The jobs page at www.creativeleicestershire.org.uk is updated regularly & includes job ads with short deadlines that don’t make it into the ebulletin

King Richard III – Long Live the King!
A unique opportunity has arisen for Leicestershire artists and crafts makers to submit proposals for product designs of arts and crafts pieces to be sold in the retail shop of the new King Richard III Visitor Centre opening in 2014. Participants are asked to create original design products with a commercial potential that has an appeal to national and international audiences and must be identifiable with King Richard III.

We encourage creativity and are open to a wide range of art and crafts, formats, styles and ideas. You can submit either a limited edition product with a recommended retail price between £50 and £250 or a design for application on varied product types with a recommended retail price per item between 50p to £25.

Successful participants would be paid the retail sale price minus 40% plus VAT for each limited edition sold or a one off payment of £250 for a design application. Full submission guidelines will be available on the Creative Leicestershire website shortly. DEADLINE for expression of interest is Friday 03 Jan 2014. For further details, please contact Corinne Allston-Reeve, Corinne.Allston-Reeve@leicester.gov.uk.

Head of Service (Development), Communities & Wellbeing Service, Leicestershire County Council
This is a unique opportunity to shape an exciting future of arts, culture, heritage and learning across Leicestershire. We are fortunate to have developed a strong network of libraries and museums. What is more, we have an award winning outreach and community service, which works closely with schools, health and care services and independent museums. Meanwhile, our Adult Learning Service has achieved a ‘good’ rating from OFSTED and is poised to develop. You will play a pivotal role, spanning each of these important services. Rewarding challenges guaranteed. Fundamentally, you will be responsible for leading the county wide development of library, adult learning, heritage and arts services. Crucially, you will lead the review and redesign of services to achieve ambitious £2million cost savings targets. You will enjoy full support at all levels to make vital changes in the pursuit of greater value, which has never been more important. £48,876 - £53,940, Permanent, Full-time. Closing Date: 20 December 2013. Click here to apply.

Vacancies at New Art Exchange, Nottingham
New Art Exchange (NAE) is a ground breaking, award winning and internationally recognised arts space in the heart of inner city Nottingham.  The venue is dedicated to promoting excellence in contemporary culturally diverse visual arts through exhibitions, events and education initiatives.

• HEAD OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS: We are seeking to appoint a creative and energetic Head of Marketing & Communications to help drive us through an exciting phase of our development. The post holder will lead a small marketing team and deliver our marketing activity in order to maximise attendance to NAE and develop our profile locally and nationally through devising appropriate marketing campaigns, developing media relations, producing printed materials and managing our digital/online presence. Closing Date: Sunday 12 January 2014
• PROGRAMME ASSISTANT CREATIVE FUTURES ERDF PROJECT: Together with local partners, NAE is about to launch a pioneering new programme of support to creative entrepreneurs and businesses in Nottingham called 'Creative Futures'. We are seeking to appoint a part time Programme Assistant to support the Head of Creative Business Support to deliver this exciting project. The post holder will ideally have some previous experienced in working with ERDF-funded projects, and some knowledge and understanding of the needs of creative businesses. Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 5 January 2014.
• HEAD OF CREATIVE BUSINESS SUPPORT: We are seeking to appoint an experienced Head of Creative Business Support to project manage, coordinate and deliver this exciting new Creative Futures Business Support ERDF project. The post holder will ideally have significant experience in managing and delivering ERDF-funded projects and programmes, and will have in depth knowledge and understanding of the needs of creative businesses and nuances of the creative sector. Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 5 January 2014.

 

 

For more information on these vacancies and to apply visit the New Art Exchange website.

 

 

 

 

Hinckley Town Centre - Public Art Commission
Creative Hinckley and Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council are looking to commission an artist to create a permanent piece of work for the towns new bus station - The Crescent - Hinckley. We are aiming to develop an identity for the space, and create a motif or themed installation that links the shopping and recreational areas. This could include street furniture, bollards, signage etc. The full brief can be found here. Please submit a copy of your CV and creative proposals, with images of your work no later than January 10th to: Jen.Jarvis@hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk 01455 255833

Rutland County Council - Public Art Commission
Rutland County Council would like to commission an artist or group of artists to create public art works at Rutland County Museum in Oakham and Rocks by Rail, Living Ironstone Museum in Cottesmore.  The deadline for completing and installing the work will be Friday 16th May.  For further details and a copy of the artist brief, please email Anita Hollinshead on anitahollinshead@hotmail.com.

Artangel Open
The new Artangel Open is £1 million initiative in alliance with BBC Radio 4 for new site-specific commissions across the UK - a call for artists working in all media, anywhere in the UK, to come forward with bold site-specific proposals that will transform the UK's cultural landscape. Open invites artists to submit their ideas for projects of real scale and ambition in relation to particular places - ideas which might otherwise never see the light of day. Open proposals are encouraged from visual artists, filmmakers, writers, artists working in the digital space, composers, theatre makers, producers and choreographers.  Deadline for submissions is 28 February 2014, click here to find out more.

The Leicester Print Workshop Board is recruiting
Leicester Print Workshop is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. It has a Board of Trustees that plans the direction of the organisation and that cares for its people. Our excellent Board is currently looking for new members to join during 2014. We welcome applications and enquiries from people from all walks of life. We ask for an interest or experience in arts and culture, a willingness to accept the roles of a trustee, a keenness to devote time and energy to the workshop and a readiness to communicate a point of view.

Anyone interested in applying is welcome to attend the open studio event on Wed 27 November from 2pm - 6pm. The deadline for applications is January 2014, for more information visit the website. 

Marketing Manager, Nottingham Playhouse
Nottingham Playhouse is looking for an experienced arts marketing person to join our busy Marketing and Communications Team.  The successful candidate will combine a passion for delivering audience-focused marketing campaigns to the right people at the right time, resulting in strong ticket sales, with a clear understanding of the arts and leisure sector. They will be energetic, creative and level-headed, able to balance the practical with the strategic, happy to translate data into workable marketing insights, and keen to make an impact. They will value the challenge of working in a fast-changing, complex arts and funding environment, and relish the range of work that they are promoting and supporting, from ground-breaking outreach and participation programmes in the locality, to drama and international dance on our main stage. Paid (£25k-30k) Full time, Closes Friday 17 January 2014. Apply here.

Digital Participation Curator, QUAD
Join the team at QUAD and be part of our fantastic programme team to deliver a year round programme of innovative arts and culture to diverse audiences. We are looking for an entrepreneurial participation curator to lead, develop and deliver our digital programme. Responsible for creatively engaging people with the arts and contemporary culture through digital media you’ll have a real passion for and understanding of the impact that technology can have on our lives, society and creativity. Your diverse approach will ensure that the programme is pioneering, supportive and works across platforms relating to both familiar media and the new frontiers of tech development. Full-time, Salary: £20,000 – £22,500 per annum + generous holiday allowance & benefits. To apply, please download the application pack here.

Leicester City Council Tender - A Gold Standard Youth Service
As part of its commitment to delivering a Gold Standard Youth Service, Leicester City Council intends to procure a range of high quality youth support activities and interventions for young people aged 13-19, (and up to aged 24 for young people with Learning Difficulties or Disabilities). This is an exciting opportunity for voluntary and community groups to work with the council to deliver the following packages o f youth support:

* Open access youth work and positive activities (£50,000)
* Open access youth work and positive activities - in designated areas (£60,000)
* Open access youth work and positive activities to be delivered during the school-summer holiday period only (£50,000)
* Targeted youth support - (£50,000)
* Preventative and early help support through street based youth work (£50,000)

For further information about this tender opportunity and details of how to express an interest in tendering, please go to Source Leicestershire from Monday 2 December 2013. General information about this tender opportunity and the slides from the information events that the council held on the 18 and 20 November 2013 will be available from the council's youth service website.

