Arts funding announced in England

IFACCA/Artshub,
20 February 2002, United Kingdom

ACE awards dance fellowships The Arts Council of England (ACE) has awarded six dance fellowships for 2002/2003, each valued at GB£30,000 to provide financial support to individual artists. Offered in recognition of the artists’ outstanding contribution to the dance sector, the year-long fellowships may fund research and development of work, professional development, time for reflection and thinking, equipment or studio time, or the recording or archiving of work. Recipients are, as follows: Mark Baldwin – founder of the Mark Baldwin Dance Company Matthew Hawkins – founder of the Imminent Dancers Group Bode Lawal – founder of the Afraican dance and music company, Sakoba Liz Aggiss – co-founder of Divas Dance Theatre Pit Fong Loh – co-founder of Bi Ma Dance Company Nigel Charnock – founder-member of DV8 Physical Theatre Company and founder of Nigel Charnock + Company ACE's Acting Dance Director, Anu Giri, commented: 'The fellowships will give the recipients some breathing space, with fewer financial pressures. The fellows are responsible for planning their own program and for setting their own creative goals, but we also ask them to record their activities and share the results of heir experiences. That way, there will be a legacy for the wider dance profession.' RALP grants announced in Yorkshire Yorkshire Arts has funded nine projects across north-east England’s Yorkshire and Humber region in its latest round of Regional Arts Lottery Program (RALP) grants, to a total of £225,540. Funded projects include: an upgrade of community hall facilities in Poppleton, York; youth arts forums and the Swaledale Festival in North Yorkshire, as well as writing opportunities in the city of Sheffield. CEO of Yorkshire Arts, Andy Carver, commented: '[This] is a region rich in artistic and cultural talent and these awards, which include a range of arts projects, provide a wealth of new opportunities for artists and the community alike.' Foolsyard Theatre receives Lottery grant The Newcastle-based Foolsyard Theatre has received a Lottery grant from Northern Arts Board for £1,334 to fund an intensive five-day poem development program. Foolsyard was developed more than six years ago by theatre graduates, to provide a platform for the promotion of original and organic work by young writers, directors and producers in the north of England. Northern Arts’ Anna Summerford commented that the grant affirmed the organisation’s commitment to funding fresh regional talent of the highest quality, and to supporting non-traditional theatre. Further information regarding ACE is availalble online at www.artscouncil.org.uk and on the ten Regional Arts Boards at www.arts.org.uk