This site provides information for those interested in local arts in Britain and is also a professional development resource for nalgao members. The public area of the site carries news, a number of sample case studies and some resource material. We hope you find this useful. If you'd like to access the full site then see "how to join nalgao" - in the menu bar - for more information on our membership rates.

New Welsh Heritage Minister Appointed

Alun Ffred Jones has been appointed as Heritage Minister following the resignation of Rhodri Glyn Thomas. Jones was born in Brynaman and educated in the University of Wales, Bangor. Before his election, he was a Television director and producer for Ffilmiau`r Nant and, before that, he was a Welsh teacher and Head of Department and a journalist with HTV.   Alun Ffred Jones is the former Leader of Gwynedd County Council. His main political interests are in broadcasting, community development and the economy.  He speaks Welsh, English and French and enjoys theatre, sports and gardening.

Councils Get Cultural Leadership Call

The National Culture Forum is seeking applicants for a new cultural leadership programme specifically targeted at local government Heads of Service and Senior managers with culture in their remit.   The programme will help increase their skills and body of knowledge and help them lead their departments to success in the increasingly complex world they inhabit. Read the rest ...

Spending Survey, Your Evidence Needed

Over the past four years, nalgao has been effective in raising the issue of declining Local Authority arts budgets.   Thanks to our survey and articles in publications like Arts Professional and more recently Arts Industry , the think tank Demos has picked up on the issue and raised it with government ministers.  The message is slowly leaking out that local authority spending on the arts is significant and at risk.

We need to keep monitoring the trend to ensure that local arts services are protected.   We can only do that if local arts authority officers give us their spending projections and we can plot the trends.

With a looming recession, belts are going to get tighter and discretionary budgets could once again be at risk. Help nalgao project the trends and make the case.   Remember it could be your budget at risk.  The nalgao spending survey is downloadable from the Information and Library section of this website.  

Bespoke Arts Mark proposed for Wales

Arts Council Wales (ACW) has announced the results of steering group research into an Arts Mark type award scheme for schools in Wales. Until now only Cardiff has developed an Arts Mark type scheme.   But, reports ACW, there is interest right across Wales in such a scheme. The research has proposed a new scheme to encourage arts in Welsh schools
 – Expressive Schools Wales – and ACW has sent proposals to the Welsh Assembly Government for consideration.  A more detailed report on this matter can be found in the Member's area of this website under the policy issues menu. 

New study into amateur arts launched

Our Creative Talent: the voluntary and amateur arts in England
 
The largest study into the amateur and voluntary arts was unveiled at a conference in London on 2 July 2008. Commissioned by the DCMS in association with the Voluntary Arts Network (VAN), Arts Council England, nalgao and other bodies, ‘Our Creative Talent’ examines the nature, and contribution of this grassroots sector to the UK cultural ecology.  It also looks at the nature of Adult Education for the creative sector.  The report’s Executive Summary can be found in the Policy Issues section of this website and the complete report can be downloaded from:

http:// www.culture.gov.uk/ images/publications/ VoluntaryArtsreport.pdf

Regional Cultural Consortia Face Axe in Structural Shake Up

Culture Minister Margaret Hodge today announced plans to strengthen DCMS engagement in regional policy through a new, simplified and improved way of working which could involve the disappearance of the Regional Cultural Consortia after a nine year life span. For the first time, the DCMS's four key agencies in the regions - Arts Council England, Sport England, English Heritage and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council – will have a duty to work together to jointly deliver a core set of shared priorities across the culture and sport agenda.

However, whilst the Government has pledged to remove NDPB status and thus DCMS cash from Cultural Consortia from next April, this does not necessarily mean that they will automatically disappear. Read the rest ...