application process, but organisations may submit an expression of interest in becoming an RFO. Surprisingly, in the wake of the funding review crisis of 2008, the document does not cover disinvestment, but ACE told AP, “we are planning to look again at our disinvestment procedure in time for our next round of investment decisions, but at the moment it remains unchanged”.

Simultaneously, ACW has issued a consultation document entitled ‘Policy for Managing the Arts Council of Wales’ Portfolio of Revenue Funded Organisations’. It identifies three factors affecting investment decisions: policy, based on ACW’s current priorities; performance, based its recent quality framework document ‘Strive to Excel’ (AP202); and portfolio development. This last category includes “an eclectic and interesting range of artforms”, the size and type of organisations, strategic potential, and diversity and geographical spread, but also includes evidence of partnership – largely based on attracting funding from other stakeholders – and “professional opportunities for employment in the arts”. ACW’s document also includes information on disinvestment, and its various triggers, which range from “concerns about an RFO’s standard of performance in relation to... artistic activity, governance and administration, or finance and budgeting” to “fraud or serious misconduct”. RFOs would be given 12 months’ notice of disinvestment. The closing date for responses to the consultation is 21 January 2010.

RFOs re-imaginedEngland and

Wales move forward on new selection processes for core funding

we are trying to explain more clearly and more openly the framework for decision-making

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Issue 206 | 16 November 2009 | £4.25www.artsprofessional.co.uk

a local authority could intervene in a project, and get it stopped

Ed Vaizey opens our party political series p7

Paintings with a combined value of £20m were saved for the nation last year through the Government’s Acceptance in Lieu (AIL) scheme, including paintings by Titian, Van Dyck (‘Princess Mary’, above), Millais and David Hockney. The scheme allows those liable to Inheritance Tax to offer cultural objects of national significance in lieu. The taxpayer is given the full open market value of the item, which is then allocated to a public museum, archive or library on the advice of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council’s (MLA) AIL Panel. Items are advertised on the MLA’s website, and organisations can then submit applications for its allocation. £11m of tax was written off in this way in 2008/09. Dr Christopher Brown, Director of the Ashmolean Museum, which received Titian’s ‘Triumph of Love’ through the scheme, said the scheme “will have huge appeal to a wide public”.

www.mla.gov.uk/what/cultural/tax/acceptance_in_lieu

Tax bonanza for galleries

NEWS

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A cultural knowledge exchange between arts organisations, policy-makers, and funders from Brazil and the UK will take place following the launch of ‘Points of Contact/Pontos de Contato’, run by People’s Palace Projects, an organisation which uses the arts to advance social justice. The programme seeks to build new networks of cultural understanding and creativity, and aims to “realise the full potential of dynamic and transformative cultural actions that emerge from and engage with diverse communities” in both countries. Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw said that “Brazil’s unique cultural heritage, and the democratising power of the arts, can provide fascinating lessons for the United Kingdom,” while Célio Turino, Brazilian Federal Secretary of Cultural Citizenship hoped for “a diverse exchange of knowledge and practice… [to] strengthen the forces of integration”. People’s Palace Projects and the Brazilian Ministry of Culture are now identifying potential participants in the UK and Brazil who will be asked to make proposals. Further information will be announced in Spring 2010.

Children’s engagement measuredOnly 27% of 5–10 year-olds in England are engaging in more than five hours of cultural activity a week, but 66% of 11–15 year-olds are doing so, according to baseline statistics on children’s engagement with culture and sport produced as part of the Government’s ongoing Taking Part survey. Children aged 5–10 were included for the first time in the survey in 2008/09. However, the figures for this age group are acknowledged to be an underestimate, as they do not include cultural activities in school. The DCMS’s Departmental Strategic Objectives (DSOs) include an aim to increase the proportion of children engaging in five hours of culture per week, and the statistics will allow progress to be assessed, with a final report to be published in autumn 2010. The figures show that just over 99% of children engaged in cultural activities in the past year, with reading and writing being the most popular activity and arts and crafts the next most popular for both age groups. For 11–15 year-olds, the proportion taking part in other artforms was moderately high, ranging from 69% engaged in drama to 73% taking part in music activities. 52% were engaged in dance and 36% in street arts, circus or carnival, but less than 10% in radio. Some variation was shown among key subgroups such as gender, ethnicity, disability, and urban and rural populations, the most noticeable being that girls aged 5–10 have “significantly higher rates of out of school arts participation than boys”. Paul Collard, the Chief Executive of Creativity, Culture & Education, which is currently piloting the Government’s ‘Find Your Talent’ scheme, pointed to the importance of cultural experiences in “personal development and raising aspiration”, but said that “not all children and young people are getting the same access to them”. He added that “access to cultural opportunity is too important to be an accident of geography or the privilege of a minority”.

www.culture.gov.uk

Training in technical aspects of theatre and live music production has received a boost with the announcement of £5m in funding from the Learning and Skills Council for a new building for the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills in Thurrock. As well as providing a base for training, which will eventually cover all the creative and cultural industries, the building should create 1,000 jobs, according to Tom Bewick, the Group Chief Executive of Creative and Cultural Skills. He added that the building is “shovel ready” and would be completed by 2011. The plan has generated a broad welcome across the area. Angela Smith, MP for Basildon, said it would “help to support ‘recession busting’ initiatives in the Thames Gateway region”, while Thurrock MP Andrew MacKinlay said the Academy is “of critical and strategic importance to both the Thames Gateway region and the UK economy as a whole”. Kevin Brennan, the Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs, said the project was going ahead thanks to partnership working between a number of agencies including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the DCMS.

www.nsa-ccskills.co.uk

£5m for new NSA building

Plans to explore culture and creativity in education are being developed by Scotland’s Culture Minister Michael Russell and Schools Minister Keith Brown. Russell has announced a new scheme to “create new cultural champions within schools and local authorities, to bring together key organisations to work together to deliver a full appreciation of Scotland’s diverse culture to every pupil”. A spokesperson for the Scottish Government told AP that Creative Scotland, the new cultural development body, “will be particularly well placed to promote this good work”, while the education authorities and Learning Teaching Scotland (the Government agency for supporting curriculum development) would also play a important role. An event is to be held on 15 December to bring together “key organisations and invited members of Scotland’s culture and education sectors... to explore ways to ‘champion’ the role of culture and creativity in education”. It will emphasise the importance of bringing children “into direct contact with artists and creative practitioners”.

Cultural champions

ISSUE 206 16 NOVEMBER 2009 www.artsprofessional.co.uk

ATG takeover completeThe Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) has completed its £90m purchase of Live Nation’s UK Theatres. The acquisition means that ATG now owns 39 venues, which will rise to 40 when a new theatre opens in Aylesbury. Rosemary Squire, Joint Chief Executive of ATG called it “the start of a very exciting chapter”, and Willy Donaghy of BECTU said he was “pleased for members that the uncertainty and speculation surrounding the sale of Live Nation have finally ended”.

Arts Council Wales (ACW) has published ‘Identifying the Potential’, research into drama audiences in Wales, carried out by Audiences Wales. It is the most comprehensive analysis of the sector to date, with information on ticket sales, focus groups, and interviews with theatres, production companies, and more than 120 members of the public. Twenty to twenty-five per cent of the population currently go to plays, and Nick Beasley, Chief Executive of Audiences Wales, hopes that “co-operative strategies [can] increase the frequency of current attenders and reach new audiences”. ACW has also launched ‘Working Together’, an agreement between the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) and the voluntary cultural sector.

www.artswales.org.uk

The Theatrical Management Association has announced the winners of its 2009 Theatre Awards. The Achievement in Opera Award went to Glyndebourne, and English National Ballet took home the Achievement in Dance Award. The Stage Award for Special Achievement in Regional Theatre went to The Theatre, Chipping Norton, and The Special Award for Individual Achievement to Nicolas Kent of Tricycle Theatre.

www.tmauk.org

A programme that enables pairs of artists to enter into new relationships across international borders has been announced by Visiting Arts in partnership with the Delfina Foundation. ‘Artist to Artist International’ allows UK-based artists to invite an artist of their choice to visit the UK for an exchange of ideas and experiences. The deadline for applications is 5 December.

[email protected]

Sports engineers at Sheffield Hallam University are working with Chol Theatre on a project called ‘Extraordinary Moves’, to challenge perceptions of disability in sport. Movement capture equipment will be used to capture the actions of the dancers, and the footage will then be used to create a series of pieces that showcase the 2012 Olympic Games.