Choreographer needed for eNGine Collective commission
eNGine Collective is seeking an experienced choreographer to be the artistic lead on a collaborative creation 'jam on the tram' (working title): a site-specific commission. The collective has already established links with NET Trams, Nottingham and has confirmed that the durational piece will take place on and around the tram system in Nottingham (route to be determined). This site-specific performance may happen on the tram, at the stops or in and around the city; we welcome all choreographic ideas.

Application deadline: Friday 10 January 2014, 12pm
Fee: £1,000 + travel and accommodation. Creating week: Monday 30 June - Friday 4 July 2014. Performance: Saturday 5 July 2014 (timings tbc) Further information and how to apply here.

Shadow Artists - John Berkavitch presents SHAME
In January 2014, John Berkavitch and company are scheduled to begin devising and rehearsal of an exciting new full-length spoken-word theatre show called SHAME. Berkavitch is looking to recruit a network of shadow artists to join the cast and creative team during the rehearsal period. Artists with a background in poetry, dance, theatre, music or visual art and at any stage of their practice are all welcome to apply. Unfortunately successful applicants will not receive a fee for their shadowing but will have travel and food expenses covered by the company. All Shadows will be offered the opportunity to attend an additional workshop with Berkavitch and the dancers where they will create original collaborative pieces based on the theme of Shame. Each of these collaborative pieces will have potential to become curtain-raisers for the touring shows within the same region.

The tour is scheduled to run from March-May 2014. This opportunity would be valuable to the artistic development of any and all artists looking to gain experience in working on larger scale spoken-word/collaborative cross-form theatre pieces. Deadline for applications is late December, For more information visit the John Berkavitch website.

 

For full details visit the Creative Leicestershire Jobs Page

Workspaces Available at LCB Depot
We have workspaces to lease to creative businesses at LCB Depot and at Phoenix Square from just £209 + VAT per month - find out more here. A new flexible workspace package has opened at LCB Depot, for more information go to http://www.lcbdepot.co.uk/flexible-workspace-package

Shared Space Available – Clarendon Park
Ben Miners is a 35 year old freelance 3D & Motion Graphics designer looking to share a studio in Leicester. He has found a studio in a converted school house on queens road ( LE2  - Clarendon Park area ) and is looking for a like minded creative person to share the room with. He may even be able to collaborate with this person on projects. All creative types would be of interest in sharing the space with. If you are interested please call 07896 633934 or email ben@graphikboutique.com

 

Creative Leicestershire Business Surgeries
Book a one-to-one session with our business advisor, Fred Brookes. 

• Loughborough - 11 February. Loughborough Library, LE11 3DZ. One hour slots available.

These sessions are only available to residents of Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland. This is a Creative Leicestershire event

‘Why Don’t You?’ PechaKucha - 28th January 6-8pm at Phoenix
Phoenix, Midland Street, Leicester LE1 1TG - 10 people, 20 images, 6 minutes, 40 seconds. It may sound like some experimental new play, but it’s actually a new worldwide craze that we are bringing to Leicester in the New Year. PechaKucha is special event in which ten people show slides on any subject and talk for 20 seconds on each. It’s all about talking and entertaining (its name comes from the Japanese for ‘chit chat’ after all). The theme is ‘Collaboration’ and confirmed guests include Dave Bain from the Tobacco Factory and Jayne Childs from Creative Twinning. 

To book your place click here. This is a Creative Leicestershire Event.

Call out for Interested Parties - Click; Connect; Curate; Create
Click; Connect; Curate; Create is looking for people to get involved in a new project for Leicestershire’s museums.

Leicestershire County Council are looking for members of the public, museum professionals and people interested in/ working with digital technologies to work together to help us generate ideas for new digital content based on our museums and our collections. We are initially looking for people to attend our Ideas Generation Day on Saturday 18 January at Snibston Discovery Museum. To find out more visit www.connect-curate.com

Snap Happy
Snap Happy is a photographic and digital arts competition on the theme of Laughter.
It’s open to people with a sensory impairment and is part of a programme of work entitled Take pArt, that provides opportunities for people to participate and engage in creative ways in the cultural life of the city under the banner of Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival.
Take pArt and Snap Happy are run in partnership with Big Difference Company, VISTA and Action Deafness and are funded by Big Lottery after selection by readers of the Leicester Mercury. For more information click here.

Accidental Festival 2014
The Accidental Festival is a student-led arts festival, for the past three years it has been held at the Roundhouse in Camden and has become an annual opportunity for artists to share work, take risks, and present fresh ideas. This year, 2,000 people attended the festival, and there were 70 acts on show. For next year’s festival, the Accidental Festival team are looking to programme work by IdeasTap members. They are seeking applications from a broad spectrum of artistic disciplines in order to present a varied programme of original, and current, work. Each brief winner will present their work at the Roundhouse in Camden as part of the four-day Accidental Festival. They will receive support with marketing and production.

The brief closes on Monday 6 January 2014 at 5pm and is open to IdeasTap members aged 16 and over. Click here to apply.

Designer Forum - Support for Designers
Designer Forum is a membership driven creative business community that inspires, informs and connects fashion & textiles, prints & graphics, interiors, furniture & product design sectors. We are dedicated to innovation and the birth of ideas that become profitable product ranges of the future. We support you at every stage of the process, from concept and planning to manufacturing and retail. Designer Forum is also home to the UK's only trend forecasting library that offers such a broad spectrum of resources to help you with the start of the creative process. Upcoming events include:

• Garment Drawing Adobe Workshop: 23rd Jan 2014 at 10am - 4.30pm. This Adobe day is aimed at designers who want to improve their garment drawing skills using Adobe Illustrator; improve best practice work flow and generally make everything look and work better. We aim to show you how to get the best possible results from your Adobe software with the minimum amount of fuss. From £50.
• Be your own PR Manager: 28th Jan 2014 3pm - 5pm.  Mary Murtagh, award winning journalist, knows what's needed to get media coverage. This taster session offers a flavour of her insider knowledge and trade secrets. You will come away with useful tips about how you can get some free promotion for your business by attracting the media. Opportunities for networking either side of the session. £6.00.

All events are held at Antenna Media Centre, Beck St, Nottingham, NG1 1EQ

Creative Leicestershire Business Surgeries
Book a one-to-one session with our business advisor, Fred Brookes.

• Loughborough - 11 February. Loughborough Library, LE11 3DZ. One hour slots available.

These sessions are only available to residents of Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland. This is a Creative Leicestershire event

‘Why Don’t You?’ PechaKucha - 28th January 6-8pm at Phoenix
Phoenix, Midland Street, Leicester LE1 1TG - 10 people, 20 images, 6 minutes, 40 seconds. It may sound like some experimental new play, but it’s actually a new worldwide craze that we are bringing to Leicester in the New Year. PechaKucha is special event in which ten people show slides on any subject and talk for 20 seconds on each. It’s all about talking and entertaining (its name comes from the Japanese for ‘chit chat’ after all). The theme is ‘Collaboration’ and confirmed guests include Dave Bain from the Tobacco Factory and Jayne Childs from Creative Twinning. 

To book your place click here. This is a Creative Leicestershire Event.

Made in Leicestershire Selected - Deadline Extended
We are pleased to invite our Made in Leicestershire members to be selected for two exhibition opportunities and to be featured in a new printed directory. Anyone who is a member of Made in Leicestershire will be eligible to apply.

