arts & culture
news & jobs at www.leisureopportunities.co.uk
RSC mulls temporary venue proposals
In brIef
Courtyard Theatre could stay open until 2012 as part of theatre company's plans
Interactive gallery
opens at The Public
By Pete Hayman The interactive art gallery at
The Public in West Bromwich has
A temporary theatre, opened to finally opened. A one-off £3m
replace the Royal Shakespeare grant from Arts Council England
Company's (RSC) two main (ACE) has funded completion of
venues in Stratford-upon-Avon the arts complex, which was in
while redevelopment work was financial difficulty following a
carried out, could remain open doubling of annual running
for two more years. costs since its partial opening in
The RSC intends to apply for June 2008. A new business plan
extended planning permission submitted to ACE by Sandwell
to delay the closure of The Metropolitan Borough Council
Courtyard Theatre until 2012 to and Sandwell Leisure Trust
help with the organisation's The venue could be used to stage productions in winter 2010-11 secured the funding package.
transition back to the Royal
Shakespeare Theatre (RST) and events and activities, before will be for around two years.
MLA publishes new
Swan Theatre, which are due to The Other Place – a smaller, This includes the time required
London 2012 archive
stage full performances in 2011. 200-seat studio venue – is to take the Courtyard Theatre A national community archive,
If approved, the Courtyard reinstated by the RSC. down, and also takes us designed to record people's
Theatre will continue to stage Liz Thompson, RSC's director through the transition back into experiences of London hosting of
Shakespeare productions of communications, said: "Our the RST and Swan Theatres, our the 2012 Olympic Games, has
during the winter of 2010-11, application to extend the 50th anniversary in 2011 and been unveiled by the Museums,
as well as a range of preview temporary planning permission the World Shakespeare Festival." Libraries and Archives Council
(MLA). The People's Record forms
part of the MLA's programme for
Arts Council initiative to transform vacant shops
the 2012 Olympics and will
provide individuals with the
By Pete Hayman shops into galleries, recording chance to record their thoughts
studios or family workshops. about the 2012 Games. Between
Applications are now being
.
com
ACE hopes that the initiative, the handover from the 2008
invited by Arts Council England which has benefited from an Beijing Games and the Cultural
(ACE) for a £500,000 initiative additional £500,000 funding Olympiad launch in September
to help artists transform empty package from the National 2008, the MLA supported 29
high street shops into places
/
chesterperformers
Lottery, will enable artists to projects as part of the People's
promoting artistic activity.

reed
provide innovative ways to Record to provide an insight into
The 'Art in empty spaces'
:
p
aul
connect with communities. the excitement and controversy
initiative was launched in April image Empty shops in Chester have the event has generated.
to support a £3m Department Chester shops have benefited already been used by Roam the
for Communities and Local Rows for the Chester Performs
Smith re-appointed
Government scheme to Artists can apply for grant festival, with 46 events staged
to chair ACW
reinvigorate town centres funding for a range of projects in vacant premises to provide a Welsh heritage minister Alun
affected by the recession. that aim to transform vacant artistic experience for shoppers. Ffred Jones has announced that
Professor Dai Smith will remain
as Arts Council of Wales chair
Painting sale controversy over Titanic museum funding
for a further three years when
his current tenure ends next
Plans by Southampton City Council to sell two Following the award of a £499,900 first- year. The re-appointment of
renowned works of art from its collection to round pass and the possibility of a further Smith means that he will
raise funds for the new Southampton Sea City £4.5m of funding for the attraction, a spokes- continue to lead the
Museum have caused an outcry in the art world. person for the Heritage Lottery Fund respond- organisation until 31 March
Sir Alfred Munnings' painting After the Race ed, saying: "We would not normally expect the 2013, having previously held
and French sculptor Auguste Rodin's Eve are proceeds of the sale of heritage to be used to the position of research chair in
together valued at around £5.5m. create partnership funding for a project." the Cultural History of Wales at
Swansea University.
© Cybertrek 2009 Read Leisure Opportunities online www.leisureopportunities.com/digita l 11
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40