Policy and research news

A draft order that will remove the need for entertainment licences for most plays, dance and indoor sport, has been laid before Parliament by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The order is the first part of the implementation of the Licensing Act deregulation package announced earlier in the year. 
Provided that Parliament gives consent, […]

Under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, councils can designate areas within which people must buy a licence to hand out leaflets. Nearly a third of councils now restrict leafleting, and licences are prohibitively expensive.
These rules have been catastrophic for theatres, village halls, comedy clubs and small nightclubs, which rely on leafleting, but cannot […]

In a recent article for the DCMS blog, Robin Simpson, Chief Executive of Voluntary Arts explained why he thinks removing licensing red tape will encourage more amateur performances while easing the burden on organisers.
“Performances by amateur groups form a significant proportion of the cultural life of the country. In some communities amateur shows are the […]

More than a year and a half after the announcement of online submission for Gift Aid repayment claims, HM Revenue and Customs has said the service will start in April 2013. While the move has been welcomed, the Institute of Fundraising (IoF) says the implementation timescale might be tough for some charities and may put […]

The Incorporated Society of Musicians has launched a cross-sector campaign, Bacc for the Future, calling for the inclusion of creative subjects in the Government’s proposed English Baccalaureate, intended to replace GCSEs in England.
The campaign is calling for a sixth pillar of creative subjects, including music, to be part of the EBacc and one of the […]

Where: England
The Community Right to Bid scheme was introduced in England on 21 September. The scheme provides an opportunity to help communities take into ownership their local assets should they become available for sale and the community can raise the necessary money to make a bid. 
However, for communities to take full advantage of the right they […]

Studies show that music has a strong effect on your mood levels and emotions, and also on how you think and your general intelligence.
The music you listen to can have a profound effect on your test scores and your ability to quickly process information. And if you’ve ever played an instrument, studies show that you’re […]

In a simple, straightforward overview of a subject that can appear confusing and daunting to many amateur groups, Robin Simpson interviewed Kevin Garrod, National Partnerships Manager for Safe Network – the National Third Sector Safeguarding Unit – live on Running Your Group on Tuesday 1 May 2012.

The full interview (www.learningpool.com/runningyourgroup/course/view.php?id=309 – Level 2 subscription […]

A multi-disciplinary team led by CRESC (Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change at the University of Manchester) Senior Research Fellow Dr Andrew Miles has been awarded £1.5 million by the Arts and Humanities Research Council for a five-year research project under its Communities, Culture and Creative Economies funding programme.
‘Understanding Everyday Participation – Articulating Cultural Values’ […]

A report, released by the Third Sector Research Centre, states that grassroots arts activity makes a ‘very significant and positive contribution’ to the development of Civil Society.
Researchers from TSRC, in partnership with Universities of Exeter and Glamorgan as well as Voluntary Arts, reviewed a large amount of information on grassroots arts activity. They drew the […]