Added to Creative Stoke, 30th June 2010

^{New! 30.06.10}    
Creative Remedies, now based at the Staffordshire Arts & Museum Service, has launched its new-look arts & health website…

^{New! 30.06.10}    
Added to the Directory: David Howson, a ceramics maker based in Leek. David has a new 2010/11 collection of Copper Vessels coming soon.

^{New! 30.06.10}    
Planning to refurbish a listed building for arts or cultural uses? On 22nd July 2010, Urban Vision North Staffordshire is holding a free Heritage Building Refurbishment morning. The event is free. Send an email to:  hannah.barter@uvns.org  for full details.

^{New! 30.06.10}    
A quick round-up of recent changes in business support and funding for the West Midlands. Today the… “Business Minister announced today that the new government would be shutting down the Business Link network” (which I doubt many creative businesses will be shedding a tear for), and it’s already been well publicised that the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands (distributing £200m annually) is set to be abolished by the end of the summer. There are additional reports in the Birmingham Post today that… “Advantage West Midlands is set to cut off funding for businesses and public bodies which have already been promised grants”.

It now seems that AWM and Business Link will be replaced by…

* a new system of local enterprise partnerships
* support for the private advice that most companies are already using in preference to Business Link.
* local Chambers of Commerce will take on a bigger role in offering business advice.
* an improved and simpler-to-use online service, accessible both on desktops and on mobiles.
* a new £1bn regional business growth fund will… “help the areas most dependent on public sector employment”.
* a waiver of some employment taxes “for new businesses starting up in targeted regions of the country”.
* And for the West Midlands… “a discount on National Insurance payments of up to £5,000 per new member of staff, capped at £50,000 for 10 staff.”

Added to Creative Stoke, 25th June 2010

^{New! 25.06.10}    
Added to the Directory: NK Williams, Film and Graphic Design. Based at Stafford Technology Park. Here’s a new video NKW have made, promoting cycling in Stoke-on-Trent…

^{New! 25.06.10}    
Job:  Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton, currently has vacancies for: Throwers; Hand Painters; Flower Makers; and Casters, all at £8 per hour. You should be able to demonstrate your particular skill to the museum’s visitors. For an application form and more information, please visit: jobsonline.stoke.gov.uk

^{New! 25.06.10}    
Job:  the New Vic Theatre requires a full-time Deputy Stage Manager . Application deadline: 9th July 2010. Contract to start: 1st November 2010. Full information from: admin@newvictheatre.org.uk

^{New! 25.06.10}    
The International Forestry Exhibition 2010 is to be held on nearby Cannock Chase, 23rd – 25th September 2010. It’s mostly professional forestry, but there is an open “chainsaw carving” competition, and there may be good selling opportunities at the Game Fair for traditional crafts makers who work with wood.

^{New! 25.06.10}    
With North Staffordshire and the Black Country traditionally having had many types of interconnections with North Wales, some may be interested in a forthcoming academic conference on the cultural flows between the two areas. English and Welsh Diaspora: Regional Cultures, Disparate Voices, Remembered Lives is a major four-day conference to be held at Loughborough University from 13th April – 16th April 2011. The organisers say it…

“aims to address all aspects of rural and regional experience, consciousness, and representation of displacement, dispossession, the transformation or destruction of communities, the idea of community, across a millennium of change and loss, … exploration of the historical transformation of the landscape, the relation of land to identity, regional as opposed to national identity, folklore, folk practices and oral tradition through song, dance, story-telling and forms of ritual and seasonal practice”

^{New! 24.06.10}    
A two-day Common Ground arts event is set to happen at Hanley Park on 26th & 27th June 2010. The event is a response to community feedback from a Quality Streets public consultation held earlier this year, in which local residents said they would like to see more public activities in the Park. The event is organised by Hanley’s Airspace Gallery, and eighteen artists will be showing work during the event. Sure to be a good networking event — see the website for full details.

Added to Creative Stoke, 22nd June 2010 – part two

^{New! 22.06.10}    
After eight years, the third-party Picosearch search function has finally stopped working. Creative Stoke’s search function (see the right-hand sidebar) is now running on a Google CSE.

^{New! 22.06.10}    
The NME gigs listing feed has been fixed, on Creative Stoke’s “Big Feed” listings page.

