The University of Warwick has been commissioned by Coventry City Council and Arts Council England to write the 10 year cultural strategy for the city. The (draft) report can be read on the website covculture.com

Warwick is supporting the Coventry bid to become the City of Culture 2021 as a principal partner along with Coventry City Council and Coventry University.

You can read a report of WCE's 'Locating Cultural Value' conference, and the challenge of applying the findings and recommendations of the Warwick Commission report 'Enriching Britain: Culture, Creativity and Growth' in our local areas and regions, at: http://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/285/article/words-action

Warwick Creative Exchange would like to invite you to Locating Cultural Value, a half-day conference exploring the findings of the Warwick Commission on Cultural Value, discussing how its recommendations might be put into practice in the region, and looking to the future work of WCE in building partnerships between our artistic and academic communities.

This event will take place on Thursday 23rd April at Warwick Arts Centre, starting with lunch at 1pm and finishing with a drinks reception at 5.30pm.

Speakers will include Vikki Heywood, Chair of the Commission; Paul Roberts, one of the Commissioners and Chair of Creativity, Culture and Education; Chris O'Connell, Artistic Director, Theatre Absolute, Coventry; Laura McDermott, Joint Artistic Director, Fierce Festival, Birmingham; Professor Pam Thomas, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for People and Public Engagement .

Details of the programme and more speakers will follow soon.

Warwick Creative Exchange has managed to secure a small number of tickets to Stan’s Cafe’s ‘A Translation of Shadows’, which we are able to offer these to workshop participants for free. The performance will take place at 7.45pm in the Warwick Arts Centre Studio.

We expect this to be a popular event so please register online as soon as possible to guarantee your place and by 16^th April at the latest.

A new opportunity for WCE cultural and academic partners

WCE members will be interested to see that Arts Council England has announced a new research grants programme which 'seeks to build collective knowledge and deepen understanding of the impact of arts and culture, and to promote greater collaboration and co-operation between the arts and cultural sector and research partners'.

£700,000 is available for 2015-16, and there are indicative budgets of £900,000 for 2016-17 and 2017-18. Applications can be made for between £50,000 and £100,000 per year. The programme is now open and applications must be submitted by 12th March 2015.

More information from: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/apply-funding/apply-for-funding/research-grants-programme-2015-18/