National Theatre Wales (NTW) has been officially launched with a live digital broadcast announcing the first year of work. NTW’s first year of work will consist of 13 new shows taking place across Wales, with one show per month and a finale at the end of the year.

www.nationaltheatrewales.org

Junction, a new multi-purpose arts centre, has opened in Goole. It replaces the Gate Theatre and includes a 170-seat main auditorium. Local audiences previously had to travel across the region for theatre and film, and it is hoped that the venue will attract national and international artists and companies.

www.junctiongoole.co.uk

A Community Interest Company that aims to promote social inclusion through song-writing has been launched. Park Street Music’s first project will be ‘Bird-Songs’, a national competition for prisoners and young offenders which will use song-writing to explore creativity and develop their social and communication skills.

[email protected]

The Charity Commission is carrying out research to explore what can be done to attract more young people to become charity trustees. The research will learn from current young trustees, and explore different ways of attracting young people who are not yet trustees and how charities can tackle the issues raised. The findings will be published in next year.

www.charitycommission.gov.uk

Theatre Resource, an arts organisation which promotes the creativity, culture and heritage of disabled people and socially excluded groups, has secured £25,000 from the Rayne Foundation for the construction of a new performance space. The new space will be part of the £6m development of a Victorian school site at Great Stony in Chipping Ongar, which will open as the UK’s first international centre for arts access and inclusion in 2011.

www.theatre-resource.org.uk

NEWSREEL

An Investment Strategy External Reference Group has been created to provide an informal sounding board for Arts Council England (ACE) as it develops processes for the next round of regular funding decisions. The group of 20 invited members includes senior personnel from leading arts and umbrella bodies. They will provide feedback and advice, comment on funding timetables, key milestones and risks, and raise issues of interest and concern to the arts sector, but will not have any influence over individual funding decisions. A spokesperson for ACE told AP that “it is not our intention to publish minutes from the meetings… [which] will consist of frank and open discussions about developing ideas and suggestions which may never become policy. Any ideas that do become official process or policy will, of course, be published.”

www.artscouncil.org.uk

03

ACE takes soundings

Educating people on the value of intellectual property rights, reforming EU copyright legislation and defending arts spending have been highlighted in recent speeches by Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw and Business Secretary Peter Mandelson. The latter, speaking at Labour’s inaugural ‘c&binet’ forum for the creative industries in October, tackled the subject of unlawful file-sharing. At the same event, Bradshaw challenged the EU on its wish to extend copyright to 95 years, saying “the current system is a mess”. Speaking to Labour’s Progress group this month, Bradshaw warned that the Tories would cut arts spending, and pointed to Gordon Brown’s personal intervention to prevent the cancellation of major capital projects in London as evidence of Labour’s commitment to the arts. See Ed Vaizey’s ‘Local thinking’ p7

Labour on culture

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www.artsprofessional.co.ukISSUE 206 16 NOVEMBER 2009

04CHANGING FACES

lEttErS

MICHAEL OCKWELL has been appointed Chief Executive at the Grand Opera House, Belfast. He will take over from JOHN BOTTELEY, who announced his retirement in June.

Birmingham Royal Ballet has appointed KOEN KESSELS (pictured) as its Music Director. He has worked with companies including the Opera National de Paris and the Royal

Opera House Covent Garden. The company has also appointed SIMON HArpEr as its Media and Public Relations Manager.

JOHN KIEFFEr is the new Creative Director at Sound and Music. He has been Chair of Artangel and Head of Music and Director of Performing Arts for the British Council.

GEOrGE pErrIN and JAMES GrIEVE will succeed rOXANA SILBErT as joint Artistic Directors of Paines Plough. They were previously joint Artistic Directors of Nabokov theatre company, and will take up the post in February 2010.

Iniva, the Institute of International Visual Arts, has appointed its Interim Chief Executive, TESSA JACKSON, as Chief Executive Officer. She is the founding Artistic Director of Artes Mundi, Wales’s International Visual Art Exhibition and Prize, and was Director of the Scottish Arts Council until 2001.

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art has appointed pETEr BUCHAN as Chairman of the Board. He has been Acting Chairman since July. LAUrENCE SILLArS also joins, as Chief Curator.

STEpHEN FEEKE is now Administrator/Curator at the New Art Centre sculpture park and art gallery. He moves from the Henry Moore Institute where he was most

recently Curator (Exhibitions).

HANNAH KErr joins the Jerwood Charitable Foundation in the new role of Communications Manager. She was previously Communications and Marketing

Manager at London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT).

rOANNA CHANDLEr has left Glyndebourne, where she was Marketing Manager, to become Concerts Director for the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Telling it like it isFROM robert LiVingSton Director, hi-arts w www.hi-arts.co.uk

Many thanks for the digest of Graham Devlin’s and Nicola Thorold’s reasoned demolition of the case against arts and cultural organisations being charities (AP204). This needed saying, and it needed saying as lucidly and unemotionally as this. My then Chair and I both walked out of an early Mission, Models, Money event because the facilitator was making such a hash of trying to persuade us that we needed to drop our charitable status in order to be more entrepreneurial. The reality is that charities are among the most entrepreneurial businesses out there. The proponents of the anti-charity case seem to forget exemption from business rates. We’d have to be seriously entrepreneurial to make up the cost of losing that!

it’s not child’s playFROM kate croSS Director, the egg at theatre royal bathE [email protected]

w www.theatreroyal.org.uk/the-egg

Hear, hear to Paul Harman for his timely article about the scope and quality of theatre for children in the UK (AP204). I have long felt that the passion and conviction that radiates from arts professionals is not equitably matched elsewhere. In too many schools there are too many reasons not to book a theatre trip: administration; asking parents for financial contributions; applicability to the National Curriculum (agh!); health and safety; and now, the government ‘rarely cover’ ruling that necessitates buying in costly supply cover. Venue staff can and do chip

away at some of these obstacles by assisting with travel arrangements, subsidies and risk assessments, but we cannot do the teachers’ jobs for them. If a young person comes to the theatre it is thanks to the insight and dedication of an exceptional teacher. This is just too random. Did I misunderstand something? I thought Every Child Mattered?

The Government can throw money at an eye-catching but feckless scheme (cf A Night Less Ordinary) which may seduce us into thinking that they are dedicated to access for all. The fuzzy thinking behind ‘rarely cover’ suggests an inconsistent level of commitment to cultural activity for schoolchildren during school hours which, for many, may be their only opportunity to visit a cultural setting. They may like what they see, they may not. But deny them the opportunity to ever find out and you are robbing a whole generation of a fundamental human experience.

Rural welcomeFROM raLph oSwick artistic Director, natural theatre companyE [email protected]

w www.naturaltheatre.co.uk

Your November issue (AP205) contained a very useful and informative feature on rural touring. Any companies that have yet to get involved in this aspect of touring really should try it. The venues are invariably full, with little or no effort on the company’s behalf, many of the venues are better equipped than the average arts centre, and the welcome is second to none. It would be a big mistake to assume that just because the venue might be a village or church hall, that cutting-edge theatre is not appreciated. The partnership between the voluntary promoters and the professional advisors ensures that every performance is tailored to the particular needs, expectations and capabilities of the audience. This means the venue will be full, the audience excited, and the company well looked after. In other words, a very special occasion.

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Q I’m constantly coming across freelance arts jobs which I think are really ‘employed’, and would be seen as such by

the tax man. For instance, the employer wanting someone to work from their offices and during their opening hours, with a definite starting and finishing date. I don’t want to be difficult, but I think this is taking the mickey. How can I find out? And would I be legally liable in any way if I took a job which was then found to be ‘employed’ rather than freelance?

A This is an all too familiar situation. The starting point in determining whether you are employed is to look at the nature

of the relationship. This is not what is contained in the employment agreement but the degree of control that the employer exerts over the worker. If the essence of the relationship is that the employer determines where, when and how the work is undertaken then the worker is likely to be an employee. If the worker’s obligation is to be at a place of work and do whatever the employer requests within a particular job description then the employer is determining what the worker does. On the other hand, if the employer hires a worker to write a report and gives the worker a brief and deadline, but does not otherwise specify the content of the report, or how or when the work must be done, then that is a classic contract for services between a party and a self-employed contractor.

