Here at IAM we always listen out for the latest funding news from the world of international arts. See below for a selection of top stories from April, and subscribe to the magazine to get even more insider information:
Baroque music expert Thomas Hengelbrock has been honoured with the Karajan Music Prize 2015, a €50,000 sum that he must now invest in the development of young musicians. Hengelbrock is no stranger to bringing on young talent: he formed the Balthasar-Neumann-Chor and Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble, which has opened up opportunities for musicians through its Orchestra Academy project. He is also principle conductor of North German Radio Symphony Orchestra (NDR), taking over from Christoph von Dohnányi in 2011. Named for legendary Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan, previous recipients of the prize include Berlin Philharmonic, opera singer Cecilia Bartoli and pianist Evgeny Kissin.
UK Chancellor George Osborne has given a boost to the creative sector in his recent budget, setting aside GBP4m (€5.5m) for co-investment with creative industries. The cash is channelled through Creative Skillset’s Skills Investment Fund (SIF), and will go towards developing high-end skills in fields such as TV production and video game design. Dinah Caine CBE, chief executive of Creative Skillset said: ‘We have invested directly in companies, over 1,000 new entrant trainees have been placed in the tax break industries, 376 companies have benefitted and over 10,000 training opportunities have been made available. With the additional support announced today we can continue to invest in training that will help deliver growth in these sectors.’ The money becomes available from April 2015 onwards, and must be matched by the recipient company.
Five new Avery Fisher Career Grants – the maximum number available in any one year – have been awarded to talented young and emerging musicians, all recognised by the Avery Fisher Artist Program board and committee as having ‘great potential for major careers in the future’. The recipients are violinists Paul Huang, Kristin Lee and Simone Porter; violist Matthew Lipman; and pianist Michael Brown. Each Career Grant recipient receives an award stipend of USD25,000 (€23,000), to be used for specific needs in furthering a career. The Avery Fisher Artist Program was established by the late philanthropist as part of a major gift to Lincoln Center in 1974, and provides recognition to outstanding instrumentalists and chamber ensembles, who must be US citizens or permanent US residents to qualify.
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation has thrown its support behind an exciting playwriting project for young people, awarding it a GBP30,000 (€41,000) grant. The Playwriting and Performance Programme is run by Kids Company Urban Academy (KCUA), and each year gives 25 people aged 16-23 the chance to write their own play and see it performed at The Criterion in London’s West End. KCUA focus on reaching vulnerable young people, creating opportunities they otherwise would not have. Andrew Lloyd Webber said: ‘We are delighted to award Kids Company with a new grant as they continue with their fantastic work supporting vulnerable young people.’