We have amended some parts of the application guidance form to clarify what we are looking for from a Selected artist. If you have already submitted an application, please read the amended guidance form and check that you feel satisfied that your application meets all the criteria. If you have any doubts about this, please re-submit your application to us and we will revisit all resubmitted applications along with any new ones we receive. 

The application deadline for Selected artists has been extended until 28th January. Please email sallie.wocha@leics.gov.uk for a guidance form and application pack.

King Richard III – Long Live the King!
A unique opportunity has arisen for Leicestershire artists and crafts makers to submit proposals for product designs of arts and crafts pieces to be sold in the retail shop of the new King Richard III Visitor Centre opening in 2014. Participants are asked to create original design products with a commercial potential that has an appeal to national and international audiences and must be identifiable with King Richard III.

We encourage creativity and are open to a wide range of art and crafts, formats, styles and ideas. You can submit either a limited edition product with a recommended retail price between £50 and £250 or a design for application on varied product types with a recommended retail price per item between 50p to £25.

Successful participants would be paid the retail sale price minus 40% plus VAT for each limited edition sold or a one off payment of £250 for a design application. Full submission guidelines will be available on the Creative Leicestershire website shortly. DEADLINE for expression of interest is Friday 03 Jan 2014. For further details, please contact Corinne Allston-Reeve, Corinne.Allston-Reeve@leicester.gov.uk.

Call for artists: Open 25 exhibition at New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
The annual Open exhibition at New Walk Museum & Art Gallery presents an exciting opportunity for young and established artists to showcase their creative talents. We welcome applications from all artists across the East Midlands and are delighted to once again also host the Youth Category, open to ages 11 – 15 and 16 – 19 years, all competing for a range of artist’s prizes. The exhibition is open to practitioners across a wide selection of different art forms including painting, photography, illustration, sculpture, textiles and ceramics. The Open exhibition runs from 15 February – 27 April 2014, with artists applications taking place in January 2014. To download application forms and more information, please visit our website: www.leicester.gov.uk/open25

Open Call from the National Railway Museum, York Contemporary Art Commissions: Trainspotting
Three works at £15,000 or one major work. The National Railway Museum in York is seeking Expressions of Interest from professional artists for a major new exhibition about trainspotting. This is an exciting, unusual opportunity for the right artist(s) and we are expecting original, ambitious responses that will present this subject to our 740,000 visitors in a sensitive, imaginative and contemporary way. We will support artists by providing research materials and access to groups and individuals to help the selected artist(s) gain a real insight into the world of trainspotting. The commission(s) will be shown in our temporary exhibition space, located within the main museum, from September 2014 – March 2015.  We welcome responses from professional artists who work in any medium. Artists may submit more than one idea or present an idea for a substantial work. Deadline for Expressions of Interest – 3 January 2014. Click here for PDF of the commission brief and if you are interested in a resource pack , please contact Amy Banks on amy.banks@nrm.org.uk

Hayward Touring Curatorial Open 2014: Call for proposals
Hayward Touring invites proposals for an exhibition of contemporary art to be shown in four UK galleries in 2014/15. You don’t have to be a professional curator or exhibition-maker to submit an idea. We welcome suggestions for innovative projects from artists, writers and imaginative thinkers in all walks of life, as well as from people working in galleries and museums. The successful applicant will receive an honorarium of £6,000 and a budget for research and travel. S/he will work in collaboration with Hayward Touring and the participating galleries on an exhibition of around 350 square metres, to open in September 2014. The exhibition budget will allow for some international loans and a publication. The selection panel will include the Director, Hayward Gallery, the Senior Curator of Hayward Touring and curators from the participating galleries. For more information and to download an application form and guidelines click here.
Application deadline: 9am, Monday 6 January 2014, Short-listing: mid -January 2014, Interviews: late January 2014.

Residency Opportunities in Rome 2014 –15
DEREK HILL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
This Scholarship aims to encourage artists for whom the use of paint and/or drawing is central to their practice. Three-month residency (October-December 2014) at the British School at Rome. Applicants must be of British or Irish nationality and aged 24 years of age or over on 1 September 2014.

SAINSBURY SCHOLARSHIP IN PAINTING AND SCULPTURE
A prestigious award for young painters and sculptors of outstanding promise. Twelve-month residency (October 2014-September 2015) at the British School at Rome. Applicants must be of British nationality, or have been working professionally or studying at postgraduate level for at least the last 5 years in the UK. Applicants must have graduated or expect to have graduated before October 2014. Applicants must be aged under 30 on 1 October 2014.

APPLICATION DEADLINES: Derek Hill Foundation Scholarship - 31 January 2014. Sainsbury Scholarship - 31 January 2014. Further details (including eligibility criteria) and application forms are available at www.bsr.ac.uk/awards/fine-arts. For any additional information, please contact Gill Clark at bsr@britac.ac.uk.

MAGNIFY Virtual Gallery opportunity
MAGNIFY is Mainstream Partnership's virtual gallery space currently in development. Our first exhibition will be launching in January 2014. Submissions for MAGNIFY are currently open and we look forward to receiving applications from visual artists, filmmakers and photographers whose work can respond to the theme; MAGNIFY #1 'THE TEXTURE OF ARCHIVE'.

MAGNIFY virtual gallery will be an opportunity to showcase your work and will offer each individual artist a unique profile. Taking part in MAGNIFY allows exhibitors to further develop their work in the CPD programme ILLUMINATE which will culminate in a group exhibition programme taking place in the main gallery at LCB Depot, Leicester between 18 March - 3 April 2014. To receive full details and discuss this opportunity, please contact Victoria on 07930 312649 communications@mainstreampartnership.co.uk
Please note applications close 20 December 2013.

ILLUMINATE - Visual Artists CPD & Exhibition Opportunity
ILLUMINATE will enable a group of visual artists to come together to share practise and peer support with the curatorial guidance of the Mainstream Partnership team and an independent curator. The opportunity will culminate in an exhibition, which will take place between 18 March - 3 April 2014 in the Main Gallery at LCB Depot, Leicester.
It will include:
• x 2 artist development days (Jan/Feb)
• one to one support (ongoing)
• creative documentation & photographic portraits
• preparation and installation (Feb/March)
• exhibition programme (18 March - 3 April)
• evaluation. (April)
Applications are currently open and close 20 December 2013
To receive full details and discuss this opportunity, please contact Victoria on 07930 312 649
communications@mainstreampartnership.co.uk

Calling all local craft makers and manufacturers
Join BuyitUK.co and help us bring UK manufacturing and traditional craft making back to local people. Visit us at www.BuyitUK.co email info@BuyitUK.co or call us on 0121 2888208

The School of Sewing
The School of Sewing in Ashby de la Zouch teaches all aspects of dressmaking, tailoring and corsetry. Alison Smith MBE ( for services to Sewing and Corsetry) who runs the school offers specialist bridal workshops aimed those wishing to go into the bridal dressmaking business. For full details of all courses go to www.schoolofsewing.co.uk

Emily Found A Thing Workshops
Bookings now being taken for NEW workshops at Emily Found A Thing, Wymondham, Melton Mowbray
 

• NEW ‘Cabinet of Treasures’ It’s the little things that count Make a case for keepsakes, 2 days, 10.00-2.00pm Introductory price £50. Using old suitcases, drawers and boxes explore a range of craft and textile techniques  to make a cabinet to display your collection of personal objects, mementos and memories to commemorate an event or occasion or remember a special person. Boxes and cases will be provided but please feel free to bring your own. ‘For Loved Ones’ Saturday February 1st and Sunday 9th February, (for loved objects, people or a wedding present perhaps?)

