"We need an emphasis on diversity in its widest sense, across barriers of race, diversity and socio-economic disadvantage. We need greater diversity because it will create a just, fair and strong society and because a society that's equipped for the future makes use of all of its talent, wherever it emerges."
He credited the Creative Employment Programme, a £15 million fund delivered by the National Skills Academy to support the creation of traineeships, formal apprenticeship and paid internship opportunities in England for young unemployed people aged 16 to 24, for changing attitudes to apprenticeships in the sector. The CEP, which is now closed for applications, worked with 1,000 arts and cultural employers. Though there are no plans to extend the CEP, Henley said that the Arts Council is currently at work on what he called a "25-year talent plan for arts and culture".
Underground Revival - One of the founding members of experimental rock group The Velvet Underground is to give a one-off performance of the band's legendary debut album. Welsh-born John Cale, 73, will play songs at the city's Philharmonie de Paris venue from The Velvet Underground & Nico, which was released in 1967. The album delved into drug use and non-traditional sexuality and featured the German model and singer Nico as a vocalist.
Collaborators lined up to perform at the Paris concert on 3 April include Pete Doherty and Carl Barat from The Libertines, French actress and singer Lou Dillon, and Nick Franglen from Lemon Jelly. The concert takes place almost three years after the death of the group's lead singer and co-founder Lou Reed.
Brits Diversify - Next year's Brit Awards will represent a more diverse range of music, Brits chairman Ged Doherty has said. The recent ceremony was criticised for failing to recognise urban music, particularly grime, with the hashtag #BritsSoWhite trending on social media. "There was an elephant in the room last Wednesday," wrote Doherty in an open letter to the Guardian. He promised to review the 1,100-strong voting academy who decide nominees, so it "can be more truly representative".
Doherty said he "suspected" the current members of the voting academy were "largely white and with a bias towards older men...This does not mean that there is an underlying prejudice at play, but the unintended consequence is that emerging genres of music may not be properly recognised."
His aim, he continued, was to achieve at least 15% BAME [black and minority ethnic] participation in the voting academy, in line with national population figures, "as well as being more diverse with regard to age and regionality, so that it can be more truly representative of modern British music".
Disabled Access - Theatres across the UK will be hosting events, including captioned performances and accessible venue tours, as part of Disabled Access Day. West End venues the Apollo Victoria Theatre and the Playhouse Theatre are among the theatres participating in the nationwide event on 12 March which will see 100 organisations, charities and attractions take part. In total, 40 theatres are taking part across the UK. The nationwide event was founded by Euan's Guide, a listing and review site with information for disabled people and their families on venues and attractions across the UK.
Kiki MacDonald, co-founder of Euan's Guide, said: "We were inspired by the idea of Disabled Access Day and the potential for it to increase the numbers of conversations between venues and disabled people, as well as to raise the profile of disabled access. We were delighted by the backing from many venues, organisations and businesses that got involved, in particular their appetite to improve their own accessibility and to get more feedback from disabled people."
(Jim Evans)
