September 2007

If this is the first time you have received our newsletter, welcome! You are on our mailing list because your contact details have been added to the Four Greens database of arts and creative businesses in Barnet, Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest, or we think you would like to know about what is happening in North London. We only email newsletters when we have some interesting information to share, but if you prefer not to receive any, just click here.

The Lee Valley Festival 2008

It's just over a year before the Cultural Olympiad starts and plans are being made for a Lee Valley Festival next summer. The key dates will be Saturday 21 June (Tottenham Carnival) and Sunday 22 June (Pickett's Lock festival), with community events up and down the Valley in the days preceding the weekend. See here for more details.

Town Centres conference

Four Greens is organising Suburban Futures: Town Centres, the Arts and Regeneration, a London-wide conference about the way the arts can transform Town Centres. Speakers from Lille and Barcelona - amongst others - will be discussing their experience. It will be held at the artsdepot in North Finchley on Friday 28 September.

Spaces are still available if you have a specific interest in the regeneration of our Town Centres. Please contact peter@fourgreens.org to register (£30).

The Creative Directory

If you want to find arts or creative courses in North London there is a new website to help you! Enfield Arts Partnership, with support from Four Greens, has developed a portal where you can find information about most courses on offer in North London by searching according to subject, whether it is full time or part time, its academic level and by borough. From the results you can go directly to the provider and book the course you want! See www.thecreativedirectory.org.

Get Noticed!

Haringey creative entrepreneurs and artists are being asked if they want to create a network to help them drive their businesses forward. Its organisation is being supported by the London Development Agency through the Haringey City Growth programme. For more details see www.getnoticed.org.uk.

Olympics opportunities for creative businesses

On 26 June, Four Greens held a meeting at the new Lee Valley Athletics Centre at Pickett's Lock to find out how North London creative entrepreneurs could benefit from the Olympics. Mike Mulvey from the London Business Network described what is being put in place and what creative businesses will need to do to tender for Olympics work. See here for more details.

Funding: European Programmes

If you have an idea for a really good project that needs funding, think about the EU's Culture Programme (2007-2013). The first calls for 2008 applications are being made now, with deadlines of 31 October. But your project will need to involve at least three EU countries. Euclid at www.culturefund.eu is the first place to check, and they are holding a half-day workshop in London on 18 September (£50 plus VAT).

Another funding programme is the European Social Fund, which is due to start in the Autumn. Applicants can only be public and voluntary-sector organisations, and there is strict criteria about how the money can be spent. Check the London Development Agency's ESF pages for progress and dates for the first bidding round.

Take it away

If you or someone you know needs a musical instrument - or accessories and maybe tuition - there's a new Arts Council England initiative that could help. You can purchase instruments worth up to £2000 and repay over 9 months without interest, providing you are over 18. And the £2000 can be towards more expensive instruments, too. This is an ideal opportunity to help young people start a music career, or find the cash if you're short of funds! Check out www.takeitaway.org.uk for details.

The Wood Green International Short Film Festival

The Wood Green International Short Film Festival is looking for films for its next festival scheduled for April 2008. Download a submission form from www.woodgreenfilmfest.com, or contact wgtcm@aol.com.

For more recent news, please see our website www.northlondonarts.info/News.