 

 

www.emilyfoundathing.co.uk
rachelgrevatte@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

Want to exhibit at LCB Depot between July and September 2014?
Artists and curators are invited to submit proposals to exhibit at LCB Depot in one of our 3-week slots between July and September next year. We don't charge a hire fee, but we do ask you to install and take down. See our website Exhibitions page for more info and a downloadable application form, get your applications in by 28th April 2014.

Artist Talks & Events at Embrace Arts

• Experiments in sculpture - Choose to do this course on a Monday or Thursday, 6.30pm – 9pm. Next start date: 13 January – 24 March 2014, £100 / £50 for 10 sessions. Develop ideas and experiment with form, initially through drawing and maquette making before scaling up to create a finished piece. Learn a range of sculptural techniques from initial conception of an idea to the finished sculpture.
• Problem and criticism - Thursdays, 11am – 12.30pm (fortnightly) 9 January – 20 March 2014 or 16 January – 27 March 2014, £50 / £25 for 6 sessions. Join with other artists to develop your critical skills and become more confident in your ability to develop your own style. These friendly, supportive classes are devoted entirely to discussion and criticism of work done at home.
• Adventures in art - Tuesdays, 10am – 12.30pm, 14 January – 18 March 2014. A more accessible and flexible approach to learning to suit you. Open to all levels of experience, adults with a disability particularly welcome, pay as you go or book a number of sessions at once – it’s up to you. Cost per session: £8 (£4 concessions)
• Art in the home - Thursdays, 7pm – 9pm, 16 January – 13 February 2014. Tutor: Conny Bailey, £40 / £25 for 5 sessions. Develop your appreciation of the artistic context and status of Chippendale, Wedgwood, Lalique and others, whose domestic wares have become desirable works of art in their own right.

 

Embrace Arts, Richard Attenborough centre, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HA. www.embracearts.co.uk

a-n - Support for visual artists
a-n, the artists' network, provides opportunities for artists to connect as well as practical advice, guidance and information for visual and applied artists.

Creative Leicestershire Business Surgeries
Book a one-to-one session with our business advisor, Fred Brookes.

• Loughborough - 11 February. Loughborough Library, LE11 3DZ. One hour slots available.

These sessions are only available to residents of Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland. This is a Creative Leicestershire event

‘Why Don’t You?’ PechaKucha - 28th January 6-8pm at Phoenix
Phoenix, Midland Street, Leicester LE1 1TG - 10 people, 20 images, 6 minutes, 40 seconds. It may sound like some experimental new play, but it’s actually a new worldwide craze that we are bringing to Leicester in the New Year. PechaKucha is special event in which ten people show slides on any subject and talk for 20 seconds on each. It’s all about talking and entertaining (its name comes from the Japanese for ‘chit chat’ after all). The theme is ‘Collaboration’ and confirmed guests include Dave Bain from the Tobacco Factory and Jayne Childs from Creative Twinning.

To book your place click here. This is a Creative Leicestershire Event.

Inspired by my Museum: International Writing Competition, British Council & Sampad
An encounter with a museum can be a life-changing experience, a realisation of the past or an inspiration for the future. If you have a poem, short story or reportage inspired by a museum you have visited, tell us and your words could be selected for publication.
It could be the space, architecture, design, an object or objects in the museum or even the museum/exhibition curator who has inspired you.
• Further to the overwhelming response to the launch of the competition, we have now extended the age limit so that any writer from anywhere in the world from the age of 16 upwards can take part.
• Entries can be up to 400 words.
• Only ONE entry is allowed per person
• LAST DATE FOR ENTRIES IS MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2014
For more information and to apply click here.

Long Play Competition, Emerging Perspectives
A new 'long play' competition for writers who are from or based in the East Midlands. If you have a distinctive voice, an unexpected story and or an adaptation that will make us look at theatre afresh this open full-length play writing competition is for you. We are interested in receiving both original ideas and adaptations (adaptations of books or films will be considered providing rights are achievable).

The winning playwright will receive: A public reading of the play, up to 6 months dramaturgical support from New Perspectives, £1,500 on decision to produce the play. Two runners up will receive: A public reading of their plays. Entries will be read anonymously and judged by a panel comprising of New Perspectives staff and industry professionals. For guidlines and application form click here. 

Affective Digital Histories: Creative Writing Commissions
The Centre for New Writing is pleased to announce nine, AHRC-funded creative writing commissions worth £1,100 each. We will be awarding: Two flash fiction commissions (5 pieces of flash fiction per commission),  Two poetry commissions (5 poems per commission), One choreopoem commission, Two commissions of historical narrative non-fiction (2-3000 words per commission) and Two radio plays of 10-15 minutes’ duration. Please spread the word. The competition is open to all writers on a competitive basis.

Two Open Days will be held on Saturday 14 December and Saturday 14 January from 10am-12:30pm in the David Wilson Library seminar room. Attendance is not compulsory but the purpose is to provide an opportunity to talk to project representatives and to explore sample archival material that may help you with your application.

Click here for more information and for details on how to apply for one of the commissions. The deadline for applications is Monday 27 January.

Teaching Creative Writing at Post-16: for teachers who write (or want to write)
CPD Course for Post-16 teachers. 12-13 June, 2014. Residential and non-residential options available. With special guest speaker, Daljit Nagra.
The Centre for New Writing at the University of Leicester is offering a two-day residential/non-residential teacher training course focused on the new A-Level in Creative Writing.
Designed for English teachers who wish to develop their own creative practice, this course is for those who may have experience of teaching Creative Writing in schools but who wish to develop their skills as teachers of the subject at post-16 level, or as teachers new to the A-level in Creative Writing.
The course is suitable for:
• Teachers who are already teaching Creative Writing A-level
• Teachers preparing to teach the A-level in Creative Writing
• Teachers interested in offering Creative Writing as an enrichment activity at Post-16 level

For more information and to book click here. 

Writing for Wellbeing: Embrace Arts
Monday evenings 6.30 - 8pm - 6 weeks - 6th Jan to 10th February, £5.00 per session. Contact artsandwriting@hotmail.com to book a place.

Creative writing workshops designed to relax, unwind, and free up your mind. A New Year - A New You ? Writing can be relaxing, allow you to slow down and recharge your batteries, regain control and free up your thoughts. Take time out of your busy schedule and find a moment of calm, with some creative writing exercises to help untangle anxiety, free up your thoughts, and relax. Anyone who can write can write creatively. There is no need for to worry about handwriting, spelling, or punctuation, you are writing for yourself and there is no right or wrong way of doing so. It is not about the finished product but the calming process of writing itself, which will develop clarity of thought and emotion. The workshops will consist of a series of short writing exercises designed to encourage and help you develop writing skills and confidence in writing. With suggestions for further reading and creative writing.

The Curve Playwriting Competition
As part of their commitment to telling incredible stories from the heart of the country, Curve Theatre are seeking out writers looking to take the next step in their careers. One lucky winner will receive a year's worth of high-end mentorship, research and development support, and a direct cash award of £1,000 to help allow time to create a major new play that speaks to the East Midlands region. The judges are looking for playwrights based in the East Midlands, who have had a minimum of one, but no more than three, full-length plays professionally produced. All entries will be read by a panel of artists and experts from Curve, IdeasTap, BBC Writersroom and Writing East Midlands and a  shortlist of up to five selected plays will be announced in February 2014. The five shortlisted winners will receive feedback and guidance to help them develop a full draft text.

