The Silent Edition (almost)

ACE 10 year Strategy Consultation 2020 - 2030
Over the last 18 months, Arts Council England have gathered a wide range of research and evidence and spoken to over 5,000 people to help shape their new strategy. Take a look at the timeline for collecting our evidence and developing the draft strategy, and view all of the evidence and research they've published. If you follow the link below you can see their proposed vision and outcomes for the next ten years, now they want to know what you think. The consultation on their draft strategy 2020-2030 is open until 23 September 2019 and you can also sign up to a workshop taking place across the country. Click HERE for details.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS CAN END WITH YOU
In 2009 at the first Arts and Health Australia conference, as well as giving a keynote, I invited people around the world who couldn't attend, to submit a five minute film that we’d share at the conference in a session that I rather unimaginatively called, Show and Tell: Film, Sound and New Media Critical Showcase. The response was great with films submitted from the US to South East Asia. I have very fond memories of a film from Chicago based Snow City Arts about young kids in hospital creating a space adventure - superb. One film that really transfixed delegates was from Breakthrough and called Bell Bajao. It specifically asked ‘men and boys to take action against violence against women – not to ignore it, but to interrupt it. It tried to change the narrative where violence against women and girls is seen as a woman’s problem into one that is everybody’s problem. They undertook this work in India at two broad levels – creating a compelling and cutting-edge mass media campaign that reached a large number of people across the country and  engaging in grassroots mobilisation with young people and community leaders.’ Breakthrough have been pursuing this agenda for 20 years and continue to be a world leader. You can find more out about their vision and ongoing work by clicking HERE. 

School of Interrogation
Manchester International Festival 
I see a number of members of this arts and health network are facilitating events as part of School of Interrogation between 5th and 20th July. Tania Bruguera’s powerful, provocative and inspiring new work draws us nearer to those who’ve made this city their home, inviting us to discover and embrace the diversity in our midst. During MIF19, the school will offer over 80 classes on a wide-ranging curriculum that includes food, customs, ethics, politics and many other forms of knowledge – classes given by local people originally from countries around the world, from Zimbabwe to Tibet. These are not only instructional lessons, but something more personal and vivid. Each teacher will pass on their own experiences, sharing skills, knowledge and culture in a different kind of communal integration and learning experience in the heart of Manchester. Click HERE for full details.