If it is an employment relationship then the employee will be taxed under Schedule E, and that will usually mean that tax will be deducted by the employer under PAYE. It is the employer’s responsibility to make the deduction if PAYE applies. If the relationship is a contract for services the worker will be under Schedule D and the employer will be under no obligation to deduct tax. The issues largely affect the employer; if the employer wrongly treats you as a freelance and therefore does not deduct tax, HMRC may look to the employer for the tax on the basis that the fee paid to you was made after tax. In certain circumstances the employer can look to you to reclaim any tax claimed by HMRC but that depends on interpreting the agreement between you.

The other important issue is national insurance (NI). Schedule 1 NI applies for employees and schedules 2 and 4 apply for self-employed workers. There are higher rates of NI for schedule 1 (both the sums paid by the employer and the worker) than apply for a contract for services. This is one of the main reasons employers seek to present jobs as freelance engagements. However, if the classification is incorrect then the employer will be responsible for the higher rate of national insurance and potentially the employee will be responsible for a higher rate of employee national insurance. Although in general terms employee national insurance tends to apply to persons treated as employees, for the purposes of employment law this is not always the case. It is worth taking specific advice as the NI rules can be complicated

In person

This week’s question was answered by SEan Egan, Head of Theatre and Arts at Bates Wells & Braithwaite London LLP solicitors.

w www.bwbllp.com

Looking for advice? ap finds the answers to your questions

hotSpot

When I first started in community music in the 1980s, much of the work was focused on adults. Now, almost all the work is directed to the youth market. Youth activities in general, and youth music in particular, get funding much more easily than work with adults. In a country where there are more pensioners than under-16s, and soon more people over 40 than under it, that’s simply not sustainable. We need more opportunities to work with adults. We need creative, unpatronising, participatory activities with older people. This is a call that we have been making for some years now. Angela Dennis, who runs community choirs and vocal groups, tells me “I knew that my learners did progress, but not in the way or time scale that the college dictated.” Cheryl Blake, who runs Silver Song Club sessions, found that there isn’t much provision for older people in London boroughs, and even where she found work the projects were often one-offs. The problem starts at national policy level. For example, the Department for Communities and Local Government’s 2006 report ‘A Sure Start to Later Life’ described

how active participation helps older people work through social isolation and depression – yet music does not feature on its map of 19 participatory activities.

However, there are signs that things may be changing. March’s White Paper ‘The Learning Revolution’, recognises that “people participate for enjoyment and are driven by their desire for personal fulfilment,” not necessarily to gain a qualification. The Baring Foundation, one of our more thoughtful funders, is to devote its arts funding in 2010 to work with older people. Even Arts Council England, London has a (just-closed) older people fund. The door is not ajar, but it is less firmly bolted than it has been in recent years.

Kathryn DEanE is director of Sound Sense, the UK professional association for community music

E [email protected] w www.soundsense.org

Kathryn Deane issues a call for more creative, unpatronising work with older people.

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06 IN PERSON

It’s typical of Barbara Matthews that she should see her current tenure at Arts Council England (ACE) as her “National Service”, and equally typical that she should worry that it makes her sound pompous. Following a postgraduate diploma from City University, Matthews has spent her entire adult life in the performing arts. She refers to her 17 years touring Cheek By Jowl to 47 countries as her “magnum opus”, but it would be easy to see her current post as ACE’s Director of Theatre Strategy as an equally important role. She is unequivocal when asked whether it is important that someone in her position is steeped in practice: “It’s essential.” She explains, “If we want our funding bodies to really understand the industry and the audiences that they’re there to support, then we have to make sure that people move in and out between the Arts Council and the sector.”

OPEN DOORSWhen Matthews first arrived at ACE, she commissioned the Theatre Assessment to start a dialogue with the sector, and to show that “it’s not just us decreeing from on high what’s going to happen”. It’s this sensitivity to the complicated relationship between funder and funded that gave the sector a sense of optimism when she was appointed in 2007. In Matthews, theatre

has a passionate advocate, who understands the needs and fears of the sector. She is clearly adept at treading the line between policy and practice: she admits that at times the “stop-startism [of] yet another pilot that we’re not able to embed” can be frustrating, but defends the cumulative effect that many small initiatives pulling in the same direction can have in changing attitudes. She is not afraid to take the side of the sector when the Theatre Assessment reveals a consensus that there are too many short-term initiatives, although she chooses her words carefully: “I’m a bit ambivalent… there are definitely very frustrating short-term things that happen where everyone rushes around and learns the language and then it disappears again, and that’s very annoying.” She remains pragmatic and points out that sometimes it’s worth jumping through hoops to secure the money, although she does not seem the type to jump just because someone says jump. She is mindful that ACE has a responsibility to remember the big picture and to “encourage movement in a certain direction”, and argues that even though ACE sometimes has to make unpopular decisions and “individual artist or arts organisations might resist being pushed in that direction, it’s our job to see the long-term direction of travel”. It is easy to imagine how hard it might be for a former practitioner to implement decisions that may not be easily accepted or understood.

PERSONAL PASSIONMatthews cheers down the phone when the subject of touring is brought up. It is clearly something she is passionate about. A Touring Strategy is currently being developed, and should be published in the New Year, “which is fantastic news”. Again, drawing on her varied career, Matthews “understands the difficulties that both presenting venues and touring producers have with the way we [ACE] work with them at the moment”. She explains that although Grants for the Arts has supported many projects and artists, “it can present challenges, particularly when tour schedules, casting or other things change during the time it takes us to make a decision”, and acknowledges that “we need to build better relationships with venues

we do not fund but which rely on work that we support”. Although she is not responsible for leading on the Touring Strategy, she has made it a personal priority to work closely on it because she understands “how crucial touring is, to ensure that the best of our theatre reaches the widest number of people”.

Matthews’ admission that the relationship between ACE and the theatre sector needs work is refreshing, and suggests that the sector is lucky to have a strategy director who is attuned to its needs. She seems genuinely to want to know what works and what does not, hence the Assessment, and is committed to fixing the bits that do not work. Through anecdotal evidence she is aware that although audiences are holding up well in the recession, “you naturally worry when you do not know what you’ve got to deal with”, and that political uncertainty is having an effect. I bring up the Conservatives’ White Paper ‘Control Shift’, which, amongst other things, proposes giving local citizens the power to call referendums if 5% sign a petition within a six month period. Ed Vaizey, Shadow Culture Minister, has suggested that these could be about funding for local theatres, and that if a theatre has not worked on its relationship with its community then it might suffer as a result. Matthews thinks these proposals present “an incredible challenge and opportunity. It’d be very scary for a theatre to put itself on the line like that… on the other hand, those theatres that really have thought about their role in the local community should have nothing to fear.” She suggests that theatres that have strong ties with their communities “understand that receiving public money… gives them certain obligations… there are theatres that have really engaged with their audiences, communities, partners etc, and are much more vibrant and exciting places because of it”.

She clearly enjoys her job, but as Matthews says several times “it’s a partnership”. None of the strategy is about ACE issuing orders, and her willingness to see and to understand the knowledge and the front-line information that theatres can bring to the table is clear from the Assessment and how the research is being used to move forward. If this is Matthews’ National Service then she is clearly a volunteer not a conscript, and for as long as she continues to serve, theatre will have a powerful ally.

Onward cultural soldiers

BarBara MatthEwS is Director of Theatre Strategy at Arts Council England.

w www.artscouncil.org.uk

we need to build better relationships with venues we do not fund but which rely on work that we support

The theatre sector has a strong and committed advocate in Barbara Matthews. She tells Eleanor Turney why she’s prepared to fight for what she believes in.


07ObSERvAtIONS

I asked David Cameron for my job as Shadow Culture Minister. I thoroughly enjoy it, and I hope I will keep it if we win the next election, and hold on to it for a considerable period of time, at least long enough to make a difference. The Conservative Culture team has been developing our policy plans in detail. Culture permeates every aspect of our life; it is the hallmark of a civilised society. We’re good at it, and our culture has thrived in the last 15 years, thanks to the huge injection of cash provided by the National Lottery, set up by the Conservatives. I believe that the arts, far from being subsidy junkies, provide excellent value for public money: subsidy only represents around a third of the income of most subsidised arts organisations, with the rest made up by sponsorship and ticket sales. For this modest investment, we get back some of the best arts to be found anywhere in the world. Along with heritage, which receives even less subsidy, we have the main driver for tourism, our fifth biggest industry. And we have a sector that plays a crucial role in employment, civic pride, urban regeneration, education and health.

