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UK Minister unveils £6 million fund to boost innovation in the arts
IFACCA/Artshub, 11 April 2005, United Kingdom
Subsidised ticket schemes, bursaries to help nurture young talent, or projects to involve more children and young people are among the arts and culture projects the government say could benefit from a new £6m challenge fund, unveiled by UK Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.
The Quality and Innovation Fund - part of the DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport) spending settlement for the next three years – will focus on three priorities, supporting new work and new audiences, young talent, and a cultural offer for all children and young people.
According to DCMS the types of projects that could receive backing could include:
Subsidised ticket schemes like the successful Travelex offer at London's National Theatre,
New museum displays using cutting edge technology,
Bursaries to help bright new talent take the first few steps to fame,
Seed corn funding to allow already-successful institutions take their access initiatives still further,
'Three for two', 'Pay what you can' or 'Kids go free' schemes for stage performances and gallery shows,
Tie-ins between the performing and visual arts to help grow audiences for both,
Exciting- but safe - 'Sleep-over' events for kids in museums,
'Operatunity' style chances for ordinary people to experience serious performing art for themselves.
Funding will begin in 2007, and organisations applying have been promised they shall not have to wade through a sea of red tape, with final decisions on who gets the money likely to be made by a 'Star Chamber' of experts from the arts and culture sector itself.
Tessa Jowell said, ‘This fund will help get some of the best ideas off the ground. I want the best people to be thinking now about what they might do with money from the Fund. And I will ask some of the leading figures from the arts and cultural sectors to help us decide on who we fund. I will announce who they are and how the process will work towards the end of the year.’
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