^{New! 22.06.10}    
Martin Brough’s new promo video for the Love Stoke website at LOVEstoke.org…

“Last year Stoke-on-Trent was voted the friendliest city in the UK. We interviewed some newcomers to the area to find out…”

^{New! 22.06.10}    
The organisers of the Haywood Engineering College’s Community Festival (High Lane, Burslem. Stoke-on-Trent) are seeking anyone who would like to exhibit their work, or hire a table. This year’s theme is “Alice in Wonderland”, and it takes place on 10th July 2010 (11am-4pm). More details from:  jchadwick@sgfl.org.uk

^{New! 22.06.10}    
Added to the Directory: Mikee Jones photography, based in Cheadle.

Added to Creative Stoke, 22nd June 2010

^{New! 22.06.10}    
The 24th West Midlands Regional Embroiders Day will be 26th June 2010. The venue is Harper Adams University College in Shropshire.

^{New! 22.06.10}    
There’s to be a business networking day in Stoke-on-Trent, on 15th July 2010. Three sessions of speed networking, and two speakers including someone from the Intellectual Property Office.

^{New! 22.06.10}    
Jobs:  Staffordshire University require a Senior Lecturer in Fine Art and a Lecturer in Fine Art, as well as a Senior Lecturer in Photojournalism.

^{New! 22.06.10}    
The Cheshire Grassroots Endowment has a children’s Drawing Competition on now. Deadline: 24th September 2010. Full details at the website.

^{New! 22.06.10}    
Staffordshire’s Shugborough Estate is holding a Willow Weaving Day on 10th August 2010 (9.30 to 3.30). Cost is £10.00 per person, including lunch. Booking is essential. Contact Cannock Chase AONB Unit to book a place, at:  cannockchase@staffordshire.gov.uk

^{New! 22.06.10}    
The date of the Staffordshire Bead Fair has been announced. It’ll be held at The Moat House Hotel, Stoke-on-Trent, on Sunday 12th September 2010 (10am to 4pm). Potential exhibitors are invited to request a booking form.

^{New! 22.06.10}    
Milwich Watercolour Society is recruiting now for its popular 12-week course, September – December 2010. Location is Milwich Village Hall (access from Uttoxeter Road B5027). The lessons are held on the first three Thursdays of the month, 7:30pm to 9:30pm for twelve weeks. Cost: £55. For more information, please phone: evening: 01889 505 493 / mobile: 07740 076 799.

^{New! 22.06.10}    
Jobs:  C&T Theatre Company requires a Drama Animateur (2 days/week from Sept 2010) in Telford. You’ll work for a professional theatre company in four primary schools in Telford. Deadline: 13th July 2010. Full details from Liam Tombs at:  jobs@candt.org

^{New! 22.06.10}    
The Birmingham European Theatre Festival (30th June to 3th July 2010) has put out a last-minute call for volunteers. You’ll get a free festival pass, meals and the option of participating in the training workshops…

“We are looking for passionate, energetic theatre and dance enthusiasts, based in the West Midlands, to join our first ever Festival team. … Please write to us expressing your interest in the project, and also attach your latest C.V.”

Added to Creative Stoke, 21st June 2010

^{New! 21.06.10}    
Visit Stoke is inviting anyone with a mug or a teacup, which carries the world-famous Stoke-on-Trent “back-stamp”, to enter a photo competition. Just show yourself drinking tea from your cup/mug, in any unusual situation. Deadline: 30th September 2010. Prizes include: a VIP trip to Alton Towers; a Wedgwood tea service set; a new video camera, and a weekend break in Stoke. Full details at the website.

^{New! 21.06.10}    
Added to the Directory: Dan Matthews Photography.

From Dan’s series of local black and white panoramas.

^{New! 21.06.10}    
Added to the Directory: Jess Leeson-Kemp photography.

From Jess’s current series of portraits of people effected by strokes.

^{New! 21.06.10}    
Rachel Gilbert has been running an after-school and school holiday drama club in Stoke-on-Trent, since 2007. Rachel has just launched a brand-new website for the project. The Action Project allows students (aged between 5-16) to study all types of drama and acting, such as Greek Chorus work, Shakespeare, dances and songs, and contemporary plays/musicals. Classes are mixed, and the idea is for it not to feel like school. Interested? Please look at the new website or contact Rachel Gilbert at:  actionprojectstoke@gmail.com

^{New! 21.06.10}    
Local historians, authors and book publishers may be interested in the Staffordshire Heritage Group‘s 4th Staffordshire History Fair, which is set to happen on Saturday 18th September 2010 (10am to 4pm). More details at the website.