I am an optimist, but I would also like to sound a word of caution: We are developing our ideas in the context of ongoing concern about the state of the economy, and of course this translates into concern about funding. We believe that the real solution to worries about funding is to get the economy and Government finances back on track. But there will be short-term pain. I hope that we can protect the front-line arts as much as possible, and work to reduce bureaucracy. I have set out our plans for the Lottery, arts and the arts council, heritage, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, education and Cultural Olympiad recently.

LOCAL AGENDAThere is one particular area that I would like to bring to the attention of AP readers: the Conservative localism agenda. Our Communities and Local Government team have put forward proposals which will have significant implications for the cultural community, both cultural centres and arts organisations that operate mainly locally and regionally, and for nationally funded projects. I encourage anyone who runs a local or regional arts

organisation, or is developing ideas for a nationally funded project, to look at our Green Paper on the subject. It’s called ‘Control Shift, Returning Power to Local Communities’, and you can find it on the Conservatives’ website. There are two proposals there which have implications for the arts. First, we will bring in a power to allow local people to trigger referendums, by legislating to ensure that referendum will be held in a local authority area if 5% of local citizens sign a petition in favour of within a six month period. There are both opportunities and threats for cultural organisations funded by local authorities in this measure. The opportunity will be for an arts centre that has a strong relationship with its community to campaign for a referendum to protect their funding, if it were under review. However, there is also a threat here – an arts centre which does not have strong links with its local community could be vulnerable to local residents triggering a referendum asking for its funding to be spent elsewhere.

WHITE ELEPHANTSSecondly, we will give local people greater control over how central Government funds are

spent in their area. We will use the Sustainable Communities Act 2007, which is already in law in England and Wales, to enable local governments to identify money spent in their area by central government agencies, which will include the arts councils. If, after consultation with local people, there are recommendations of ways in which it could be better spent on a particular priority for the community, the money will be redirected towards fulfilling that priority wherever possible. This will mean that a local authority could intervene in a project like The Public, and get it stopped, and the money redirected to priorities for the local community, rather than creating a wasteful white elephant. It will also mean that new plans for arts and cultural centres that are hoping to get and keep central government funding through the arts councils will only bring these projects to fruition if they build support in the community it will be situated in, and plan their project with that community in mind, from the very outset. This is a considerable shift in emphasis from the current Government’s top-down approach, where once a project is signed off centrally it goes ahead whether it is what the local community wants or not. It will mean better arts and cultural centres, which are more closely tied to and respond and serve their communities better. These plans fit with our intention to creating a transparent, cost effective framework that allows the sector as a whole to thrive and not just survive.

Ed Vaizey hopes to become the new Culture Minister after the next general election. Here, he lays out his plans for the arts.

Local thinking

ED VaIzEy is Shadow Culture and Creative Industries Minister.

w www.shadowdcms.co.uk

There are both opportunities and threats for cultural organisations funded by local authorities

CALLING AN ARTIST:Beautiful little gallery, approx 567 sq ft, with gallery extension at the rear, that has been used both as a studio

and a workshop. Basement, office and kitchenette. Also delightful walled

garden. SUPERB LOCATION on Richmond Hill, a few minutes from the Thames. A1 and A2 use. Additionally,

a 2 bed maisonette above, with balcony and separate entrance.

BR+underground+bus service. TW10 6QX Offers over £1,100,000

0208940-2035 [email protected]


08

At its simplest, sustainability is the triple bottom line – economic, social and environmental. This means we begin by considering aspects such as environmental impact, carbon footprint and the disposal of waste. But working in tandem with ‘greening’ events, we need to look to the economic perspective. Festivals need to consider their financial feasibility in terms of what the market will pay for. In a recession, people demand more so we have to create events designed around the customer. To understand that market, we need to look first at those who live in the event location. The host population will find attending the event most convenient and will also be the ones to feel the most impact from it. If you have their buy-in, you have a base line of ticket purchasers and, potentially, a supportive base of advocates. No-one likes it when something is forced upon them so it makes sense to get the host population onside as quickly as possible. With Beach Break Live this year, the communication between the organisers and Cornwall Council broke down so far that a planning issue that should have been considered months in advance was not discussed until two weeks before the event. A lack of resolution meant that the entire event had to relocate from Cornwall to Kent.

EyES WIDE OPENWhen considering the broader market, we have to look at what is actually wanted, and whether we can deliver it within our financial and operational parameters. For example, when selecting a headline act, one needs to consider whether that act is a sufficiently attractive draw to the event. If a similar band is playing within 50 miles a week beforehand, your audience is going to be split and no-one gets the benefit. For an event to be a success, we have to consider what else is going on in parallel to

what our audience actually want. In the case of two-day music festival Falmouth Sound, it was developed without consideration of what else was happening. There was a long-established festival which included music in the same town only two weeks earlier, and it was well before the students at the university had returned. The festival had to be cancelled due to poor ticket sales. Understanding your market is vital to ensure that you programme and develop something that is actually wanted.

Great ideas need refining and, for large- scale projects, they need a group of people to make them a reality. The danger comes when people are so used to working together that they all think the same thing. An example of this is Killiow 2008, a week-long music festival scheduled for early September 2008 in Cornwall with performances from high-profile classical artists. The tent venue could hold over 800 audience members, plus corporate hospitality tables for a further 200. The tickets were more than £40 each and, unfortunately, the sales were so poor that the performances were cancelled, the project failed and went bankrupt, and a number of audience members did not get their money back. The organisers failed to realise that a week of classical concerts was not different enough to warrant the higher ticket price or unusual enough to be a must-see event, and this was because they were all thinking in the same way and not broadening their network or gaining feedback from their audience. This shows how the financial and social aspects of the triple bottom line are highly dependent on each other.

TAkE ROOTSo when we think about sustainability, we need to recognise that festivals are grown, and each time they take place we learn a little more and make it better. Festivals do not appear by magic and suddenly work and have a future. They require thoughtful, customer-focused design and awareness of the context that they are working in. Our market is saturated, so we need to help our audience realise why they have to come to our events. One way is to identify what we are trying to achieve right from the start. With all of our clients, we sit down and work out exactly what we want to achieve and the approach that we want it delivered with. Festivals and events need to have that deep awareness of their future, too. What do we want that future to be, how do we achieve it and how do we embody it in what we deliver? It’s time for us to aspire to greatness – from tiny acorns do great oaks grow.

How can festivals remain sustainable, especially in the current financial climate? Claire Eason-Bassett finds lessons to be learnt from recent failures and successes.

Festivals do not appear by magic and suddenly work and have a future

FEAtURE: FESTIVALS

Festival of sustainability

ClaIrE EaSon-BaSSEtt is a director of Event Cornwall, a professional events management company specialising in the arts and creative industries.

E [email protected] w www.eventcornwall.co.uk

this week Claire saw The Hanging Oak, a new opera written by Paul Drayton, which is touring churches. She also saw DV8’s latest offering at the Hall for Cornwall.

Music Truro is being developed year on year to a business plan to ensure sustainability and a viable future

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Outdoor arts festivals are about the whole community coming together, yet for Deaf and disabled people, they can seem out of bounds. The Independent Street Arts Network (ISAN) has been considering what organisers can do to improve access for Deaf and disabled audiences and artists. Disability-led arts organisation Attitude is Everything audited four events: Paradise Garden in London, Winchester Hat Fair, Stockton International Riverside Festival and St Paul’s Carnival, Bristol. The result is a practical toolkit that highlights what organisers can do to overcome the problems encountered by Deaf and disabled visitors, and how they can attract them as audience members.

Improving access need not break the budget. Organisers at the audited events have introduced inexpensive measures, such as making best use of volunteers – especially those

with skills such as British Sign Language – as well as training production staff to plan an accessible site. The key is to include access in the overall festival budget, rather than adding it on at a later stage. Promoting the event’s accessibility and working with local disability groups are undoubtedly important, but the best way to increase Deaf and disabled audiences is to programme Deaf and disabled artists. This makes Deaf and disabled artists visible to the wider community. At Paradise Gardens, organisers programmed Heart n Soul’s The Beautiful Octopus Club, led by artists with learning disabilities. It was the first time the club had been to a mainstream event and it attracted large numbers of Deaf and disabled people. There are increasing numbers of Deaf and disabled-led companies making outdoor work. The toolkit draws on the experience of Liberty, London’s annual Deaf and disability arts festival, and Shape, a disability arts organisation which commissions work from Deaf and disabled artists. It also links to ISAN’s advocacy programme, which brings artist and producers together to improve understanding, and increase the number of Deaf and disabled artists performing outdoors. Making our festivals more accessible for Deaf and disabled audiences and

artists is complex. However, once organisers start seriously considering access they view their events quite differently. After all, we organise festivals to bring the whole community together – it hurts to realise that some have been excluded for no other reason than their access needs not being considered.