This brief closes on Tuesday 31 December at 5pm and is open to IdeasTap members aged 18 and over. Click here to apply.

Writing School Leicester
All Leicester courses take place at Leicester Adult Education College, Wellington Street, Leicester LE1 6HL. 

• Writing your Own Story with Maxine Linnell - 6 sessions from 6 January 2014
  Monday 1pm – 3pm
  Price: £90. You might want to write about something that happened to you, or a particular time in your life – or maybe you want to write a memoir for publication, for a blog, or for your family and friends. We shall use writing exercises to find ways of getting your story onto paper, look at the issues of memoir writing, and develop a personal style.
• Starting to Write Comics and Graphic Novels with Selina Lock and Jay Eales - 6 sessions from 6 January. Monday 7pm – 9pm, Price: £90. If a picture paints a thousand words, then the hybrid comics medium has the best of both worlds. Call them graphic novels, funny-books, bande dessinee or manga, we’re talking about comics. Through group discussion, we will examine the ways the medium can be used to tell stories in different genres, and some of the tricks of the trade.
• Poetry Writing Workshop with Alison Dunne - 6 sessions from 8 January, Wednesday 1pm – 3pm, Price: £90. A course to keep those poetry muscles in good condition! Weekly exercises and optional writing assignments to keep your ideas and inspiration flowing. We’ll be looking at the things that make poems work with examples by contemporary poets and how we can edit and tighten our work.
• Short Story Writing Workshop with Polly Tuckett - 6 sessions from 9 January
  Thursday 10am – Noon, Price: £90. The course involves reading and writing. We will read the work of various short fiction writers with a view to breaking down the techniques involved in creating various literary effects. We will share work within the group, offering constructive feedback and suggestions.

 

All courses have a 4% PayPal fee if booked online. More courses are available on the Writing School Leicester website

Leicester Writers' Club Open Competition
Leicester Writers’ Club is a community of writers based in and around Leicester. Many of the group’s writers have been published several times but all are dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in their writing. The club was founded over fifty years ago, and members now span a wide range of writing forms. This competition is for an opening chapter (or first 2000 words) of a novel for children or young adults. Entrants will be judged by the celebrated children’s writer Chris d’Lacey, author of The Last Dragon Chronicles. For: The opening chapter (or first 2,000 words) of a novel for children or young adults. Prizes: £500, £250, £100. Entry fee: £5 per entry. Closing date: 31 December. Website: www.leicesterwriters.org.uk

Creative Leicestershire Business Surgeries
Book a one-to-one session with our business advisor, Fred Brookes.

• Loughborough - 11 February. Loughborough Library, LE11 3DZ. One hour slots available.

These sessions are only available to residents of Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland. This is a Creative Leicestershire event

‘Why Don’t You?’ PechaKucha - 28th January 6-8pm at Phoenix
Phoenix, Midland Street, Leicester LE1 1TG - 10 people, 20 images, 6 minutes, 40 seconds. It may sound like some experimental new play, but it’s actually a new worldwide craze that we are bringing to Leicester in the New Year. PechaKucha is special event in which ten people show slides on any subject and talk for 20 seconds on each. It’s all about talking and entertaining (its name comes from the Japanese for ‘chit chat’ after all). The theme is ‘Collaboration’ and confirmed guests include Dave Bain from the Tobacco Factory and Jayne Childs from Creative Twinning.

To book your place click here. This is a Creative Leicestershire Event.

Curve IdeasTap Breakthrough Companies
In partnership with IdeasTap, Curve Theatre, Leicester presents a brand new opportunity for East Midlands-based artists. It’ll provide you with the further training, mentorship and showcasing you need to take your artistic career to the next level. Over the course of a year, up to 10 of the best East Midlands-based companies and/or artists will receive regular masterclasses and training sessions at Curve. This world-class expertise will be delivered by the Curve team, as well as visiting practitioners drawn from the top end of the industry. In addition, companies/artists will all receive a cash award and technical support to showcase work in a series of performances at Curve, beginning with two nights showcasing new ideas by talented East Midlanders as part of INSIDE OUT, from 10 to 19 April 2014. Curve will be inviting programmers, funders and other key supporters to see and enjoy your work. 

This brief closes on Tuesday 31 December 2013 at 12pm and is open to IdeasTap members aged 18 and over. Visit the Ideastap website for more information.

Lincolnshire Youth Dance Company audition
Monday 6 January, Arrive at 6:00 Audition 6:30-8pm, Lincoln College Dance Studio, Monks Road, Lincoln, LN2 5HQ.
Are you aged 11-17 years and love to dance? Lincolnshire Youth Dance Company is seeking young people to join the company in January 2014.  The group will take part in weekly technique and creative classes as well as performance opportunities. We are seeking young people with exceptional talent and potential in dance. Application Deadline: Monday 6 January, 12:00pm. E-mail cat@dance4.co.uk for more information and how to apply.

FREE CAT School Workshops
Dance4's Centre for Advanced Training Programme offer FREE dance workshops to secondary schools in the East Midlands as part of our recruitment process for a September intake. Workshops will be available from 18 November 2013 to 24 April 2014 for year groups 7,8,9 and 10. The workshops will be two hours in length and will include a technique class and a creative session which will give students a taster of the CAT scheme. E-mail cat@dance4.co.uk for more information.

Centre for Advanced Training FREE Open Taster Event
The Centre for Advanced Training are offering a FREE Open Taster Session for young people aged 11 - 17 years to take part and experience a CAT session before auditioning for the programme. The session includes a technique and creative session as well as an opportunity to watch current CAT students take class. The next Free Open Taster session will be held on 15 March 2014. E-mail cat@dance4.co.uk for more information.

The Hub: Joining the Dots
Got a potentially ‘game-changing’ idea? Work in independent live music? Then you need to know about Joining the Dots. We want to hear from anyone with an idea that could revolutionise how they finance and present live music. The six most exciting ideas will get funding and support to make their ideas a reality.

We’re especially interested in: Commissioning and touring contemporary music, using digital technology to increase live attendance and income and attracting younger audiences. What you’ll get from us is: Seed corn funding of £10,000 to test your potentially ‘game-changing’ model plus support through seminars, resources and conferences. Applications are open between 9th December 2013  and 31st January 2014. Visit The Hub website to find out more. 

Comedy Workshops - Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
A series of four free workshops facilitated by renowned comedian Rob Gee with the support of Beauty and Utility Arts. The workshops will prepare our participants to be part of The Comedy Asylum cabaret show to take place at Embrace Arts Leicester, as part of Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival 2014. Workshops commence on Fri 14 Dec, 1.00pm-3.00pm. The show will take place on Sat 22 Feb 2014, 7.00pm-9.00pm. Venue for workshops is Marlene Reid Centre, 85 Belvoir Rd, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 3PH. To book your place contact Katherine Brown on 07908 750187, email beautyandutilityarts@hotmail.co.uk.

Training from SoundLINCS

• Urban Music in CCC: Leicester-shire - 6 January, 1.30pm-3.30pm. Led by Eddy Mentzel will help develop Urban Music skills with Children in Challenging Circumstances. £35
• SEN and New Technology: Leicester-shire - 10 Jan, 10.00am - 4.00pm. Led by Shirley Novak will help investigate specific programmes and software which is currently used in music sessions when working in SEN settings: e.g. soundBEAM, Garageband, Whitecap The Grid etc. Additionally, using and making the best of resources around us. £35

 

For further information & training visit the soundLINCS events page.