Added to Creative Stoke, 19th June 2010

^{New! 19.06.10}    
Keele Hall at Keele University has places available on a week-long writing retreat, 25th July – 30th July 2010. The cost is £525 including accommodation and meals. Jacob Polley, James Sheard, Gwendoline Riley, and Joe Stretch will lead workshops. Full details from Kath McKeown at: k.c.mckeown@his.keele.ac.uk

^{New! 19.06.10}    
There’s to be a Crafts Curators Day at Bilston Craft Gallery, near Wolverhampton, on Tuesday 29th June 2010. There will be opportunities to hear from current artists exhibiting at the Gallery, and to learn more about a national programme of exhibitions exploring… “the distinctive contribution artists make to influence or reflect national identity, the inter-cultural nature of British society and its connection with global cultures through a series of exhibitions, installations and events between 2006 and 2011”. Full details from Emma Syer, at:  emma@theshapeofthings.org.uk

^{New! 19.06.10}    
Abbots Bromley School for Girls and the Abbots Bromley Arts Society invite Staffordshire artists to participate in “Imagining the Landscape”, a painting and creative writing summer school. David Gleeson and Paul Henry will lead two days of individual tuition in small friendly groups. The weekend costs £65, and there are also prices available for those who just want some of the day and evening activities. For full information please email:  elizabethgodwin@abbotsbromley.staffs.sch.uk

^{New! 19.06.10}    
Staffordshire Arts and Museum Service would like to hear from textile artists who produce innovative 2D or 3D work around the theme of “drawing with thread”. Applications are encouraged from textile artists who explore the relationship between drawing and stitch. Suitable work will be selected for inclusion in a group exhibition at the Shire Hall Gallery. To apply: post or email up to 6 images, C.V. and artists’ statement to: Kim Gould, Gallery & Exhibitions Development Officer, at:  kim.gould@staffordshire.gov.uk

^{New! 19.06.10}    
Nearby Macclesfield has a “Macclesfield: A New View” photography competition. Last entries: 3rd July 2010. Full details at the web page.

^{New! 19.06.10}    
DACS Payback launches its 2010 payback on 21st June 2010. The scheme allows visual creatives to claim a share of the £3-million DACS Payback fund. If you’ve had an image of your work published in a British magazine or newspaper, or seen on a TV programme, yet not been paid for it — then applying could get you a DACS cheque. The Payback cash is raised from the annual photocopying & video/TV/DVD duplication licenses paid for by British schools & colleges.

^{New! 19.06.10}    
Just a remind that the Artists’ Access to Art Colleges scheme should be inviting applications from around the end of July. The list of 2010/11 participating institutions is here. The nearest to North Staffordshire are Derby and Wolverhampton.

^{New! 19.06.10}    
Profusion is an innovative rural arts exhibition now on at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire, and they need volunteers. Beacon requires volunteer assistance until 11th July 2010, ideally for five days during that time….

“The duties will involve spending the day at Calke Abbey, invigilating the art exhibits round the Calke Abbey estate and informing the public about the artwork and the exhibition. If you are interested in contemporary visual art, enjoy talking about art, are friendly and reliable, this will offer you invaluable experience of working with a visual arts organisation. It will be a fantastic opportunity to meet leading artists too. You will be required from 10am until 5pm on the days you assist and we recommend you bring a packed lunch. Beacon will help with transport to Calke Abbey where possible. Please email us at:  info@beaconartproject.com

^{New! 19.06.10}    
Shoot the Street is a new street photography contest from the British Journal of Photography. Entry costs £20, and entries should be submitted before 30th June 2010.

^{New! 19.06.10}    
Urban Vision North Staffordshire will be delivering “continuing professional development” sessions suitable for teachers, educationalists, and creative practitioners, at Wolverhampton Art Gallery on 19th July 2010. Full details at the website.

^{New! 19.06.10}    
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has a new scheme to encourage small to medium-sized local businesses to take on graduates. A wage subsidy of £1,000 is available for each full-time, permanent graduate job. For further details, contact Grad Central on: 01675 461500 or phone Steve Lovatt at Stoke-on-Trent City Council on: 01782 236632.

