Jobs at Kadam, developing South Asian dance, UK March 21, 2008

Kadam leads the debate on the development of south Asian dance as a form, connecting people and places, and encouraging the sharing of artistic values across cultures. At a time of exciting development for Kadam, we are seeking two experienced and self motivated individuals to join our team

Production Assistant/Sub Editor part-time

Pulse, the leading magazine for south Asian arts, is being relaunched this summer. The Production Assistant/Sub Editor will play a vital role in supporting the production, delivery and commercial development of the magazine. Experience of working in a publishing environment is essential.  Two days per week, £8,000.

Project Manager freelance

A freelance Project Manager is required to manage specific projects including the annual Kadam International Summer School and provide general administrative support on a flexible basis.

For an informal discussion and further details of both posts contact Sanjeevini Dutta, Director of Kadam at kadamdance AT aol.com or on 07905 268887.

Deadline for applications:    Tuesday 8 April

Interviews:                              Monday 14 April

Dance Writing and Criticism Opportunity, UK March 21, 2008

Opportunity…

Calling aspiring dance critics interested in study at Master’s level. The University of Chichester is running a Master’s module in Dance Writing and Criticism at Sadler’s Wells on selected Friday evenings between April and July, and during the day on some Saturdays in Chichester.  If you are interested, why not book a place on the introductory evening at Sadler’s Wells on Friday 4 April at 7pm?

For further information about the content of the course; dates and cost, and how the module will give you points towards a full MA, contact Ann Nugent at a.nugent at chi.ac.uk or talk to her on 01243 816489. Messages can also be left with Annemarie Nichols on 01243 816485.

Call for Proposals: B.C. Buds: a Spring Arts Fair January 11, 2008

Call for Proposals:

B.C. Buds: a Spring Arts Fair

The Firehall Arts Centre is pleased to announce the fourth annual B.C. Buds:
A Spring Arts Fair to be held May 16th thru 18th, 2008 at the Firehall.
For three days in May, the Firehall will present theatre, dance, music and
interdisciplinary artists in performances which will take place in the theatre, on the
outdoor stage, in the courtyard, studio, stairwells, offices and the many nooks and
crannies of the heritage arts centre.
BC Buds provides an opportunity for artists to try out new works and re-cultivate existing works while giving audiences an opportunity to explore and experience the arts in informal and unorthodox settings. All performances will be free.
B.C. Buds will pay a fee to artists for their work and will provide travel and
accommodation for out of town artists. A programming committee will work with
those applicants selected to determine the best on site location for their proposed
work.

What kinds of work are we in search of?
•    Works from all performing arts disciplines will be considered.
•    Works in length from five minutes to twenty minutes.
•    Works that can be staged in non-traditional ways in non-traditional
theatrical locations. For example: stairwells, offices, outdoor courtyard
area, on the fire pole.
•    Some programming suitable for children / families

Who can apply?
Applicants must be residents of British Columbia and must be actively pursuing a
Professional career in their artistic discipline. Individuals, companies, collectives
are all eligible to apply.

Application Forms are available by request
through the Firehall Arts Centre:
firehall@firehallartscentre.ca
Or call 604-689-0691
Deadline for receipt of application:   March 1st, 2008

Arts Debate – Arts Council England’s public value inquiry November 12, 2007

Arts debate

Learn about the findings from Arts Council England’s first ever public value inquiry!

An overall summary of arts debate findings now available

The arts debate, Arts Council England’s first ever public value inquiry, ran from October 2006 to September 2007. It involved a number of stages of in-depth research as well as an open consultation. During that period we learned an enormous amount about how different people value the arts and their views on arts funding in England.

We have now brought together the findings from all stages of the inquiry into an overall summary report, Public value and the arts in England: Discussion and conclusions of the arts debate, available on the summary & conclusions page.

You can also access detailed findings from each stage of the inquiry on the research & consultation page.

Next steps

We are currently taking time to reflect upon all that we have learned and to consider the implications for future policy and practice. We will also be sharing and debating the findings with our partners in the arts sector and beyond.

The Arts Council will be different as a result of the arts debate. We will use the next few months to develop a detailed response to the findings, combining:

• short term actions in our next corporate plan
• a long-term policy response to be published in spring 2008

More details on how we are responding to the arts debate will be available on this website in 2008. In the meantime, we would like to thank everyone who has helped us by supporting or taking part in the debate. Your contribution is making a difference.

Arts in Health and Well-being Strategy July 27, 2007

Arts in Health and Well-being Strategy

The Arts Council of Wales has published for public consultation a draft strategy on Arts in Health and Well-being

The strategy has been developed in partnership with a steering group of representatives from health, education, local government, the arts and Welsh Assembly Government, and chaired by Professor Stephen Tomlinson CBE (Provost, Cardiff University). Comments are invited on the direction and content of the strategy, which has been recognised as a significant step forward in valuing the impact of the arts within the health sector and the excellent work already being delivered across Wales. The deadline for comments is 20 September 2007. The document is available from www.artswales.org/viewnews.asp?id=621.

deadline: 20 September

unless people value something, the price is irrelevant November 19, 2006

This article comes from Fuel4Arts.com “Price is to blame? Understanding perceptions of value”

Written by Tim Baker,
Director, Baker Richards Consulting Ltd
www.baker-richards.com
United Kingdom, April 2006

“…unless
people value
something,
the price is
irrelevant.”