Dance/Music Courses & Events at Embrace Arts

• Singing for fun - Tutor: John Gull. Mondays 13 January – 7 April 2014 (not 17 February), £80 / £40 for 12 sessions, 1.30pm – 3.30pm. Enjoy being part of a friendly group where the emphasis is on having fun. Ideal for all ages, whether you already love to sing or want to find your voice. Explore a repertoire of songs in a wide variety of styles and traditions, including songs from the musicals, popular classics, folk songs, part songs and comedy items. No musical knowledge necessary.
• Jazz Performance - Mondays, 7.15pm – 9.15pm- 13 January – 17 March 2014. Tutor: Richard Everitt, £70 / £35 for 10 sessions. Gain confidence in your ability to improvise through a better understanding of scales, modes and chords, and develop your performance skills. For anyone with an interest in jazz and reasonable proficiency on a musical instrument. To take full part in all aspects of the course you will need to read music or chord symbols, but those who play by ear are also welcome. 
• Latin American dance for beginners - Tutor: Maggie Munoz, £65 / £35 for 10 sessions. For beginners, Tuesdays 6pm – 7.30pm, 14 January – 18 March 2014. Get on your feet and have a go at this fun, energetic and exciting dance style. Improve your health, fitness and wellbeing. For adults interested in learning the basic skills, this informal course led by an experienced dance facilitator requires no specialist clothing or footwear.
• Classical guitar for beginners - Wednesdays 29 January – 9 April 2014 (not 19 February) Tutor: Ketan Patel, £58 for 10 sessions. Learn in a friendly group setting with a strong emphasis on ensemble playing. No previous musical knowledge is required for beginner level. You will need to bring your own nylon-strung guitar, footstool and course book – please ask us for details.

 

Embrace Arts, Richard Attenborough centre, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HA. www.embracearts.co.uk

‘Why Don’t You?’ PechaKucha - 28th January 6-8pm at Phoenix
Phoenix, Midland Street, Leicester LE1 1TG - 10 people, 20 images, 6 minutes, 40 seconds. It may sound like some experimental new play, but it’s actually a new worldwide craze that we are bringing to Leicester in the New Year. PechaKucha is special event in which ten people show slides on any subject and talk for 20 seconds on each. It’s all about talking and entertaining (its name comes from the Japanese for ‘chit chat’ after all). The theme is ‘Collaboration’ and confirmed guests include Dave Bain from the Tobacco Factory and Jayne Childs from Creative Twinning.

To book your place click here. This is a Creative Leicestershire Event.

Let’s Make Stuff Happen
Tuesday 21 January, 5pm-7pm. The Exchange Bar, 50 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1Rd.

An open door network for East Midlands’ Creatives. Join us for our first event where we hope to meet new people, and foster new partnerships and collaborations. Open to everyone and anyone working in the arts or creative industries.

Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) London 2014: Call for Proposals
Electronic visualisation technologies in art, music, dance, Theatre, the sciences and more. We are looking for varied session types. We invite proposals for papers, demonstrations, short performances, workshops or panel discussions. We especially invite presentations on topical subjects, and the newest and cutting edge technologies and applications for the 2014 conference themes. Demonstrations are as welcome as are more formally presented papers.

Only a summary of the proposal, on up to one page, is required for selection. This must be submitted electronically according to the instructions on the EVA London website. Themes for EVA London 2014 are:

* Computer Arts and Electronics
* Data and Scientific Visualization
* Digitally Enhanced Reality and Everyware
* Music and Performance
* Open Source and Technologies
* Virtual Cultural Heritage

If your proposal is a case study, we will be looking for discussions of wider principles or applications using the case study as an example. A few bursaries for EVA London registration fees will again be available if you don't have access to grants. Deadline: 10 January 2014. More information here.

Can you help with research about young entrepreneurs?
The Mighty Creatives is a social enterprise based in the Midlands. They are currently developing new enterprise support services that will help young people aged 16 to 25 to start and grow their own businesses. As part of this development process, they want to talk to young entrepreneurs like you who have been through it before. They want to hear your experiences, as well as test out some of their new ideas.

Can you help? Their researcher would like to speak to you on the phone for about 20 minutes at some point over the next couple of weeks. Please contact him direct: Matthew Terry, 07793 441356, matthew.terry@cloud-chamber.co.uk.

Love Business East Midlands 2014 - Book your free place now
Love Business East Midlands is a strategic alliance of 'like minded' businesses and organisations. Working together, our objective is to inspire the business community by highlighting the many successes within the East Midlands region, with the aim of helping each other succeed against the odds in the current economic climate. Wed 12 Feb 2014, 9.30am-3.30pm, Donington Park Race Circuit, Paddock Suite. Click here for more information and to register.

FSB & More Restaurant Networking Evening
First Wednesday of every month, 6pm. More Restaurant, 62a London Road, Leicester, LE2 0QD. Great opportunity for local businesses no matter how big or small to get together and meet like minded people who in turn could help you with your business. FREE ADVERTSING: MORE Restaurant has over 1500 customers dining each week and are allowing networkers attending this event to advertise their business on their TV screens within the restaurant for free (every month they attend). Network, Socialise, Eat & Drink. £16 per person, £15 for FSB members. FSB members must bring their FSB membership card, in order to receive their discounted rate. For more information about the event or to join the FSB contact Vimal Chauhan: FSB Chairman (Leicester City), 0116 298 6444 info@DriveMyCarHome.co.uk

Creative Coffee
Phoenix cafe-bar, Midland Street, Leicester LE1 1TG. Creativity, Coffee & Conversation. We're a free fortnightly networking meet-up for creative people and those looking to meet creatives. See www.creativecoffee.org.uk

 

Creative Leicestershire Artists in Education Training Course - ONLY 2 PLACES LEFT!
Are you an artist working freelance or as part of an arts organisation? Are you interested in developing your practice to deliver your art form within an educational context?  Are you effective at incorporating outcomes as part of your planning and evaluation strategies? Would you welcome the opportunity to discuss and observe principles of best practice in Arts Education? If so then follow the link to find out more about this short course for Artists in Education and training offered by Creative Leicestershire, starting 21st January 2014.

Professional Development Workshop with Cathy Grindrod
Thursday 6 February & Thursday 20 March 10am to 1pm. This is a FREE workshop for Creative Leicestershire subscribers and places are extremely limited so if you are interested in attending these excellent sessions please email Catherine.rogers@leics.gov.uk as soon as possible.

East Midlands Visual Arts Network artist development workshops
Delivered by visual arts specialist and EMVAN Co-ordinator Elizabeth Hawley. They will cover areas including:
   •   Profile raising
   •   Working practices
   •   Networking and connectivity
   •   Markets and audiences
   •   Knowledge sharing    •   Resourcing a practice
Tuesday 14 January, 10.30am - 1.30pm - Atkins Building, Hinckley, Leicestershire
Wednesday 19 February, 10.30am - 1.30pm - Loughborough University Arts, Leicestershire

Places on the workshops cost £5 and are limited to 15 so booking is essential. Please book your place here. Supported by Creative Leicestershire.

