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The BP Portrait Award is the most prestigious portrait competition in the world, promoting the very best in contemporary portrait painting.

An annual competition aimed at encouraging artists to focus upon and develop the theme of portraiture in their work, the Award is open to everyone aged 18 and over in recognition of the outstanding and innovative work currently being produced by artists of all ages. With a first-prize of Ł25,000 the exhibition has proved the launch pad for the careers of a number of successful portrait artists.

On Monday 16 June the winner of the BP Portrait Award 2008 was announced by Ian Hislop at the National Portrait Gallery. In a record-breaking year for entries from non-UK artists, the prestigious first prize was won by 35-year-old London artist Craig Wylie. His winning portrait, K (oil on canvas, 2100 x 1650 mm), is an epic study of his girlfriend Katherine Raw based on sittings at his Hackney Wick studio. Craig wins Ł25,000 and a commission, at the National Portrait Gallery Trustees' discretion, worth Ł4,000.

The second prize of Ł8,000 goes to Simon Davis for Portrait of Amanda Smith at Vincent Avenue and the third prize of Ł6,000 goes to Robert O'Brien for Hannah O'Brien.

There is, also for the second time, a BP Young Artist Award of Ł5,000 for the work of an entrant aged between 18 and 30. This has been won by Peiyuan Jiang for Untitled.

This year, nearly 1,750 artists from around the world submitted their work and the resulting exhibition presents 55 works.

ArtsProfessional Online poll results

Online poll results

Here are the results of our recent online poll.
We asked "Should the Artists' Resale Right be extended to deceased artists and their beneficiaries?"

Thank you to everyone who took part.

Current Online Poll - Will the National Skills Academy solve the shortage of backstage skills in the arts?

Click here to visit ArtsProfessional Online and have your say now.
We change the topic up for debate regularly, so if there is a burning issue which you would like to see featured, let us know by emailing editors@artsprofessional.co.uk

		St John’s Hospice Local Artists Raffle 2008 This year’s chosen artist for the Local Artists Raffle is Patricia Haskey-Knowles 1st prize is the original of “Early Morning – St George’s Quay” Signed limited edition prints of “Reflections of Morecambe” and “Heart of Lancaster” are 2nd and 3rd prizes. Tickets are priced at Ł1 and can be bought from the Hospice reception. The raffle will be drawn on 1st October 2008

			the cumbria network artist forum - artists talking point , interests , exhibitions and more

Launch of new support network for emerging and creatives in Lancaster and Morecambe

The City Council, Lancaster University and Lancashire Artists Network are teaming up to launch a network for emerging creatives in Lancaster and Morecambe area.

As well as regular sessions offering targeted practical help and advice on setting up a creative business, the Young Creatives Network offers the opportunity for people to come together to discuss ideas and pursue avenues for new work and collaboration.

The network is open to anyone from the following sectors: advertising, craft, architecture, design, designer fashion, film & video, games, marketing, music, performing arts, publishing, TV & Radio and visual arts.

Individuals must either have been trading for under three years, be just setting up or have a serious commitment to starting out as a creative practitioner.

A selection of creatives involved in the network will also have the opportunity to n display their work as part of a Christmas selling exhibition at the Peter Scott Gallery.

Bill Kindon, Principal Economic Development Officer for the City Council said: “We are delighted to be partnering with LAN and the Grow Creative project at the University to establish this network. There is a wealth of creative activity taking place in the Lancaster area and its important for us to connect people now for when the Storey Creative Industries Centre opens next year as part of the move to make Lancaster a hub for CI and somewhere people really feel they want to stay and can successfully grow their businesses.”

The network will be officially launched at the Dukes Theatre, Moor Lane on the 4^th September between 4.30 and 7.30pm. Any emerging or young businesses interested in attending or finding out more should contact the Grow Creative Project Manager, Charlotte Stuart c.stuart@lancs.ac.uk; 01524 593412


artscouncil.org.uk		art07 art07 artists’ programme art07 debate in association with Radio 3 Night Waves art07 briefings art07 exchange

NEWS: The Arts debate - interim findings

short term actions in our next corporate plan
a long-term policy response to be published in spring 2008

In twenty discussion groups and ten interviews across England, some 170 people talked at length and in detail about their attitudes to the arts and the impact of the arts on their lives as the basis of this piece of research which begins the Arts Debate with the general public. The sample was structured according to a number of variables; socio-economic grade, life stage and level of engagement with the arts principally. While people's attitudes towards and opinions of the arts were, to an extent, influenced by the first two of these, it was the third (perhaps predictably) that produced the sharpest differences. It was also notable that on a number of issues, there was a commonality of view that cut across all the variables.