Added to Creative Stoke, 14th June 2010

^{New! 14.06.10}    
Job:  Staffordshire Arts & Museum Service are seeking a Dance Development Officer (ref: CXO380). See the Staffordshire County Council Jobs pages for full details. Application deadline: 2nd July 2010.

^{New! 14.06.10}    
As part of the city of Stoke-on-Trent’s centenary celebrations, The Sentinel newspaper will be publishing a special picture supplement on “Stoke-on-Trent after 100 years” toward the end of July 2010. The Sentinel‘s professional photographers have of course done a sterling job over the decades, but the newspaper also needs your help to complete the supplement. They’re looking for your images of where you live, and the best of these will be considered for publication. Send images to:  david.elks@thesentinel.co.uk

^{New! 14.06.10}    
The BBC’s National Short Story Award 2010 is seeking entries. Deadline: 18th June 2010. The winning author will receive £15,000, the runner-up £3,000. Three further shortlisted authors will be given £500 each. Only “publishers, agents and published authors” may submit work. See the web page for full details.

^{New! 14.06.10}    
Nottingham-based artist Chris Lewis-Jones has been working with teachers and Year Five pupils from Clarice Cliff School in Stoke-on-Trent, on a Partners in Creative Learning project. The residency will culminate in an exhibition at the AirSpace gallery in Hanley (11.00am – 4.00pm) which ends 16th June 2010.

^{New! 14.06.10}    
The Guggenheim YouTube Play 2010: a biennial of creative video is now open. Deadline: 31st July 2010. YouTube Play…

“aims to discover and showcase the most exceptional talent working in the ever-expanding realm of online video. Developed by YouTube and the Guggenheim Museum in collaboration with HP, YouTube Play hopes to attract innovative, original, and surprising videos from around the world, regardless of genre, technique, background, or budget. This global online initiative is not a search for what’s “now”, but a search for “what’s next”.

^{New! 14.06.10}    
Google is offering a free set of 50 colour business cards, to promote your YouTube channel. All you pay is the cost of shipping, which they say is… “about $6/£3/€4”.

^{New! 14.06.10}    
The Wolverhampton Open is seeking local artists to submit work to this newly-established event. Works will be shown in venues throughout the city in August/September. The entry fee is £15 for one work. Deadline for submissions: 20th July 2010. Full details from: white.tree3@yahoo.co.uk

^{New! 14.06.10}    
Virgin Media Shorts Competition is a short film competition that champions undiscovered talent. Prizes include:

* 12 film makers win a chance to show their work on 214 cinema screen nationwide in the UK
* £30,000 to make their next film
* A “People’s Choice” winner will take home thousands of pounds worth of new film kit
* Films must be in English, or subtitled in English, and be of a duration of up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

Deadline: 28th June 2010. Remember that most popular royalty-free music packs are not licenced for cinema or national TV showings.

^{New! 14.06.10}    
Are you a writer who reads Creative Stoke from the nearby Derbyshire Peak District? Writing Ambitions is a networking and information day for Derbyshire writers, to be held on 3rd July 2010 at Alfreton (about 25 miles east of Stoke-on-Trent). The day will feature a range of speakers and workshops. The cost for the day is £12 (£10 concessions). Lunch is not provided. Full details from the Literature Development Officer:  alison.betteridge@derbyshire.gov.uk

Added to Creative Stoke, 7th June 2010

^{New! 07.06.10}    
Creativity and Innovation in Glass is a one-day symposium to be held at the University of Wolverhampton, on 27th August 2010. It aims to… “explore the special nature of glass in craft and industry [and] focus on the development of innovative approaches and creative opportunities for glass.” Full details at the conference web page.

^{New! 07.06.10}    
The Light House at Wolverhampton is holding a one-day symposium for film-makers and animators, Micro Budget, Massive Success : professionally handling constraints of micro-budget film-making. The date is 28th June 2010. Full details from Rebecca at:  info@producersforum.org.uk

^{New! 07.06.10}    
Some of the West Midlands Grassroots Grants foundations are currently inviting applications for grants of between £250 and £5,000. More details at the website, or from:  grassroots@cdf.org.uk

^{New! 07.06.10}    
Universal Music’s Choir Search is a competition to find Britain’s best parish or community choir. Nominations deadline: 18th June 2010. The winner of the competition not only wins a record contract with Universal Music to make an album of Britain’s best-loved hymns, but also will get the chance to sing at the Royal Albert Hall on 30th September 2010 as part of a Classic FM live concert. Full details at the website.