JUlIan rUDD is Co-ordinator for ISAN, an independent group of presenters and promoters of street arts from around the UK. ISAN’s access toolkit will be available as a download in December, and will be published in spring 2010.

E [email protected] w www.streetartsnetwork.org.uk

Julian Rudd explains how outdoor events can be made more accessible for Deaf and disabled audiences and artists.

I relish the challenge of ensuring that our programmes balance our need for income with our artistic and social objectives. Cheltenham runs four major festivals with ticket sales of over 160,000. Our festivals are Jazz in early May, Science in June, Music in July and Literature in October. Our turnover this year will be £3,322,000. Our regular grant from the Arts Council is £223,000, and we receive a cash grant of £109,000 from the local council. In addition, the council helps keep our overheads down by providing in-kind support, mainly as IT provision and a subsidised rate for use of its box office. Our offices are provided by HSBC as a sponsorship arrangement. We need to

generate 90% of our income from fundraising, sponsorship, merchandise and ticket sales. We raised £2,604,000 in 2009, and our target for 2010 is £2,722,000.

The first festival, Music, was established by the council in 1945. Although responsibility for it was transferred to a separate charitable company in 1948, the relationship continued, with the festivals sharing its staff and services. Between 2005 and 2007 we underwent a gradual separation from the council, and it withdrew £230,000 of annual funding progressively over a 4-year period. To secure the independent future of the Festivals, a one-off £500,000 grant from the council was paid to us over three years, to build our staff base, move offices and improve our technical infrastructure. This grant has transformed what we have been able to achieve and shows the benefit of providing organisations with large capacity-building grants. Our turnover has grown at an annual rate of 14% from 2005 to 2009, not including the infrastructure grant. At times, I would have liked to have changed the organisation faster. But in a not-for-profit organisation, unlike a business

of similar size, there are a lot of stakeholders to take with you.

All successful fundraising requires vision, talented staff, a pool of prospective funders and time. The talented marketing, fundraising and artistic staff must work together in an equal partnership. The time between identifying a prospective funding partner and getting the cheque can be up to three years. The rich potential of the festivals had been underexploited in the past. I was in the right place at the right time, with the right set of business and fundraising skills and a love of changing and sorting things out. The most important thing was to create a dynamic and enterprising senior management team. Our journey has been supported by a number of key board members, freelance programme directors and some excellent advisors. They all share our vision of using our creative business sense to build festivals offering real benefits to society.

Donna Renney analyses how a major festival has managed its funding through developing relationships and planning for change.

CASE StUDIES

FEStIvAL FINANCE

OUt AND AbOUt

Festival of sustainability

Donna rEnnEy is Chief Executive of Cheltenham Festivals.

w www.cheltenhamfestivals.com

The Beautiful Octopus Club at Paradise Gardens

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In July, Demos published a collection of essays called ‘Expressive Lives’. It is based on the idea that through culture we find our place in the world, and that the choices we make in relation to what culture we consume and what we create help us to connect with others who share our opinions, ideas and beliefs. Culture is also a space in which we generate new values and responses to the world around us. The idea of ‘expressive life’ was first put forward by Bill Ivey in his book, Arts Inc. Ivey was Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts under Bill Clinton, and went on to lead the transition team for the arts and humanities for Barack Obama. He argues that seeing cultural and creative engagement as expression helps us to approach policy-making – and the values attached to cultural and creative engagement – in a different way. Culture and creativity seem to be at a remove from issues such as social cohesion or security, but thinking of them as expression makes it clear that they are much more important than might at first appear.

In his essay in the pamphlet, Ivey talks in terms of “heritage” and “voice”. Heritage is the nexus of signs and symbols that constitute our sense of belonging, continuity community and history. Voice is the realm of individual expression where, as he puts it, “we can be autonomous, personally accomplished and cosmopolitan”. Heritage “reminds us that we belong”, and voice offers the promise of what we can become.

Thinking in terms of “expressive life” challenges current structures of cultural policy, which should be about far more than simply the provision of cultural services. Cultural and creative engagement is a central and often formative part of our public realm. They are concepts to represent and reflect, rather than provisions to ration out.

A BROAD VIEWChapter authors in ‘Expressive Lives’ ranged from the directors of major institutions, like the Royal Opera House and the National Portrait Gallery, to voices representing aspects of our

cultural lives such as online creative production and the kind of music created using different technologies. They respond to the idea of ‘expressive life’ examining what it means in their particular sphere of activity and how it relates to their experience. Expression runs throughout all these forms, but it is rare that they are seen in the same light.

Historically, intellectual property is seen in commercial or industrial terms. Ministers concern themselves with how long an individual or company has the rights to profit ensuing from an idea or cultural product. Intellectual property is not often thought of in the same way as a castle or a museum, or vice versa. While respecting the commercial rights of individual performers and artists, the idea of the expressive shows that intellectual capital must be thought of as being social as well as fiscal. It is part of what makes up our heritage, and equitable access to that is a basic right of citizenship.

SPACE TO THINkWorking with a commitment to facilitate and enfranchise expression would also help policy-makers to think differently about the role of cultural institutions – be they local theatres or museums, major national institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, or online such as YouTube. They are democratic organs that generate and reflect expression and should be thought of not only as contributing to an economy, but also as necessary parts of the public realm. On the one hand, this points to a new role for arts and cultural institutions and allows them to talk about their value on their own terms, rather than making the case in relation to economic and social agenda. On the other, it presents a challenge to existing concepts of expertise and provision. As important spaces in which people can access the culture produced by others, either in the past or present, cultural institutions have the responsibility of ensuring that beliefs and attitudes are represented equitably.

The right and opportunity to create must equally be spread across society. This requires ensuring that the material from which to create and experience new expressions of value and belief is freely available both in terms of access and recognition. In this reckoning, concepts that

privilege one cultural form over another – for example, the shibboleth of ‘high’, versus the stigmatisation of ‘low’ culture – go out of the window. The ability to create and experience expressive forms is as basic a democratic right as a cross in a ballot box or freedom of speech.

Expressive Lives is an attempt to change the terms of policy debate. It is important to do so now not as an attempt to win arguments come the spending review, but to ensure that we have a settlement between the cultural sector and policy that truly recognises just how important culture and creativity are to our lives. Every day we encounter a greater intensity of cultural forms than ever before. From the posters we see for films, to the food we eat and the cultures we experience in the media and online, they open us to new values and new experiences. Cultural policy must respond to this reality and enable expressive lives.

Samuel Jones summarises ‘Expressive Lives’, which looks at how to gain a commitment to facilitating the personal expression of culture and creativity.

Expressive Lives10

tHE EXtRACt

SaMUEl JonES is a researcher for the think-tank Demos. Expressive Lives, edited by Samuel Jones, is available for download.

w www.demos.co.uk/publications/expressive-lives

this week Sam read Gore Vidal’s ‘Washington DC’, spoke at a conference on conservation in Salzburg (and took the chance to buy an Austrian cookery book and look at the Cathedral), and has signed up to record a home-taping album at hmtpng.com.

the ability to create and experience expressive forms is a basic democratic right


There are two diversity issues which come up in every intervention or conversation we have with clients: how to reflect local and national diverse communities in both employee and customer or audience profiles; and positive discrimination. Moving towards positive action nearly always creates a sense of injustice among existing staff and customers, though this may not be expressed out loud. There is also often a lack of accurate information about, and communication of, diversity initiatives, along with the prevalence of some enduring myths. Once recognised, these issues are easily addressed. If the leaders of our organisations can ensure that all managers, staff and especially those at senior levels with a diversity portfolio, understand these barriers and why they need addressing, support for the overall plan and subsequent diversity outcomes will follow. Generally speaking, arts organisations perceive themselves and their audiences to be more liberal-minded than the general run. However, this mind-set may require examination.

