Arts & culture


Sundance to launch new London arts festival


PETE HAymAn


Robert Redford, the Sundance Institute and AEG Europe have unveiled plans to launch the Sundance London arts festival at the O2 Arena later this month. Te four-day event – to be held between


26-29 April – will feature film screenings and live music performances, as well as other public cultural programming. Sundance Institute, the organisation


behind the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, US, will curate the film component of Sundance London.


Arts groups learn funding fate PETE HAymAn


Arts Council England (ACE) has allocated funding to nearly 700 groups under its National Portfolio approach. Te introduction of the new


funding system was revealed last year against the backdrop of a 29.6 per cent drop in gov- ernment funding and will replace the Regularly Funded Organisations scheme. A total of 695 out of around


1,340 arts groups were suc- cessful in their applications for ACE support, with the agency announcing funding for 110 new organisations. While a number of organisations saw their


London’s Young Vic was one of the groups to receive increased funding


funding reduced or cut altogether, there were some that received an increase – such as the Young Vic and English Touring Opera. ACE chief executive Alan Davey said: “We do regret that we have been unable to fund


Te complex is poised to create hundreds of jobs


£3.9m Penarth Pavilion scheme approved


PETE HAymAn


A £3.9m project designed to restore and transform a Grade II-listed pier pavilion in Penarth, South Wales, has been approved by the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Penarth Arts and Craſts is leading efforts


to turn the Victorian property into a multi- use facility for the town, which will boast a cinema space and gallery area. It is hoped the council’s decision to


award planning permission will help boost the chances of securing a £1.7m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.


HLF grant for Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms facelift


PETE HAymAn


A multi-million pound scheme to reju- venate Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms has secured a £441,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). City of Edinburgh Council is leading


the £9.3m renovation of the George Street venue, which will transform the building into an events and performance hub. Balfour Beatty Construction has been


appointed to deliver the work, which is due to be completed in time for the Cultural Olympiad next summer.


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perfectly good organisations, and I know this will be taken hard by those affected.” It follows a report from the Culture, Media


and Sport Committee, which welcomed the new approach but said ACE had spent “far too much on itself” during a period of increased investment in the 12 years to 2010.


‘Big Freeze’ funding for Scottish cultural sector PETE HAymAn


Cultural groups in Scotland are to receive extra funding to compensate for increased costs or losses caused by poor weather in late 2010. Scottish culture minister Fiona Hyslop has confirmed that a total of £362,000 has been


made available from the 2010-11 Culture Budget in order to support the sector. Creative Scotland has been awarded


£250,000 to support theatres across the country that saw a “significant impact” on attendances as a result of the poor weather.


£2m boost for Scottish gallery revamp PETE HAymAn


Efforts to transform the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh have secured a further £2m from the Scottish Government. Te Edinburgh gallery shut in 2008 to undergo an exten- sive refurbishment, with the latest funding to go towards the completion of work to restore original features. Due to relaunch on 30


November, the £17.6m Portrait of the Nation project is to pro- vide new education facilities including a multi-purpose teaching suite and a resource centre. BAM Construction is undertaking the work on behalf of National Galleries Scotland, which aims to increase visitor numbers by 50 per cent and double available gallery space.


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital Te refurbished Edinburgh attraction is due to reopen on 30 November Scottish culture minister Fiona Hyslop


said: “Te revitalised Portrait Gallery will be a major draw for audiences at home to explore the faces that frame Scotland’s story.”


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


image: secretlondon


image: mark rosoman


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