Creative professional development opportunities for artists and arts organisers from a-n The Artists Information Company
13 February at Phoenix, 4 Midland Street, Leicester, LE1 1TG. 12pm – 6pm. Dodge The Shredder© - a full day workshop that empowers artists to fundraise effectively and create a financial strategy for their practice. Created, developed and delivered by Emilia Telese. The session looks at:

• Approaching galleries and funding bodies with a great proposal
• Minimising rejection when applying for funding
• How to create a financial support strategy for your art practice
• Writing about your practice effectively
• Finding out about the best sources of funding for your practice

This session offers tailor-made feedback sessions for funding proposals in progress in a friendly, supportive environment. Participants are asked to bring copies of a fundraising proposal they are working on. Each proposal will be examined and suggestions will be made to improve chances of success. Emilia Telese is an artist and writer based in Sussex  www.emiliatelese.com

Costs
These workshops are an exclusive offer to Creative Leicestershire subscribers and are being offered FREE  in partnership with a-n  The Artists Information Company.

How to book
To book a place please email events@a-n.co.uk with the seminar title and date in the subject heading. Places are allocated on a first-come first-served basis so book early to avoid disappointment. We will email back to confirm your place, along with payment information and directions to the venue. Supported by Creative Leicestershire.

Unpicking Social Media at Loughborough University Arts
Tues 11 March, 11 – 2pm, Loughborough University Arts. Harnessing social media for promoting and funding your practice, led by artist, writer and critic Jack Hutchinson.

The morning session enables artists to get to grips with social media as a tool for the promotion and development of new opportunities to enhance their professional lives.
With tips and advice about the practical aspects of being an artist, from his personal experience of graduating from Lancaster in 2005 to his life now as a professional artist and Communications Officer for AIR Artists Interaction and Representation, Hutchinson explains how using social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs like WordPress and Artists Talking led to paid work with publications including a-n Magazine, Zchweizer Kunst and Dazed and Confused. He also demonstrates the role of digital communication in expanding peer networks, and how this has led to exhibition opportunities and an expanded network of supportive artists.

Costs
These workshops are an exclusive offer to Creative Leicestershire subscribers and are being offered FREE  in partnership with a-n  The Artists Information Company.

How to book
To book a place please email events@a-n.co.uk with the seminar title and date in the subject heading. Places are allocated on a first-come first-served basis so book early to avoid disappointment. We will email back to confirm your place, along with payment information and directions to the venue. Please bring a sandwich with you as this will run over lunchtime! Supported by Creative Leicestershire.

GET ON BOARD 2014: Mainstream Partnership
Board Governance & Trustee Training Programme, 15 & 22 January 2014 (Group Sessions) 6.30 - 8.30pm, Embrace Arts, Leicester. Free.
If you are an artist or arts professional and wish to contribute your skills and expertise to the regions arts and cultural organisations at board level, this training programme is for you. Next will be two active group sessions as detailed above. In these sessions you will be guided through the realities and legalities of board and trustee membership by two very experiential and dynamic trainers; Rakesh Parmar and Louise Katerega. The Mainstream Partnership team will then catch up with a one to one review and support your board and trustee applications and where necessary, broker introductions. Having attended all stages of the training and successfully enrolled as a board or trustee member, you will be eligible for a bursary to support you in your first year of board membership.

Applications Close: 5 January 2014. For more information and to book click here. 

Arts Award Adviser Training Bronze/Silver Leicestershire
This is the final public training for Arts Award for 2013/14:

Wednesday 12th March 2014 9am - 4pm
The Marlene Reid Centre
85 Belvoir Rd
Coalville
Leicestershire
LE673PH

Book online www.artsaward.org.uk

Training from Voluntary Action Leicestershire

• PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) - 8 Jan 2014 - 26 Feb 2014. This course is the first step towards a professional qualification in post-16 teaching. Whether you are new to the teaching profession or an experienced facilitator wishing to get a formal qualification this course aims to develop your skills and knowledge. £399.
• Getting your environmental policy right - 8 Jan 2014 - 10:00-12:00. Are you ever asked what your environmental policy is or how your project will mitigate against any impact on the environment? Are you sometimes unsure what to write in funding applications that ask this? Come to this short and friendly workshop for answers to these questions and more. Free.

 

• Commercial Masterclass - 28 Jan 2014 - 9:30am. Designed and delivered by a cross-sector partnership (ACEVO, AVANTA, Capita, Ingeus, NAVCA, NCVO, Serco and Social Enterprise UK), these masterclasses are the first in a national programme funded by Office for Civil Society, Cabinet Office with pro-bono support from our private sector partners. From £35.
• Excellence in Managing and Recruiting Volunteers - 4 Mar 2014 - 1:00 - 3.30pm. This course is designed for experienced managers of volunteers including those wanting a refresher course, or those managing volunteers in larger organisations. Free.

 

For further information & training visit the Voluntary Action Leicestershire website. 

Business Development Workshops from LCB Depot
All workshops will be held at LCB Depot, Leicester, LE1 1RE

• How to Manage Bad Debts - 17 January 2014, 10:00 to 13:00. Chasing bad debts is an important aspect of running a successful business. This workshop will demonstrate how to chase bad debts and the legal options for pursuing a customer that avoids paying. The workshop will demonstrate how bad debts can impact on a small business and techniques on how to track of debtors and recover them without incurring huge costs. Free.
• Perfect Pitching - How to Win More Business! - 23 January 2014, 10:00 to 13:00. Making a pitch is important to winning new work. This workshop will show you how to deliver the perfect business pitch and how to increase your success rate and win more work! As well as exploring how and when to pitch, this practical workshop will also help you understand when not to pitch and when an opportunity may not be right for you. Free.
• Bookkeeping on a Budget - How to Manage Your Money! - 28 January 2014, 10:00 to 13:00. Managing your finances is vital for businesses of all sizes. This workshop will show you how to manage your finances by using simple tools and techniques including an introduction to free open source and/or inexpensive finance packages. Free.
• Pricing Your Products - 4 February 2014, 10:00 to 13:00. This workshop will show you how to price products and services appropriately, taking into account not only materials but costing the amount of time spent producing into the final price. This workshop links with the Negotiation Skills Workshop and highlight price points that can be used during negotiations. Free.

 

Due to funding restrictions, only businesses based within the Leicester City area will be eligible for support. You will be asked to show proof of your address at the start of the workshop.

Start your Creative Journey by Gaining a Qualification!
The Leicestershire Adult Learning Service is offering a range of accredited arts courses throughout 2013/14.  Develop your creative flair with our skilled and experienced tutors, who have a passion for their subject. All courses are practical and recognise the individual needs of our learners. There are a range of Drawing and Painting, Ceramics and Media and Textiles courses at various locations including Snibston Discovery Museum. For more information and to book your course please call FREEphone 0800 988 0308 or visit www.leics.gov.uk/GoLearn

Call out for Interested Parties - Click; Connect; Curate; Create
Click; Connect; Curate; Create is looking for people to get involved in a new project for Leicestershire’s museums.

Leicestershire County Council are looking for members of the public, museum professionals and people interested in/ working with digital technologies to work together to help us generate ideas for new digital content based on our museums and our collections. We are initially looking for people to attend our Ideas Generation Day on Saturday 18 January at Snibston Discovery Museum. To find out more visit www.connect-curate.com

Voluntary Action Leicestershire - application support
VAL offers free, confidential and impartial advice to voluntary and community groups completing funding applications. We are able to review draft funding applications, offer advice on structuring your funding bid and advise and facilitate a consortium approach. To access this service call our Helpline on 0116 257 5050 or email helpline@valonline.org.uk.

TMC presents: Cultural Life of the Child Summit #2: 5-11 Years
Following on from an inspiring day with over 70 delegates from across the East Midlands who came to our first summit in Oct which focused on the Early Years, we warmly invite you to join us for the next event in this series - Summit #2 Primary Years (5-11).

The (Cultural) Life of the Child Summits bring together children's service leaders, practitioners and educators from across the East Midlands to look at what makes a #goodchildhood.  The summits will identify what children and young people need and how sectors respond in the way that we work together now and into the future. 