THE RIGHT quALIFICATIONSIt has long been established that the key requirement or goal of any equality and diversity programme is to broadly reflect the staff and customer profile of the communities the company wishes to serve. The first issue relates to both recruitment and customer profiles, and goes something like this: “We don’t care if people are white, blue, green or purple; we employ anyone so long as they are qualified to do the job.” This is then followed by: “Of course we would offer any suitably qualified person a role, but they just don’t apply.” Sometimes this reflects a view that diversity is

only about colour (though not white colour), or race and ethnicity.

Many people consider that the ‘Golden Rule’ means treating people the way you would like to be treated. This assumes that everyone knows about your company, product or service equally, and has equal access to and experience of it. This approach served us quite well for a very long time. Or did it? Not so very long ago the acceptable norm was to keep people with disabilities, ‘unwed mothers’ and gay people out. ‘Different’ needs were far less of an issue. There are recognisable symptoms of our unease during our adaptation to change, and they are often seen in defensive responses.

BAA BAA RAINBOW SHEEPAddressing equality and diversity often creates a backlash. It’s sometimes quite mild, but we are often asked to help when the backlash has grown and distorted the issues. After a while it becomes easy to spot the symptoms. We need to develop intelligent responses to well-meaning comments such as: “You can’t say ‘black’ bin bag; it’s a refuse sack”, or “Don’t say ‘brainstorm’ – someone with epilepsy might object,” or similar half-serious quips about ‘political correctness gone mad’. Unfortunately, this attitude can act as a red herring, throwing people off the trail of what equalities and diversity really mean, and at worst can be a persistent barrier to progress. Unless employees in particular are very confident, such symptoms will undermine the great work we invest in.

We must also comply with the law, by avoiding institutional discrimination and upholding human rights. This means a duty of care to protect staff from manifestations of casual prejudice, but that can open up a range of very tricky issues including what is or is not offensive, and potential censorship.

THE PLuS SIDEChallenge number two is positive discrimination. Will a company which has established that it is currently ‘under-representative’ in either one or both areas

(employees or customers) now be expected to ‘positively discriminate’ against white candidates in favour of Black or Asian candidates? In fact, this is illegal, and would be poor practice even if it were not. It is unfair to all the relevant parties, and especially for the successful candidate, who then has to deal with the assumption that ‘they only got the job because...’ The key is not positive discrimination, but positive action.

In fact, most companies are already carrying out considerable positive action. They are responsible, forward thinking and ethical. Regularly working in schools in outreach programmes; mentoring women on a fast track into senior management; advertising apprenticeships through networks used by underrepresented minorities; offering free use of space to community organisations they wish to attract; ensuring that local businesses get fair access into their supply chains; having key meetings at accessible times; undertaking equal pay reviews; visiting community venues and speaking to prospective audiences about what they would like to see and so on. It’s usually only when diversity or the phrase ‘positive action’ is mentioned that the drawbridge goes firmly up.

Ask yourself this: Is our culture one where we treat people the way we want to be treated, or do we treat everyone according to their individual need? If it’s the latter, ask yourself: how do we know what it is that people need? Is your organisation one where people are allowed to be themselves, regardless?

Positive thinking11MANAGEMENt FILE:

DIVErSITy

Ensuring diversity is about more than maintaining a liberal mindset – it starts with tackling underlying attitudes writes Julie Kaya.

JUlIE Kaya is Joint Managing Director of DiverCity UK, an organisation which promotes and supports diversity.

t 0121 607 1793

12

BRuCE kIRkLANDNew Zealand Students Arts Council (NZSAC) was the fun department of the NZ University Students Association. Bruce gave me my first job, as Assistant Director NZSAC. The two of us ran a huge annual national programme that included music, film, literature and theatre across the tertiary education campuses in NZ. From Bruce I learned to rethink and challenge the possibilities of form, artform and presentation.

CuNNING STuNTS Working with this extraordinary collective of women, who created formally challenging cross-discipline performance that delighted audiences across Europe, was a lesson in how to work close-up with creative and innovative people. Likewise with IMPACT Theatre Co-op. It made me acutely aware of the challenges the funding system presents for supporting and developing important emerging work and companies. I am not convinced that the system has sorted these challenges even now. Happily, when the members of these two companies went their own ways, almost all of them developed influential independent practices, but I still miss the companies’ work.

LEV DODINI am privileged that my work has enabled me to work with inspirational and courageous artists and organisations around the world. I was fortunate in seeing The Maly Theatre’s ‘Stars in the Morning Sky’ in Moscow in 1987, and I invited them to Glasgow’s Mayfest where I was Artistic Director. Lev and his company were hugely committed artists who were making work of social and political significance within a regime which did not countenance dissent. I am in awe of the artists who take on the status quo, often at great personal cost, hoping to make their world (and ours) a better place.

FAITH SINGHFaith set up the Jaipur Virasat Foundation (JVF) in Rajasthan to work with traditional artists to provide livelihoods through traditional arts and crafts. I worked as a consultant with JVF for three years, building programmes and events to this brief. There is little or no cultural infrastructure in India, and creating festivals and artworks is largely reliant on private patronage. Faith’s struggle is monumental, but several of JVF’s projects are now delivering on the original aims, including: the Jaipur Literature Festival, the Jaipur International Festival and the Rajasthan International Folk Festival in Jodhpur. She is a visionary who creates new models for the development and delivery of social regeneration through cultural practice.

JuDITH kNIGHT AND GILL LLOyDJude and Gill are peers, colleagues and friends. Artsadmin’s work is inspirational and a benchmark for all of us producing, supporting and promoting contemporary arts practice.

Di Robson introduces the people who have inspired her most during her career

MY GURUS

DI roBSon is an independent cultural producer, Co-director of artevents, and runs Di Robson Events and Arts Management (DREAM). She is the Producer for the Royal Borough of Chelsea’s Olympic Event in Exhibition Road.

E [email protected] w www.artevents.info

DanceXchange, on behalf of the Centre for Advanced Training for South Asian and Contemporary Dance, with delivery partner sampad, South Asian Arts, and supported by the DCSF, Music and Dance Scheme, is seeking two consultants.

PR Consultant for the Centre for Advanced Training for South Asian and Contemporary Dance

Consultancy Fee: £6,000, inclusive of expenses Deadline for submissions: 8 January 2010Interview date: 1 February 2010Time frame: February to December 2010

Research Consultant to explore progression routes for dancers focussing on the South Asian styles of Kathak and Bharatanatyam

Consultancy Fee: c. £20K inclusive of expensesDeadline for submissions: 7 December 2009Interview date: 14 December 2009Time frame: January to March 2010

Further information can be found on the jobs section of our website: www.dancexchange.org.uk or for more information call 0121 689 3170.dx is an equal opportunities employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community.

Invitation to Tender

Get your message across with the Arts Services Guide

Can Clients find you easily?

ARTS SERVICES GUIDE the Sector’S product And ServiceS directory

As little as £40 will get you seen in print and online To find out more about being featured in the Arts Services Guide, call Paul or Tricia on 01223 200200 or email [email protected]

• deliver your message throughout the sector

• Tell our 23,000 readers about your products and services

• Be seen by up to 40,000 visitors each month at www.artsprofessional.co.uk

Book your place

By 15 January


13

rECrUITMENT ADVErTISING 01223 200200

CONFERENCES AND TRAiNiNG

19 & 23 January

MUSICal InSpIratIonS A two-day conference for practitioners working with children and young people with special needs. Day 1 will be a held at The Sage Gateshead and will involve a variety of workshops, discussion groups and live performances. Day 2 will be held at Newcastle University and will explore practical research on issues and ideas for the classroom.» For further details and bookings please visit www.musicleader.net or email [email protected]

THE SAGE GATESHEAD AND

NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITy

1 DeceMber oVErVIEw of artS awarD for ManagErS This half-day course is for managers planning to oversee, fundraise for and or manage an Arts Award project. At the course you will get familiar with the framework and practical aspects of running Arts Award, hear about the benefits of the Arts Award and how it fits with other accredited courses, initiatives and policies and get to ask questions about how the Arts Award may work in your particular setting. Cost £85.» To find out more www.artsaward.org.uk/booktraining 020 7820 6178 [email protected]

SHEFFIELD

noV - Dec artS awarD BronzE anD SIlVEr aDVISEr traInIng (VarIoUS DatES) A one-day course in delivering the Arts Award, a national qualification which supports young people 11-25 to develop as artists and arts leaders. Advisers support, mentor and assess young people taking the award. Arts Award offers a useful framework for arts activities and projects with young people. The course covers how to deliver and assess the Arts Award and involves presentation, case studies and discussion. Cost £130.» To find out more www.artsaward.org.uk/booktraining 020 7820 6178 [email protected]

UK-WIDE

noVeMber – February (VariouS DateS)

grEat traInIng opportUnIty froM MUSIClEaDEr SoUth wEStSound Value & Singing Fields led by Chloe Goodchild at Colston Hall’s new foyer. Bring the spirit of sound and song into your music leading. The essential principles and vocal practices of Chloe’s pioneering Naked Voice Methodology. Workshop 1 – 28 November 2009: Love Your Voice, Love Your Self. Workshop 2 – 16 January 2010: Accessing your Sound Values. Workshop 3 – 13 February 2010: Building a Singing Field in Your School.» Please email [email protected], call 0117 922 3530 or visit www.musicleader.net

COLSTON HALL, BRISTOL

A candidate brief can be downloaded from www.odgers.com/30014 or telephone quoting reference NAO/30014AP.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Six Figure Salary | Closing date 30 Nov ’09

Wales Millennium Centre, opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 2004, has alreadygained a reputation as a national and international leader in the presentation ofworld-class productions and cultural events.

