More Than a Moment: Action with and for Black creatives
To radically transform the West Midlands arts and culture sector.
Galvanised by Black Lives Matter, there is universal acknowledgement from across the region’s arts and cultural sectors that much work needs to be done to make organisations truly reflective of our communities; in leadership, in governance, in programming and audiences.
The time for action is now. During June 2020, a small working group including Black artists and leaders from arts organisations in the West Midlands, worked together to design More Than a Moment: Action with and for Black creatives – a programme of radical listening, reflecting and revision.
This programme from Culture Central is intended to bring the sector together with Black artists, employees, changemakers and communities, to co-create a pledge for radical and permanent change, and holding organisations accountable for driving this change.
Its initial focus is the Black creative workforce, with the aim to create a sector that is equitable and inclusive for all.
This process is intended to be the first step in a movement to reinvent a West Midlands arts sector which is truly representative of society as a whole, which is built around the conviction that art and creativity are for everyone.
Read more here. In summary the call to action are:
For Black creatives/ creative workforce in West Midlands:
- An open invitation to complete the anonymous online research form
and/ or - Book to attend the Radical listening session on 23 July
For leaders of arts and culture organisations in West Midlands:
- Book to attend one of the Radically listening, reflecting and moving forward sessions on 29, 30 July or 6 August
- Share the anonymous online research form
National Lottery Project Grants Reopen
Arts Council England (ACE) has announced that the Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants will reopen for applications on 22 July.
After a brief closure of the fund in the immediate aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis, ACE is pleased to say that National Lottery Project Grants will be back later in July.
ACE is making improvements to make the fund more responsive to the needs of smaller independent organisations and individual practitioners during Covid-19.
Updated guidance for the programme will be published by mid-July.
Bounce Forwards
The Audience Agency has developed Bounce Forwards, innovation services to help you re-group, re-open, and re-imagine.
Covid-19 has accelerated change in all aspects of our lives as never before. In its recent survey, colleagues asked The Audience Agency to help them anticipate that change, looking particularly at what audiences and communities want next; how to harness digital; when and how to re-open; the new business models we need.
Informed by its work on resilience, The Audience Agency has designed a package of accessible support and insight to help you to innovate in the face of new challenges. To bounce forwards, not back.
Click here to learn more.
Free Heritage Digital Project Launched
The Heritage Alliance’s new Heritage Digital project offers free training, masterclasses and guides to help heritage organisations make digital work for them.
Heritage Digital will focus on supporting heritage organisations across marketing, engaging audiences, intellectual property, data protection and online business tools and processes. Running until July 2021, the programme will support over 700 heritage organisations. All activities are free.
Staff, volunteers, trustees and freelancers associated with heritage organisations across the UK are eligible to take part.
Keep informed of all upcoming webinars, events and resources by registering on the Heritage Digital website.
Culture Reset – Applications Now Open
Culture Reset is a practical rapid response programme to inspire more relevant and impactful cultural organisations and practices in the UK. It will work with 192 arts and cultural producers, makers and directors.
Applications open now until 9 July at www.culturereset.org
Art Fund Announces £2m to Support Museums Through Crisis
Art Fund has announced additional funding supporting museums and galleries through reopening and beyond. This includes:
- £1.5m Respond and Reimagine Grants The grants might help organisations identify works at risk; ensure works or objects related to the pandemic are collected or commissioned; or support previously planned exhibitions to take place. They might support the improvement of digital skills and help raise income through digital, build staff confidence and adaptability, cover practical costs associated with re-opening, and preserve museum roles. The grants may also support museums unable to access sufficient public funding to prevent immediate insolvency.
- New strategic partnerships designed to help reach smaller museums at serious risk
- A £280,000 partnership with the Museum Development Network will distribute additional grants prioritising museums who have not yet received public funding and smaller museums fulfilling specific cultural or local needs
- £150,000 will be provided in seed funding for the newly established Museums and Galleries Network for Exhibition Touring to support an ambitious programme for co-curated, collections-based exhibitions to tour nationally
- £35,000 collaboration with Clore Leadership will support sector professionals to build skills, competencies and connections now and into the future
Its existing programme will also be bolstered with an additional £250,000 made available. Art Fund also has several free digital services available to support museums with ticketing, crowdfunding and audience engagement including Art Tickets and Art Happens.
Read the Art Fund press release in full.
MDN and Art Fund Covid-19 Recovery Funding
In a new and innovative partnership, Art Fund is contributing £280,000 to Museum Development recovery grant programmes. The funding will reach museums across all nations in the UK who have not yet received public funding or smaller museums fulfilling specific cultural or local need.
Open for applications from July 2020, the partnership will offer grants up to £10,000 depending on regional and national circumstances. The funding will support effective reopening, reengaging audiences and developing new sustainable offers as museums plan for reopening from 4 July 2020.
For full details, eligibility and application guidelines, contact your local MD provider. Links to all MD providers can be found on the Programmes page. In Wales, recovery grants will be distributed via the Federation of Museums and Galleries of Wales.
Historic England Announces Covid-19 Heritage at Risk Fund
Historic England has launched a second emergency fund to support the heritage sector recovery from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The fund, which will be up to £3 million, will award grants to those who care for some of England’s most significant historic sites to help fund urgent maintenance, repairs and investigations where the support is most needed. The business generated will help heritage specialists, whose livelihoods have been severely affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Grants of up to £25,000 will be offered to fix urgent problems at locally-cherished historic buildings and sites which are normally visited by the public, so that they can re-open as quickly as possible, subject to Covid-19 restrictions, and thrive once again. The funding can be used to address problems such as damaged roofs, masonry and windows, to hire scaffolding to prevent structural collapse, or commission surveys necessary to inform urgent repairs.
Applicants are invited to apply for grants of up to £25,000 towards a maximum project size of £30,000 for urgent minor repairs, maintenance or development works which must be started before 31 October 2020.
The deadline for expressions of interest is midnight on 28 June 2020. Those successful at this stage will be informed by 27 July 2020 and invited to submit a full application by 31 August 2020.
For full eligibility criteria and how to apply click here.
Digital Takeover Day
Join Kids in Museums to empower and involve young people in heritage through its annual Digital Takeover Day on 26 June.
Click here to find out more.
Arts Council England’s Covid Support and Resource Pages
Arts Council England (ACE) has a central resource of Covid Support and Resource pages on its website. These cover both Government and wider support for Organisations and Individuals, are consistently updated and produced in consultation with DCMS.
Two current key points are:
- Recent Changes Furlough Scheme – The final day to register an employee on the scheme is 10 June.
- Future Re-Opening Guidance – With the easing of the national lockdown, both the government and sector organisations are now bringing forward sector relevant guidance to help organisations plan for re-opening. At present universal Government guidance is available, however the ACE pages will be expanded as more specific guidance becomes available.
