Fourth Round of Youth Music Incubator Fund Opens for Applications
Funding is available to businesses, collectives and not-for-profits working in Great Britain’s music industries to help create sustainable, meaningful career opportunities for young people aged 18-25, especially those who are currently underrepresented in the sector.
Applications will be accepted from organisations that:

• Are based in the UK and operate in Scotland, England or Wales.
• Have a business bank account.
• Can provide a recent set of financial accounts.
• Have a legal status (ie registered with Companies House, Charity Commission, FCA or HMRC or have a constitution) – the following are all eligible:

• Sole traders.
• Unincorporated associations (voluntary group with a constitution).
• Registered charities.
• Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
• Company limited by guarantee.
• Company limited by share capital.
• Community Benefit Society.
• Collectives – if applying as a collective with no formal legal status, then another organisation can apply on its behalf as a ‘sponsor organisation’. This can be a member of the collective who is a registered sole trader, or another partner organisation.

Funding is to be used for projects that offer paid opportunities for 18-25s and provide young people with the opportunity to develop their own projects. All participants should receive support from the organisation through incubation, training, mentoring, and networking.
Grants of between £5,000 and £30,000 are available for organisations. Sole traders may apply for grants of between £5,000 and £15,000.
A maximum of £5,000 can be given to each 18-25 year old supported through any grant. Applications to Round Four of the Incubator Fund may be made at any time while funding remains available. More information at https://www.grantfinder.co.uk/

The Waterways, Wildlife and Wellbeing Project: Improving wellbeing by learning beyond the classroom.
The Waterways, Wildlife and Wellbeing project is enabling schools in the West Midlands to work

with the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC) and Canal & River Trust to embed LOtC across schools. It will support you to enhance students’ wellbeing by embedding learning beyond the classroom. LOtC, specifically outdoors, helps students improve their physical and mental wellbeing, and connection to nature. Click here to learn more.

Walsall Shouts!
This Arts Connect event aims to give Walsall’s young people the opportunity to shape the future of arts and culture in Walsall and create a young people’s arts and culture manifesto.
Walsall schools are invited to nominate up to two students aged 9-18, with one accompanying adult, to attend. To nominate, please click here

Dance Generation Auditions open for 11-18 year olds
Dance Generation is a training programme in Contemporary dance for 11-18-year-olds in the West Midlands to regularly access whilst still attending mainstream school. The curriculum for the programme is delivered through weekly training sessions on Sundays during term time at the studios at DanceXchange. Students will get the opportunity to be taught by leading professional artists and companies in both technique sessions and creative workshops. Applications are now open, for more information please click here

Vivacity
Are you an established artist looking for a space to share and/or develop your work? Or a recent graduate or student looking to showcase your creativity on a bigger platform?
Arts Connect is inviting creatives of all disciplines, aged 18+ from across the West Midlands and surrounding areas to take part in a brand new, three-day, multi-arts festival.
VIVACITY has been dreamt up by China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre’s Young Producers, 2022, to amplify local voices and celebrate creativity in all its forms. Your variety could bring VIVACITY to life. If you’re interested in applying and want to know more, please click here

Bat and Chat
WLV Sport has recently started delivering ‘Bat & Chat’ table tennis sessions at Walsall Campus, courtesy of Table Tennis England funding. The sessions are held every Thursday morning from 8.30am-10am and will be free for the next two weeks. Any participants in attendance will also receive a £2 voucher to spend in the canteen on Campus on the morning of the session.
Capacity is limited so telephone booking is advised: 01902 518900. For additional information please see https://www.wlv.ac.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/2022/march-2022/university-brings-table- tennis-to-the-community.php

New Art Gallery Walsall Events

Vaisakhi 22, Saturday 9^th April, 11am – 3pm, free, drop-in. All ages welcome.
Join NAG for its annual celebration to mark the birth of Sikh religion. Enjoy performances from Gabhru Punjab De Bhangra Team, make a model of the Golden Temple (a symbol of equality), learn about the harvest festival in its new children’s books and get a Mehndi design!

Easter Family Workshops
13th April – Oil Pastel Still Lifes (Free, drop-in, suitable for all ages)
14th April – Easter Egg Carton Wreaths (£3.50. Booking essential, call 0192265441)

16^th April – Pom Pom Chicks, Lambs and Bunnies (Free, drop-in, suitable for all ages) 20^th April – Clay Money Boxes (Free, drop-in, suitable for all ages)
21^st April – Modroc Heads (£3.50. Booking essential, call 0192265441) 23^rd April – Green Man Masks (Free, drop-in, suitable for all ages)
26th April – Tuesday Tots – Big Butterflies and Moths (£2 per child, booking essential, call 0192265441)

Eid-ul-Fitr Celebration, Sunday 1^st May, 12noon-3pm, drop-in, all ages welcome.
Join NAG to celebrate and reflect on the end of Ramadan. Prepare for Eid-ul-Fitr by making cards and gift tags with artist Nilupa Yasmin, hang notes of thanks on the gratitude trees and get a special Mehndi hand design.