Working with a national advisory board, and designed to showcase valuable ideas and innovation, the summits will create a new blueprint for collaboration to help all children and young people thrive. Wed 5th Feb 2013, Derby Riverside Conference Centre. Free. More information here.

Launch of the New £10 Million Enact Investment Fund for UK SMEs
The Enact Investment Fund specifically targets small and medium-sized companies with 250 employees or less. Enact will leverage the combined expertise of its investor base, comprising successful UK entrepreneurs and professionals, with experience from industry sectors such as retail, manufacturing, distribution and financial services. The Fund has a total investment pot of £10 million available. Individual equity investments will range from £250,000 to £2 million. Typical Enact equity investments are three to five years in length. Established UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may apply. Businesses may be operating in any sector other than leasing, legal services, property development, hotels, nursing homes and insurance. Enact's investment strategy is to invest in companies have a robust business model, but are facing cash flow constraints, strategic or operational issues.

Applicants must meet the qualifying criteria for Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) investments and be demonstrate they would benefit from a hands-on investment approach. Applications may be submitted at any time, visit the Enact website to find out more.

Artists International Development Fund (England)
The Arts Council England has announced that its new Artists' International Development Fund is currently open for applications. Through the Artists' International Development Fund the Arts Council offers grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to individual freelance and self-employed artists based in England to build links with artists, organisations and/or creative producers in another country.  The fund is open to individual artists, including creative producers, curators and editors.  Although the Artists' international development programme is aimed at individual artists, small groups of artists who normally collaborate in their work can also apply. This could include, for example, musicians and visual artists who usually create work together, or writers and their translators.

In parallel with the Artists' international development fund, the British Council are administering a separate fund for film makers designed to help emerging UK film talent travel with their work and reach new international audiences. The Travel Grant Fund will support makers of short films in the UK in showing their work at international film festivals. 

The closing date for applications is the 7th February 2014. Read more here. 

The Prince's Trust Enterprise Programme
Interested in setting up your own business? If you’re aged 18-30, unemployed or working fewer than 16 hours a week, the Enterprise programme can help you decide whether self-employment is right for you. Depending on the outcome of the decision process, the Enterprise programme can then offer mentoring support and, for those that really need it, financial support to start a business or mentoring support to secure goals in employment, education, training or volunteering. The programme has a rolling deadline, more information here.

Creative Employment Programme (England)
The UK Government has announced that the next closing date for applications to the Creative Employment programme is the 10th January 2014. The £15 million, National Lottery funded programme is aimed at increasing work and training opportunities for unemployed young people. The programme will provide funding for 6,500 new traineeships, apprenticeships and paid internship opportunities to help young unemployed people aged 16 to 24 enter the arts and cultural workforce. Employment created will be in a wide range of disciplines, from technical to administrative roles, provided they are located in England and fall within the Arts Council England's footprint of: Music, Dance, Theatre, Literature, Visual Arts, Contemporary Craft, Combined Arts, Carnival, Circus, Galleries, Museums, and Libraries. The programme will provide part wage grants to employers who create new apprenticeship and internship job opportunities for young unemployed people aged 16-24. Read more here.

CultureHive skillset tool
Online skillset tools, based on the Arts Marketing Standards, use to identify and plan your training and development needs now and in the future. Discover your strengths, identify any gaps in your training and pick the training most relevant to your needs. The short skillset tool takes no more than 15 minutes to complete. The full Training Needs Analysis provides a more comprehensive personal development plan — it takes longer but you can dip in and out as and when you can. Click here to find out more.

Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an exciting and rewarding platform used to fund creative projects. They're a home for everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. Kickstarter is full of projects, big and small, that are brought to life through the direct support of people like you. Since their launch in 2009, 5.3 million people have pledged $894 million, funding 52,000 creative projects. Thousands of creative projects are raising funds on Kickstarter right now! Click here for more information.

Midlands3Cities Doctoral Training Partnership: AHRC-funded PhD studentships in the arts and humanities
The Midlands3Cities DTP is an AHRC-funded collaboration between the universities of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent, Leicester, De Montfort, Birmingham and Birmingham City. Together they are setting a new benchmark for research candidate training, mentoring and support, providing you with the key skills, language, and aptitude necessary to deploy your knowledge purposefully in your chosen career. Partners including Creative Leicestershire, Leicestershire County Council, Phoenix Square, British Film Institute and British Museum will be supporting the DTP’s placement and professional development activity.

Apply now for funding: 82 studentships are available across the Midlands3Cities DTP for doctoral study commencing 2014. In order to be considered eligible for funding you need to be a UK/EU student who meets the academic eligibility criteria as detailed in the AHRC studentship guidelines. The deadline for funding applications is Thursday 9 January 2014 at 12 noon. Click here for more information and to apply.

Creative England Innovations and Partnerships Film Fund
Creative England is looking for companies who have new and innovative ideas for ways to help the film sector to grow and develop outside London. It is offering funding of between £10,000 and £50,000 per project. The Innovations and Partnerships Fund (£250,000 pa) is a unique opportunity to work with Creative England on original projects related to the film industry. These could support a wide range of areas from development, production and distribution to business growth, innovation, and inward investment. For more information and to apply click here.

British Film Institute: Programming Development Fund now open (UK) 
The British Film Institute (BFI) has announced that its Programming Development Fund will re-open for applications in January 2014. The fund which is worth up to £1.4m per year to 2017 is designed to empower programmers and exhibitors to bring specialised and independent British films to audiences across the UK in fresh and original ways.  There are three funding strands, the next funding round will be for strand 1 and 2 only and the closing date will be the 3rd March 2014. Read more here.

Our Heritage
This fund is for projects that make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities in the UK. Projects must focus on heritage, which includes many different things from the past that we value and want to pass on to future generations, for example involving people in exploring local cultures, traditions, languages and ways of life. Click here for more information.

Charnwood Community Grants

A range of grants are available to constituted groups, including running costs, community facilities and grants for specific areas of the district.

• Community Development Grants - Maximum £10,000 available to support projects and on-going activities of voluntary or community organisations.
• Community Engagement Grants - Maximum £500 to cover the running costs of
  small projects. Upcoming deadlines; 7 January 2014
• Community Facilities Grants - The scheme supports the renovation, improvement and provision of community buildings, and also small-scale environmental improvement schemes. Grants of up to £20,000, to a maximum of 50% of the cost of the project.
• Feasibility Studies Grant - The scheme provides support with the commissioning of feasibility studies as part of the development plan to undertake substantial refurbishment or propose a new-build community facility. Grants of up to £5,000, to a maximum of 50% of the cost of the study. 
• Loughborough Community Grants - The scheme awards grants of up to £2,000 to cover the running costs of small projects in Loughborough. Upcoming deadlines; 7 January 2014
• Staying Healthy Community Grants - The scheme awards grants of up to £2,000 for health-related projects in Charnwood. Upcoming deadlines; 7 January 2014

 

North West Leicestershire Grants

• Coalville Special Expenses - Grants up to £250 are available to support and encourage a range of community activities, initiatives and events that meet the needs of residents within the North West Leicestershire wards of Coalville, Bardon, Snibston, Whitwick, Thringstone, Greenhill and Hugglescote. Upcoming deadlines; 31 December
• Coalville One Off Grant Fund - Grants up to £450 are available to local groups and organisations whose work fits in with District Council priority work areas and to groups that can demonstrate their work directly affects members of the community. Upcoming deadlines; 31 December