“… In the UK thousands of young men pay as much as £40 every week to watch
90 minutes of football. Would they pay the same to watch contemporary dance? Would they pay 10, or £5, or £1? For most of them, probably not. But price is not the issue, it’s the value they associate with the experience they’re being offered. We have to face the fact that many people don’t think that the arts offer them anything they value, and in that context the price is irrelevant. For most young men, contemporary dance may never offer value. There could be a case for arguing that the problem is actually that people don’t understand the value they could have from an artistic experience because it hasn’t been communicated effectively. However, the fact remains that unless people value
something, the price is irrelevant. One of the problems could be that those working in the sector tend to under-value what it is they’re offering. This lack of confidence has a number of causes, not least an inability to communicate value effectively, and is compounded by the effect of the perishability of most arts ‘products’: if you don’t sell it by curtain-up, you can’t put it on the remainder shelves. This often leads to indiscriminate last minute discounting, undermining perceptions of value among the people who work in the sector as well as the customers. However persuasive the argument, simply reducing prices will not on its own increase the range or number of people attending the arts. Instead, we need to develop a better understanding of what people value, and better skills at creating and communicating that value to them. If we can do that, a sophisticated pricing strategy can be used to maximise both access and income. “

-R

What works and what doesn’t November 16, 2006

Scottish Arts Council commissioned a report from engage Scotland, which was written by Dr Heather Lynch and called Mapping Interpretation Practices in Contemporary Art (published in May 2006).  Here’s one section.

 What works?
A number of factors were reported as significant in those projects described as successful in engaging viewers, these are as follows:

• The relevance and nature of the artwork itself
• The artist or another artist’s involvement to mediate some of the complexities of the work through workshops, films and talks
• Involvement of the audience either through the production of the interpretation materials or through interaction with gallery staff and resources
• Considered layout of the space for each exhibition
• Availability of a variety of resources such as film, still images and quality writing which gave access to the process.

What didn’t work?
Some of the same categories were mentioned in this section as in the above, demonstrating the complexity of issues involved in the development of interpretation resources, those most often noted were:

• Space, where there was a lack of consideration and/or unwelcoming staff
• Artists’ involvement in areas where they lack skills, such as talks and workshops
• Over reliance on text.

Talk about worthwhile knowledge to take forward in our explorations of audience development for contemporary dance in Canada! 

- R

Barriers to contemporary art November 16, 2006

This is a question that is widely debated in Scotland and England: what are the barriers to contemporary dance, and how do we help to overcome these barriers as artists and dance professionals?

Scottish Arts Council commissioned a report from engage Scotland, which was written by Dr Heather Lynch and called Mapping Interpretation Practices in Contemporary Art (published in May 2006). Here’s one section. Check out other sections in this blog also, in particular the post on ‘What works?’
Barriers to contemporary art
Contributors were invited to identify the range of barriers which may obstruct the wider public’s interest in and ability to access contemporary art. Those most frequently mentioned are as follows:
• Arts culture – Contributors described general public perceptions of contemporary art as elitist, inaccessible and irrelevant to most who are not directly involved in the arts.
• Viewer/potential viewer – A belief was expressed by a number of contributors that many viewers lacked previous experience of the arts which resulted in a lack of confidence and lack of knowledge as to how to engage with contemporary art.
• External – Much media representation of contemporary art was seen as damaging. Formal education was believed not to value the arts or visual literacy skills.
• Space – Geographical and physical accessibility were noted as spatial barriers. So too was the layout of the space and the general perception of arts spaces as uncomfortable, where people are unsure how to behave.

Stuff that makes you think… makes me think…

- R

Taking pART – audiences in Scotland November 16, 2006

The Scottish Arts Council has this two part report that looks at arts attendance, participation and attitudes in Scotland.

Volume 1 is the Main Report 

Volume 2 is Underrepresented Groups (including regional)

These were published in 2004, and are found on the Scottish Arts Council website.

Very interesting. How much of this material translates to our context in Canada? A fair bit, I’d say. But we can’t know until we undertake a similar study. Bring it on. We need it.

- R

Aus and NZ joining forces: turning data into audiences November 16, 2006

New arts marketing resource

This is posted on the Creative New Zealand website. Sounds great. I want a copy of the November publication! Anyone have an extra one? Know where to get one from?

- R 

Creative New Zealand and the Australia Council for the Arts are joining forces to publish an arts marketing resource, “FULL HOUSE: Turning Data into Audiences”.

The book will be published in November and will look at how data gathered through the ticketing process can be used to enhance sales, marketing, fundraising and relationships with customers. It will also include chapters focusing on the New Zealand context.

“FULL HOUSE: Turning Data into Audiences” is an updated version of the 1994 book “Boxing Clever”, published by Arts Council England. “FULL HOUSE” was written by Tim Roberts from Arts, Research and Ticketing Services in Australia, Roger Tomlinson from ACT Consultant Services in the UK, and Vicki Allpress, Marketing Manager for NBR New Zealand Opera.

The book will be launched during a series of lectures and workshops in Auckland (12 December), Wellington (14 December) and Christchurch (15 December). Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the book.