Current issue
February 2010 to September 2010
Two things that seem hard to ignore at the moment - the vast quantity of art on offer courtesy of the festivals that always leap into action at this time of year, and politics. It's all pretty exciting so we couldn't ignore the opportunity to go and see some of these rich and bountiful art offerings, whilst also getting into some debating and wrangling over the upcoming general election and what it all means to those working in the arts. They'll be plenty of information coming up in the webzine about our three selected festivals: AV Festival 10, Glasgow International and FutureEverything, so check here for special offers and our preview highlights. We'll also be covering the National Review of Live Art and ArtSheffield. And if you have an opinion on any of this, then there is most likely a place to share it in one of our debates, forums or The Rant.
INFORM
In this issue we have a series of previews, picking out our highlights from festivals across the UK
AV Festival 10: PREVIEWContributed by:
Lucy GibsonThe festival ‘season’ is nearly upon us. That time each year when you emerge from the hangover of Christmas into a seething mass of exciting arts festivals and events. My ‘festival’ bag is nearly packed so I can be ready to set off around the UK to take in some of the best visual, film, media and sound art that is on offer at the moment. This is the first in a series of previews of the festivals that the webzine will be visiting...
DEBATE
Join in!
General Election BluesContributed by:
Sheila McGregorAs large-scale posters of a wrinkle-free David Cameron hit our streets, the Conservative Party’s plans for arts and heritage spending are coming sharply into focus. They have a 10% lead in the opinion polls and could soon be in a position to implement their policies. So what can we expect? Sheila McGregor, Axis Chief Executive, reports on two encounters with the putative government in waiting.
THE RANT
Every other week our resident Ranters delve into pressing topics currently affecting the contemporary art world
Rant 30: Waving or Drowning ?Contributed by:
Shaun BelcherOur new Ranter-in-Residence for February, Shaun Belcher, starts off on a topical, if controversial note, asking 'has Arts Council England (ACE) failed? Do we really need it anyway?'. Shaun asks if the lottery years have set ACE up for a fall as we move into tighter financial times and political pressures are heightening.