Since opening it has also become an iconic landmark, attracting some 7 million visitors,making it one of the most visited cultural attractions outside of London. On Cardiff’swaterfront, the Centre comprises a 1900 seat lyric theatre, a studio theatre, dance house,350 seat recital hall, extensive free performance spaces and retail outlets / restaurants.

It is also a powerhouse of creativity, being home to eight arts organisations, includingWelsh National Opera and BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

The Role:• To build on the Centre’s success, leading

it to the next stage in its developmentthrough a visionary approach, balancingartistic ambition with commercialrealities and financial discipline.

The Candidate:• Show a proven track record of

successful management in a creativeand commercial environment, with areputation for excellence.

• Demonstrate outstanding leadership,communication and interpersonal skills.

11 Hanover Square, London W1S 1JJ

0845 1309005 www.odgersberndtson.co.uk


rECrUITMENT ADVErTISING 01223 20020014

Director Lighthouse, the leading arts agency in the South East for moving image and digital practice, wishes to appoint a Director.

To lead on policy and strategic development and to ensure that Lighthouse is at the forefront of the digital debate, both regionally and nationally.Salary: £36K

Closing date: 30 November 09Interviews: 11 December 09For an application pack go to: www.lighthouse.org.uk /about/jobs.htm Lighthouse is an equal opportunities employer.

HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND HARD WORKING, WITH AN EYE FOR DETAIL? LIKE MAKING THINGS HAPPEN? Morris Hargreaves McIntyre is a Manchester based, award-winning strategic marketing and research consultancy specialising in the cultural and leisure sectors. Due to rapid expansion, we are looking for exceptional individuals to strengthen our friendly and creative team.

Closing date for applications is 10:00am, 23rd November 2009. For details please go to http://www.lateralthinkers.com/recruitment/

Business Development ExecutivePart-time • 25 hours per week over 5 days • £23k (pro rata)

A role for a talented, confident and assertive “self-starter” with an entrepreneurial approach. We are looking for someone who can help drive a professional approach to the winning and development of new business and customer relationship management. Please note this is not a sales job.

Marketing Manager Part-time • 14 hours per week in the first instance • £30k (pro rata)

This new marketing appointment requires a creative individual with proven experience in marketing. We are looking for someone to proactively market our products and services and raise our profile within the UK and internationally.

Field Assistant Full-time • £16k

This is a role suited to a highly organised individual with some experience in market research. Working with the Field Controller you will co-ordinate fieldwork and ensure projects are conducted to a high professional standard.

THEATRE GENERAL MANAGER

An exciting opportunity for an experienced and dynamic General Manager to run a

330 seat community theatre and performing arts centre

staffed by volunteers. For details of the

opportunity and how to apply go to

www.thwaitesempire theatre.co.uk

Closing Date: 23 November Interviews 2/3 December 2009

Thwaites Empire Theatre Ltd, Aqueduct Road, Ewood, Blackburn BB2 4HT

www.thwaitesempiretheatre.co.uk

Do you know a tweet from a t**t? Good at SEM rather than S&M (although we don’t mind what you get up to in your spare time)?….then this is the job for you.

Arts and Theatres Trust Fife are looking for an enthusiastic, creative and lively individual who can take forward the development of our external communications, in particular rapid expansion of all digital marketing for our four venues, plus a range of other creative projects across Fife.

For further details and a job application pack please go to our website (we know it needs work but that’s why we need you): www.attfife.org.uk or contact Anne Chalk, AttFife, Rothes Halls, Rothes Square, Kingdom Centre, Glenrothes, Fife KY7 5NX or [email protected]

AttFife is an Equal Opportunities Employer and offers the additional benefits of Final Salary Pension scheme and a minimum of 24 days holiday + bank holidays.

Vacancy Reference Number: Att/010/09Closing date: 20th November 2009

Arts and Theatres Trust FifeCommunications and Digital Media OfficerSalary: £20,010 to £22,845

Responsible for the effective development and implementation of marketing and media strategies, you will be an enthusiastic and experienced marketing professional with excellent communication

and IT skills and a genuine interest in the arts and music.

Closing date for applications: Thursday 3rd DecemberFor an information pack, please contact Rosalind Becroft on

0131 478 8333, email [email protected] or visit www.sco.org.uk/vacancies

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra strives to be an equal opportunities employer. Charity No. SC015039 www.sco.org.uk

Marketing and coMMunications Manager

Press and Media Officer£20,500 - £29,000 (based Cardiff)You will play a key role in communicating the Council’s aims and achievements. You will have excellent communication skills, in both Welsh and English, with a creative flair for copy writing and generating coverage. As first point of contact for media enquiries you will already have contacts within the national and local media necessary to fulfil this role.

Our benefits include flexible working hours, generous holidays and a final salary pension. For further details and an application form, please visit our website at www.artswales.org.ukClosing date: Noon, Friday 27 November 2009Interview Date: Monday 14 December 2009The Arts Council of Wales has an Equal Opportunities Recruitment Policy. It warmly welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

The Nuffield makes award winning theatre, performed in Southampton and on tour. We are currently recruiting for the following vacancy:

PARTICIPATION DIRECTOR (Full Time)

The Participation Director will play an key role in developing, co-ordinating and directing the company’s youth theatre, community pcommunity projects and education programmes. S/he will be an experienced practitioner and will be able to demonstrate a passion for and imaginative interest in the performing arts. Closing Date: 10 December | Salary: £19,297For an application pack, visit www.nuffieldtheatre.co.ukor contact Alison Thurley: 023 8031 5500 ex.205 or email [email protected]

The Nuffield Theatre is taking positive action for equal opportunities and actively encourages applicants from Black, Minority Ethnic and Disabled People.

Business Development Manager £19,000 pro rataPart - time - 21 hours per week

Develop our Crickhowell building as an arts hub for the Usk Valley

For further details visit www.artsalivewales.org.uk or call 01873 811579 Closing date: 30 November

Don’t take any chances!

Advertise today and find the right person for the job!For a quote email

[email protected] or call Paul or Tricia on

01223 200200

The next issue will be published onMonday, 30 NovemberBook your advertising by noon Tuesday, 24 November

Call 01223 200200


rECrUITMENT ADVErTISING 01223 200200 15

Director £45,000 (12 month maternity cover)

artsdepot is looking to recruit a Director. Applications are sought from strongly qualified candidates.

To apply, please download the application form and job description: www.artsdepot.co.uk. Application replies to: [email protected]

We regret that we are unable to respond to every application. If you do not hear, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.

Application closes: 12pm Wednesday 25 November. First Interviews: Tuesday 1st December. Employment Start date: Monday 1st February 2010

is a rural touring theatre company based in the New Forest since 1981. The recently appointed Artistic Director and CEO, Kirstie Davis, has exciting plans for the future and is looking for a dynamic partner from April 2010 to fill the new post of:

General Manager £25,000-£27,000To lead the company’s tour bookings, finances and fundraising.

For an application pack or informal discussion about the role please telephone Kirstie or Karen on 01425 470188 or email [email protected] or visit our website www.forestforge.co.uk

Closing date for applications: Friday, 4 December

Forest Forge is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community including BME backgrounds and disabled applicants.

