Bringing BANKSY to life! from David Mckenna on Vimeo.

Bringing BANKSY to life! from David Mckenna on Vimeo.

area: England and Wales

The Laura Ashley Foundation is an independent family trust fund set up in 1986, in memory of Laura Ashley, the designer, who died the year before. The Foundation awards funding to charities and community groups for worthwhile projects that fit with the family ethos of protecting rural communities and encouraging participation in the arts, particularly that of textiles, and it is keen to fund good small scale arts projects in England and Wales.

www.lauraashleyfoundation.org.uk

Dramatic funding cuts make it urgent for charities and community groups to embrace technology. Good use of technology offers your organisation new routes into funding and lets you reach more people – donors, policy makers or beneficiaries – more effectively, cheaply and 24/7. So, ultimately, you can improve more lives.
Eight of the UK’s top funders met last month to discuss the role of technology in the modernisation of charities and to improve their efficiency.

As a result the Survive & Thrive guide was produced full of useful case studies and tips on how you too can use technology to cut costs, raise more money, build communities, increase your reach and more vividly demonstrate your impact.

Download your free guide now at http://tinyurl.com/4vrowm8.

Triangle Trust – posted: 17.3.2011

deadline: 14 May 2011

The Triangle Trust 1949 Fund is inviting applications from charity organisations for projects that support:

• carers
• community arts and education
• disability
• older people
• poverty
• integration and rehabilitation

Grants are normally in the range of £1,000 and £10,000. The objectives of the Fund are the alleviation of poverty and the promotion of good health and welfare, the advancement and furthering of education. Successful projects will either maintain an open, inclusive society or promote integration (or reintegration) of individuals or groups into society. Preference will be given to smaller charities, charities which serve a locality or region of the UK, rather than national charities, and causes which find it more difficult to raise funds from the general public.

For more information please visit www.thetriangletrust1949fund.org.uk.

Groupthing online community for young people – posted: 17.3.2011

Groupthing is an online community for teenagers aged 13 up to 18 who are into books, games, films and music – anything creative really.

You can make friends by setting up groups around the things you like and asking people to join. Once you’ve set up a group you can build your own virtual shelf (stocked with your favourite books, music, games or DVDs), rate and review the items on your shelf, chat to other group members and upload your creative work for people to see and comment on. There’s also a Groupthing blog and forum.

www.groupthing.org

‘Doing… carnival’ is a new title in learning disability charity Mencap’s ‘Doing… arts’ series of guides. The aim of the new guide is to support people with a learning disability to become fully involved in carnival ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. It outlines how to choose themes, design and make costumes and how to take part in parades.

The guide has been written by carnival company, Strange Cargo, in partnership with Mencap’s national arts development manager, Gus Garside. It has been awarded the London 2012 Inspire mark – a badge that recognises exceptional and innovative projects inspired by the 2012 Games.

Copies of ‘Doing… carnival’ can be ordered by emailing gus.garside@mencap.org.uk or calling 01444 449 089, or they can be downloaded from www.artspider.org.uk.

Funding for Creative Young People (UK)
IdeasTap, a non-for-profit initiative supports young creative people between 16 and 25 years of age, has announced that its Ideas Fund Innovators is open to applications. During this funding round the Ideas Fund Innovators aims to offer ten projects £1,000 each each to help get them off the ground. In the past, Ideas Tap have funded everything from dance and film projects to music videos and photography collectives. Applications from any creative field will be considered. Ideas Tap are looking for projects that are inspiring, original, innovative and that Ideas Tap think you can deliver. The closing date for applications is 5pm on the 21st March 2011.

http://www.ideastap.com/Opportunities/Brief/0c29b907-aa5d-4792-8c5c-9e5301116c86#Overview

Purple Patch Arts – arts and learning disability training – posted: 24.3.2011

area: Manchester

Purple Patch Arts’ mission is to ‘inspire creative adventure’ in the lives and hearts of people with learning disabilities. If you would like to reserve a place on any of the following training courses please email info@purplepatcharts.org or telephone the Creative Director on 07773 767427.

10 May 2011, 10am to 4pm – Diversify your Practice
An introduction to diversifying your creative practice to work with people with disabilities.

6 July 2011, 10am to 4pm – Changing Minds
An introduction to Dementia and the role of creativity in older peoples care.

10 September 2011, 10am to 4pm – Make it Multisensory
An introduction to the use of multisensory tools to create inclusive creative environments

8 November 2011, 10am to 4pm – Accessible Creativity
An introduction to the use of audio description, tactile art and ‘Easy English’ in creative facilitation

www.purplepatcharts.org

The Meanwhile Project – posted: 24.3.2011

The Meanwhile Project is based on the belief that empty properties spoil town centres, destroy economic and social value, and waste resources that we cannot afford to leave idle. Vibrant interim uses led by local communities will benefit existing shops, as well as the wider town centre, through increased footfall, bringing life back to the high street and making better use of resources overall.

The Meanwhile Project has been providing practical and financial support for a wide range of meanwhile approaches in towns throughout the country, as well as technical advice, manuals and common tools to help anyone who wants to do something positive in the meanwhile.

The Meanwhile Project is led by the Development Trusts Association as part of its wider Advancing Assets for Communities programme supported by the department for Communities and Local Government (CLG).

www.meanwhile.org.uk