This executive summary provides a brief overview of the findings according to the principal themes. In the following section, we go on to set out our conclusions based on those findings and some suggestions for what they might mean for the Arts Council. We appreciate that they are our personal views, albeit founded on the research findings, and but one contribution to the debate. We offer them as points for further discussion.
The arts debate is Arts Council England's first-ever public value inquiry. We want everyone to have their say about the value of the arts and the role of public funding.

We are reading them all for a full report to be published later this year. In the meantime we are going to keep debating the arts right here.

Log on and join in: artsdebate.co.uk http://www.artsdebate.co.uk

-The University of Cumbria was formed on 1st August 2007 formally, from an amalgamation of St Martin’s College, Cumbria Institute of the Arts, and the Cumbrian campuses of the University of Central Lancashire. The University has campuses in Carlisle, Newton Rigg, Penrith, Ambleside and Lancaster and a specialist teacher-education centre in London. The University also has strong links and close partnership working with the four FE Colleges in Cumbria (Lakes Colleges, Furness College, Carlisle College and Kendal College) to enable HE delivery locally across the county. In addition, the University is the lead institution of Cumbria Higher Learning, a Distributed Learning Network for Cumbria.

For more information about the new university, visit www.cumbria.ac.uk.

Made in Lancashire Art & Craft Made in Lancashire is expanding to include the artists and craftspeople of Lancashire! We have secured funding to create a support network to assist the designer makers of the county. We will be helping them to promote their work and improve their businesses. Talented and creative artisans will be invited to apply to become members of Made in Lancashire Art & Craft, which will give them access to a range of services. These will include the opportunity to market their products under the brand Made in Lancashire – either at local shows or at individual Craft events.		Made in Lancashire Art & Craft is dedicated to promoting high quality, innovative hand crafted items that have been created in Lancashire, by carving, engraving, sculpting, moulding, spinning, stitching, weaving, dyeing, painting, drawing, fabricating and printing. It offers active help with the development of high quality brands and provides a ‘stamp of recognition’ that helps consumers to identify the very best of the county’s hand crafted products. All products must have been totally crafted in Lancashire, or a substantial final process must have been undertaken within the county. This condition must conform to the Trading Standards guidelines on the place of origin. So remember to check out where our local Craft events are in time to start your Christmas shopping, when you can impress your friends and family with high quality and unique gifts! Please note that many of the craftspeople of Lancashire are makers of more practical items, and so not all of the products will be classified as gifts.

Wray Scarecrow Festival.

usually in May

WWW Scarecrows
Wray Lancashire scarecrow

Wray Scarecrow Festival. All through the winter the quaintly snowed-in rural folk of Wray Village have been eccentrically passing the time engaged in their indigenous craft - making fabulous scarecrows! The streets, lanes and alleyways of this picturesque village will be populated by tableaux and fantasy creations on all kinds of themes - politics, TV and more. I think we can expect some royal scarecrows for sure. There will be delicious and cheap home-made refreshments in Wray Institute all week. There will be a display of costumes and flowers 'Moments in Time' with music at Holy Trinity Church. David and Goliath Rap Mon-Fri Wray school 11am + 2pm. The Festival kicks off today with the St George's Day celebrations, and finishes with the big fair on May Monday. Don't miss this. You just have to go. If our council had any sense they'd organise special buses. See www.wrayvillage.co.uk/scarecrows.htm for a stack of info or tel: 01524 32878.

yahoo group ArtAnonymous

Art Anonymous is for artists around the world working in painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture or, any medium. Discuss artists, art in general, your work, materials, methods, business issues or, anything having to do with your life as an artist. Receive technical help from other artists and give help when you can. Share secrets, tips, favourite painters, and favourite books.View homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArtAnonymous/

Lancashire Artists Network newsletter links to the monthly newsletters in PDF format September 2007 newsletter in PDF format

	tate.org.uk Turner Prize in Liverpoll 2007 Turner Prize 2007 - Click Here for The Tate report


	OPPORTUNITIES: Northern Art Prize The major new prize for contemporary artists in the North of England. This prize is awarded by nomination from a range of directors and curators of public galleries and museums across the North of England. A national panel of artists and arts professionals will select a short list of four, all of whose work will be exhibited in a group show at Leeds Art Gallery. The winner will receive 16,500 and three runners-up will receive 1,500 each. To know more and get involved please go to www.northernartprize.org.uk Tel: 0845 6801357 Or email: info@northernartprize.org.uk


Art Daily The First Art Newspaper on the Net	WWW Art Daily paper The First Art Newspaper on the Net. Constantly updated relevant Art News


Lancaster District LSP Announces New Small Grants Fund	Funding