Following on from the Warwick Creative Exchange Partnership-Building Seminar and Workshop on 5th February 2014, two new collaborations between researchers from the University of Warwick and regional arts practitioners and producers were awarded WCE development grants:

• "Drama and Democracy: engaging young people in political and democratic narratives through educational theatre and drama" - Partners: Dr Renske Doorenspleet, Associate Professor, Politics & International Studies AND Big Brum Theatre in Education Company.
• "DSCH (Dmitri Shostakovitch)" - Partners: Professor Christopher Read, History AND Talking Birds Theatre Company.

The development grants of £1,000 are funded by the University of Warwick’s GRP Connecting Cultures programme.

TO READ MORE about the event and the appplications made to the development fund, see our Events page.

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

What Next Midlands is encouraging artists and arts organisations to make submissions to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Inquiry into Arts Council England. The deadline for written evidence is 24th February.