WIREDGOV

Young people in Bromley will have the opportunity to get involved in music technology as part of the ‘Arts Train’ project, after the Arts Council awarded £25,000 of Lottery funds to Bromley Mytime for the new scheme.

The Arts Train programme will run from September 2008 until July 2009, and offer young people drop in sessions in DJing and music production skills in North Bromley, the Crays in Orpington and at Marjorie McClure School. There will also be an opportunity for young people to develop their talents further on an accredited course and produce a final showcase event.

Grants for the arts is Arts Council’s open access scheme, funded by the National Lottery, for individuals and organisations that use the arts in their work. Last year we invested nearly £57 million in over 2,800 projects across the country.

This award follows from Bromley’s success in the Arts Council’s Artsmark scheme. The Artsmark recognises a school’s commitment to, and excellence in, arts education (graded gold, silver and standard). This year, Bromley schools earned more Artsmark Golds than any other London borough, with 11 schools picking up the award. A full list of Bromley schools can be found on the website: www.artsmark.org.uk

Moira Sinclair, Executive Director of Arts Council England, London said:
‘This is an excellent opportunity for young people in Bromley to get involved in a high quality music project. Creativity has the power to transform lives and raise aspirations and we hope that, with this project, this is an opportunity for those involved to display their talents for all to see.’


Notes for editors:

1. Arts Council England works to get great art to everyone by championing, developing and investing in artistic experiences that enrich people’s lives.

As the national development agency for the arts, we support a range of artistic activities from theatre to music, literature to dance, photography to digital art, and carnival to crafts.

Great art inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves, and the world around us. In short, it makes life better.

Between 2008 and 2011, we will invest £1.3 billion of public money from government and a further £0.3 billion from the National Lottery to create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.

2. Grants for the arts are for individuals, arts organisations and other people who use the arts in their work. They are for activities that benefit people in England or that help artists and arts organisations from England to carry out their work. Grants for the arts is administered by Arts Council England and funded by the National Lottery.

3. To gain an Artsmark, a school must dedicate a minimum of 10 per cent of its teaching time to the arts. For a Silver award this goes up to 12 per cent and for Gold it is 15 per cent. The time includes curricular activities, teachers’ professional development, and involvement with local artists and arts groups.


For more information, please contact:

Mathew Hanratty
Assistant Press Officer
Arts Council England, London
020 7608 4182
mathew.hanratty@artscouncil.org.uk