Marketing Officer37.5 hours per week £17,000 – 19,000 p.a plus benefits

Working as part of the Marketing and Development Department you will be at the centre of marketing activity across the organisation. Your role will be to devise, plan and implement marketing campaigns that develop audiences and maximise sales.

We are looking for someone with creative flair who has the energy and enthusiasm to lead on a large number of campaigns at any one time. The successful candidate should have at least 2 years marketing experience within a cultural environment.

Visit www.lighthousepoole.co.uk for further information and application or call Human Resources 0844 406 8666.

Closing date 30th November 2009

Lighthouse strives to be an equal opportunities employer and is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community.

Development OfficerThe London Sinfonietta is seeking a motivated and enthusiastic individual to join a small, dedicated team in the role of Development Officer. Take a leading role in fundraising for a dynamic, cutting edge organisation, developing income streams from Trusts & Foundations, individual giving and business sponsorship.

A perfect opportunity for anyone wanting to move into the contemporary arts sector and develop their career in a supportive environment.

For full details of the role and information on how to apply please visit www.londonsinfonietta.org.uk or call 020 7239 9340.

Closing date for applications: Monday 23rd November First interviews will be held on: Friday 27th November

QUICKSILVER at THE NEW DIORAMA THEATRE is recruiting a

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

AfterAfter 30 years of national touring, Quicksilver is relocating to a brand new purpose built studio theatre in the Euston area of Camden (London), opening a way to vast new opportunities. The successful candidate will support three principle strands of work – participatory arts projects, theatre productions and building management – with a particular emphasis on financial planning and project fundraising.

Salary is in line with industry standards (£24K +), but in the final instance will depend on the experience and career history of the successful candidate.

ForFor an application pack contact the CEO [email protected] or phone 020 7241 2942

Deadline for applications: 27th November 2009: Interviews: week of 30th November 2009

www.quicksilvertheatre.org

Voluntary Arts EnglandCO-ORDINATOR (37.5 hpw / £32,086 pa) Newcastle upon Tyne

Voluntary Arts IrelandCHIEF OFFICER (30 hpw / £32,086 pro rata) Northern Ireland

Voluntary Arts, the UK & Ireland development agency for the voluntary and amateur arts, is seeking a Coordinator for Voluntary Arts England and a Chief Officer for Voluntary Arts Ireland to provide strategic leadership and ensure that the voluntary and amateur arts are represented to policy makers, funders and politicians.

Deadline: 5pm, Thursday 26th November.

Download application packs from www.voluntaryarts.org. Our appointments are based solely on ability to fulfil the duties of the post. VA Equal Opportunities Policy is available in the application pack. Charity No. SC 020345

Global Arts Kingston: appointment of Arts Development Manager CLOSING DATE: 31 DECEMBER 2009

Global Arts is continuing its ambitious development programme and is seeking to appoint a dynamic Arts Development Manager to help develop opportunities for BME artists and organisations in Kingston and neighbouring boroughs. S/he will help organise events, make funding applications and manage the work of Global Arts. Key projects include Kingston Carnival, a youth arts programme and Bollywood shows. Average two-days per week worked flexibly with opportunities to work further hours on specific projects for which funding is achieved. Global Arts is a registered charity, no. 1127374 and receives strategic funding from Kingston Council. The post is likely to suit a self-employed person based in south west London.

Remuneration: £15,000 p.a. – average 2 days per week worked flexibly. Interviews will be held on the afternoon / early evening of Tuesday 12 January.

For further information, please contact Global Arts Kingston via email: [email protected] Telephone 0750 302 6469 http://www.globalarts.org.uk/

3 for the price of 1Your ad…1. Appears in AP magazine which is read by around 23,000 people

2. Is listed in a range of email bulletins which are now sent to more than 21,000 self-registered recipients every week

3. Is featured on the www.artsjobfinder.co.uk and www.artsprofessional.co.uk

websites where more than 25,000 registered job-hunters see at least 6 ads every time they visit.

Why advertise elsewhere?

Go on... think outside the boxAdvertise

today!For a quote email

[email protected] call Paul or Tricia

on 01223 200200


LASt WORD

A richer tapestry It’s tempting to wonder whether the Government’s statistics on engagement with the arts, revealed in the latest Taking Part survey (p2), can be in any way meaningful. They’re based on 2,622 interviews carried out over a year, in which children are asked “about their engagement and non-engagement in cultural activities during the 12 months prior to the interview”. The figures, showing percentages largely in the upper 90’s, seem encouraging, but we need to realise that each child who is counted as having engaged with an artform might only have done so once in the past 12 months. Therefore, one of the 87.7% per cent of 5–10 year-olds who ticked the box marked ‘reading and writing’ (defined as “writing stories, plays or poetry, reading books for pleasure, taking part in a reading club and listening to authors talk about their work”) might have ploughed through ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ on a single occasion in a whole year, while another might have devoured a good-sized children’s novel every week. One 10 year-old, ticking the ‘music’ box, might have learned one simple song, while another has passed Grade 4 on an instrument and is making up their own music. In other words, the statistics do not give any depth or reality to the variety of children’s cultural experience, and cannot home in on the gaps in opportunity and provision which we all know are there. Even the ‘five hours a week’ measure

is not going to tell us anything about quality or richness. We can’t say that these are lies, but they have so little meaning that they might as well be. We must hope that our politicians will continue to acknowledge the importance of educational opportunity in the arts, but we can’t be sure that the Government’s reliance on this kind of data is going to prove a useful tool in measuring any progress.

The new divide? Ben Bradshaw, our be-quiffed Culture Secretary, made an interesting observation following the first meeting of ‘c&binet’ last month (p3). Seeing an impromptu ‘alternative conference’ of people from less well-established organisations in the foyer, he pointed to “the age-old and creative tensions between the bigs and the smalls, or the young and the old”. We’ve noticed these in the arts world too – and many small or young companies reading about the new RFO criteria may be dreaming of security and recognition. (Whether this perception of RFO status is correct or not we will leave to history to answer.) Our grapevine has also yielded anecdotal evidence that the small and the young are suffering disproportionately from the recession – losing survival-level funding or finding tour bookings cancelled because their names aren’t big enough to obviate box office risk.

Along with subscriptions, AP’s ability to remain independent is due to the revenue we make from recruitment advertising. With a readership in excess of 22,500 arts professionals, and email bulletins going out to 23,000 people every week, we can help you reach the highest calibre candidates. Our Sales and Operations Manager, Paul Minett, is your first point of call. He can offer advice on everything from layout to ad sizing, copy editing to salary levels, and then put together a unique advertising package across print, web and email. Paul does the hard work to ensure that you attract the very best applicants for your vacancy. He is ultimately responsible for the production of all the advertising pages – making sure everything is published accurately and to the highest possible standard.

Paul is also responsible for the production of AP’s Arts Services Guide, the ‘Who’s Who’ of arts products and services. The Guide provides an indispensable

reference point for anyone looking for new products, wanting help with projects, looking for training opportunities or trying to find suitable advisers. If you’d like to be featured in the next Guide, give Paul a call – the deadline is 15 January.

E [email protected] t 01223 200200

Catherine Rose, Editor

Coming up with the goods

this week Catherine was poised to book tickets for the ENO’s double bill of Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle (one of her favourite operas) and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, but was completely put off by the reviews – specifically the descriptions of the production of the Bartók. Is this just prejudice?

Opinions expressed in ArtsProfessional, APe-mail and ArtsJobFinder are not necessarily those of the publishers and no responsibility is accepted for advertising content. Any material submitted for publication may be edited for reasons of style, content or available space.

Meanings will not be intentionally altered without permission from the author.

All right reserved. Reproduction of any parts of the magazine, email bulletins or websites is not allowed without permission of the publishers and any of the other copyright holders.

© ArtsProfessional 2009 ISSN 1474-385X

Editor Catherine Rose Editorial Co-ordinator Eleanor Turney Consultant Editor Liz Hill

Chief Executive Pam Henderson All correspondence ArtsProfessionalPO Box 1010HistonCambridgeCB24 9WH

Tel 01223 200200 Fax 01223 200201Skype ArtsProfessional Twitter @ArtsPro Email [email protected]

Publisher Brian Whitehead

Design templates Sugarfreedesign.co.uk

Designer Isla Jordan

Sales Executive Tricia Bush

Sales and Operations Manager Paul Minett

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Web Manager Katie Atkinson

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Documents

Arts professional 206 (November 2009)