Jason Wilsher-Mills workshops at The New Art Gallery Walsall
Take part in making wild and wonderful creations with artist Jason Wilsher-Mills this May. Create designs for a large-scale inflatable sculpture which will be on display during the summer in Walsall as part of the Commonwealth Games. In the sessions you will explore digital technologies, listen to and tell stories and create bold and beautiful designs for the sculpture.
These workshops are aimed at people over the age of 18 who identify as being disabled, and we welcome carers.
Select one of the following workshop dates: 3^rd, 4^th, 11^th, 12^th or 13^th May. Select a morning or afternoon slot: 10am-12noon or 1-3pm.
Booking essential. Book at the Gallery Reception desk, email catherine.james@walsall.gov.uk or call 01922 65441.

A brochure detailing workshops and events around the Twenty Twenty Collection can be found at https://issuu.com/newartgallerywalsall/docs/nagw-ttc-paper-issuu. Further details can also be found on the separate attachments sent with this Newsletter and at https://thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk/exhibition/twenty-twenty-collection/

Arts Connect Commissions

Walsall Cultural Education Partnership (WCEP) – Commission for a Freelance Development Co- ordinator – £5,000 (25 days). WCEP is seeking an experienced freelance Development Co- ordinator/organisation (this is open to both individuals and organisations) to support the Management Group to develop and deliver its planned programme and forward plan. The Development Co-ordinator will support WCEP by managing, recruiting and engaging new and existing WCEP members; co-ordinating and administration of all meetings; co-ordinating digital and social media presence including an e-newsletter; develop, manage, and deliver an annual Tea Party for teachers and arts, cultural and heritage organisations/professionals in autumn/winter 2022; to identify and apply for funding and investment to fund WCEP activity and programmes. Application Closing Date: 12 noon, Monday 25^th April. For further information visit: www.artsconnect.co.uk/walsall-freelance-development-co-ordinator

Freelance Practitioner for Young Arts Ambassador Training and Recruitment – £1,155 to include planning and management (travel would be paid additionally). Deadline for application: 10am, Thursday 14^th April 2022. The Warwickshire Cultural Education Partnership, otherwise known as Shout Out for the Arts Warwickshire, has recently been successful gaining a £100,000 partnership
investment fund with Barnardo’s, funded by Arts Connect West Midlands. For more information and to apply please send a CV and short covering letter detailing your experience and skills and why you are suited for this work to wcep@rsc.org.uk

Shout Out for the Arts Programme – Digital Lead Opportunity – Warwickshire – £9,800. Are you a great communicator, skilled in the use of social media to communicate with a range of audiences? We are looking for a Digital Lead to be responsible for shaping and sharing our message to different audiences, across a variety of digital platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok. The Digital lead will be a creative individual and is key to delivery of the Shout for the Art programme. Deadline: 19 April 2022. See www.artsconnect.co.uk/shout-for-the-arts-programme- digital-lead/

Shout for the Arts Programme Manager: Freelance tender opportunity – Warwickshire – Fee:
£24,000. Shout for the Arts – Warwickshire is a partnership programme, led by Warwickshire
Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP), with Barnardo’s, Arts Connect and Warwickshire County Council. The programme runs from April 2022 – March 2023 and has activity planned over these 12 months. The aim of the project is to give children and young people (aged 0 – 25 years) of Warwickshire a voice to shout for access to arts and culture. Application close date: 12 noon, Tuesday 19^th April 2022. See www.artsconnect.co.uk/shout-for-arts-programme-manager/

Sandwell Cultural Education Partnership (SCEP) – Creative Learning Producer Opportunity – Inside Outside Programme – Freelance Contract June 2022-December 2023 – Fee- £20,000. SCEP are looking to appoint a freelance Creative Producer who has the experience, capacity and ingenuity to lead on an exciting children and young people’s S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths) programme called Inside Outside. Deadline: 12.00 noon, 22^nd April 2022. See www.artsconnect.co.uk/sandwell-cultural-education-partnership-creative-learning-producer/

Shout for the Arts Programme Evaluation – Tender opportunity: £7,500 – Evaluation of Warwickshire Cultural Education Partnership (WCEP) Partnership Investment. Invitation to tender for an evaluation contract to investigate and evidence the impact of the WCEP’s Shout for the Arts Partnership Investment, across Warwickshire. For immediate start. Deadline: 12noon, Thursday 5^th May 2022. See https://artsconnect.co.uk/tender-opportunity-shout-for-the-arts-programme- evaluation/

*******

The Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC)has launched a ‘Call for Evidence’ as it spearheads a new independent review of working conditions in the Creative Industries.
Enhancing job quality and promoting work that is good, fair and decent is an explicit priority in each UK nation. While creative work can offer fulfilment and purpose, in parts of the Creative Industries pay can be low, hours long and work precarious – often to the detriment of the diversity and wellbeing of those working in the Creative sector. The Creative Industries now have the opportunity to be the first sector to develop a roadmap for improving job quality. Find out more and download the Call for Evidence. Closing date: 5pm, Friday 29^th April.