^{New! 07.06.10}    
Manchester is to host a timely one-day seminar on Individual Giving for the Arts, on 24th June 2010. The seminar will explain the legal status of donations, Gift Aid from individuals and companies, gift of shares, payroll giving, donations, and other forms of philanthropy — and will also consider the future of such giving. To register, please email:  eleanor.wotherspoon@artsandbusiness.org.uk

^{New! 07.06.10}    
4iP is an innovation investment fund in digital media, created by the Channel 4 TV channel. 4iP’s UnLtd scheme is now offering investments of up to £5,000 to make your digital media project into a reality. They’re specifically looking for “Body Image” themed projects which… “help young women understand how they feel about their body” and which are “about improving confidence”. To discuss your ideas and to obtain an application form please email:  4ip@unltd.org.uk

^{New! 07.06.10}    
30th June 2010 will be an Open Day at the Stoke-on-Trent campus of Staffordshire University, for potential students. The programme will include introductory talks and tours for those interested in studying Art and Design, Film and Media, Drama, and Journalism, among others. See the programme for full details.

Added to Creative Stoke, 3rd June 2010

^{New! 03.06.10}    
The National Trust’s Tatton Park Biennial now has its website online. The Park is located in the countyside about 20 miles north of Stoke on-Trent. The summer arts biennial includes installations, performances, screenings, tours and talks, and runs until 26th September 2010. The curators have invited 21 artists to respond to the history of the location and its 1000-acre country estate. It is claimed that Tatton will become a… “creative laboratory, where artists’ experiments can bemuse, confuse and provoke visitors”. The PDF programme/map is here. More details at the website.

^{New! 03.06.10}    
The Shugborough estate (National Trust) — located in the countryside just to the east of Stafford town, and home to the Staffordshire Arts and Museum Service and the County Museum — is holding a series of lunchtime talks this summer, including some which may be of interest to garden designers and those interested in the art of The Staffordshire Hoard.

^{New! 03.06.10}    
Arts & Business is inviting organisations to submit nominations for its annual Midlands Awards. A&B seeks businesses that have… “partnered with cultural organisations in order to boost marketing, PR and branding”. Nominations for the awards close on 2nd July 2010. See the website for full details.

^{New! 03.06.10}    
Social Boom Stoke is a free informal networking event, to be held at Fat Cats in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. An arts and craft exhibition is planned, plus a live music and visuals from bITjAM, along with informal networking over drinks. More details at the Social Boom Stoke Facebook group.

^{New! 03.06.10}    
The “Grimm Up North” Horror and Fantasy Film Festival needs films for 2010. Last year’s festival was launched by Terry Gilliam. In 2010 the event will be held in Manchester. Full details from the website or from:  stevebalshaw@hotmail.co.uk Fee: submission before 9th September 2010, this is £5 for shorts and £15 for features. After this date, the cost is £10 for shorts and £30 for features. Cheques payable to “Grimm Up North Limited” or payment by Paypal.

Added to Creative Stoke, 2nd June 2010

^{New! 02.06.10}    
Business Link West Midlands is to hold one of its Social Media Marketing for Business roadshow events in North Staffordshire. The date for your diary is the morning of 22nd June 2010. The venue will be the Best Western Moat House Hotel, Stoke-on-Trent. See the web page for full details.

^{New! 02.06.10}    
Job: Mill Hill School in the Peak District is inviting applications for a proposed Artist in Residence opportunity. The school is currently involved in a Creative Partnership with the Mighty Creatives, and will be starting work on a “sculpture park” with artists White Wray later in the term. The residency is for 12 months and allows the opportunity for the artist to pursue their own work. You will have your own work space within the school. Deadline: 10am on 10th June 2010. More information from:  marie.jackson@millhill.derbyshire.sch.uk

^{New! 02.06.10}    
Miss L. Miller writes from Holden Lane High School in Stoke-on-Trent. She is a teacher in the music department there — which is offering the BTEC Level 2 in Music from September 2010, instead of the traditional GCSE route. BTEC units include practical modules (such as “Making a Musical recording”, “DJ Techniques”, “Working in the Music industry”, “Professional Development in the Music Industry”), and as such the department is now looking for organisations to help with the teaching of these units and to provide true-life stories from the industry. Interested? Please contact:  lmiller@sgfl.org.uk