Final Show

Images from my final MA show entitled 'Sans Frontieres - Without Boundaries' - an analysis of the philosophical thoughts and teachings of Gilles Deleuze and his collaborators applied to the world of cabaret and burlesque. The postcards I have made show a number of images from cabaret and burlesque shows in South Wales and in particular feature a burlesque group called The Dollie Mixtures. The catalogue for the Swansea Met Art and Design MA Group Final show '13 Contemporary Dialogues' can be found here.

Future Arts Funding

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ring-fence funding for the arts and reverse the decision to siphon off funding from them to help pay for the olympics.

Submitted by Nick Reed – Deadline to sign up by: 06 June 2010 – Signatures: 1,673

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/artsVolympics/

Government response

The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has been clear that putting the economy back on its feet and restoring the nation’s finances is this Government‘s top priority. Therefore all budgets, whether large or small, are going to have to be re-examined. The arts budget will not, therefore, be ring-fenced in the coming Spending Review.

The Olympic transfers began in February 2009 and run in 15 instalments until August 2012. The arts Lottery good cause is contributing a total of £161 million to this transfer.
It was always clear that money raised by the National Lottery would be a key part of the funding package for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and that some of any increase in cost would have to be met from the Lottery. However, even after the Olympic transfers, the arts good cause can still expect to receive, on current projections and at current shares, over £1 billion of new Lottery funding over the five year period of the Olympic transfers (2008/09 to 2012/13).

After 2012, all of the Lottery good causes income will revert to non-Olympic causes, including the arts. On current projections and at the current share of 16.66%, the arts can expect to receive an extra £46 million in 2013/14, compared with 2007/08. The Lottery good causes will also benefit from development value realised from the Olympic site after the Games.

The arts good cause has received over £3.5 billion of Lottery funding since the Lottery began in 1994 and the Government is committed to increasing this further by restoring the National Lottery to its original purpose. We have recently announced a consultation to change the National Lottery shares to 20% for each of the good causes of sport, heritage and the arts. Under these proposals the arts good cause can expect to receive £50 million a year extra in Lottery funding.

Graduation - what next ?

Our final show has been and gone. I created an exhibit based around the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and the world of burlesque and cabaret performance. The exhibit comprised seven images for display, a book I created of words and images (available to buy), postcards, a 'what the butler saw' presentation of burlesque themed performance, and a podcast comprising of interviews conducted with performers. Thinking about what to do next.

Just a few days left........

6 may 2010 is when the UK gets a chance to vote for the men and women who will represent us in Parliament. For the first time in 100 years there is a real chance that a third party the Liberal Democrats could gain enough seats to provide an alternative to either the Conservative or Labour parties. Some form of urgent change and new thinking is urgently needed in my opinion. It's easy to be cynical and say it is all a flash in the pan which no doubt the Murdoch-owned press will try and do. It has been so in the past that support has polarised around one party at the last minute but I'm not so sure about that this time. My prediction is for a balanced Parliament and a government formed on that basis - co-operation rather than adversarial confrontation. Whether I'm right or wrong we will see next week....

Mab Jones - Guardian Guest blogger

Check out the very talented Cardiff performance poet and writer Mab Jones who has written a guest blog in the Guardian with details of local literary events in South Wales. Mab also has her own blog and website where you can find out details of her work and her forthcoming book 'Welsh Wool'.

Mab also co-curates with another poet and writer the monthly poetry and literary event 'Poetry on Tap' and also runs the highly successful comedy and variety club Jam Bones Events.

She's planning to be at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer - so look out for her!

Mab has also been featured in my 18 month photographic project on performers and performances - a book forthcoming on that hopefully later this year!

The Big Residency - Postcards

Wales Millennium Centre from 19.00 - come and see our postcards and write your own!

Happy Holiday season and Best Wishes for 2010

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for 2010! The Visual Diary is having a break and will return later in January to report on a visit to Berlin by the Swansea Met MA group which will include a visit to the Reichstag.

Happy Holidays everyone!