Chair appointed to Creative Scotland

Ewan Brown CBE has just been named the inaugural Chair of Creative Scotland, the new publicly owned limited company which will replace the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. The Joint Board of both organisations will continue to be involved in the policy development of Creative Scotland, and its Chair, Richard Holloway will serve on the new board. Brown, who is currently vice chairman of the Edinburgh International Festival, has indicated that he plans to step down as Chair when Creative Scotland changes from a limited company to a statutory body and the transition process is complete. 'Creative Scotland represents a real opportunity to better serve and better appreciate Scotland's creative community,' says Brown. 'My focus will be on developing the role, remit and structure of this new organisation and establishing strong working relationships with other key bodies to support and nurture our creative sector.'

Creative Partnerships to Become Independent Organisation

Creative Partnerships - Arts Council England's successful creativity programme for schools - is set to become an independent organisation. The programme, which develops young people's creativity, has been developed and managed by Arts Council England since it began in 2002. Due to the success of Creative Partnerships the Arts Council has decided that its future is best delivered through a new independent organisation - Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE).

NALD Scotland Co-ordinator

Marianne Mitchelson is NALD’s Scotland Co-ordinator. Marianne worked in health and social care services before getting involved with literature development. Recently she’s worked with Itchy Coo, the project which produces books in Scots for young people.

NALD Scotland’s Annual Literature Development Day

Many thanks to our members and guests who took part in this year’s networking day at the Town House in Inverness on Thursday 24th April in partnership with Hi-Arts. Our keynote speaker was the award-winning novelist, poet and publisher James Robertson (follow link below to discover James's 10 good reads). Hi-Arts, commissioned a new short story – Water From The Well - from Highland writer Angus Dunn.

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NALD’s Spread Your Wings Programme

This six month professional development scheme has been run by NALD and its partners over the last three years, and the most recent set of participants have completed their work together. Participants who took part this year included Jo Hurst, Punam Ramchurn, Crista Ermiya, Patricia Arthurs and Naomi Waddis.

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NALD's PDP Service 2008

NALD is launching a professional development planning service to its members this year after piloting a highly successful series of one to one sessions at the Expo event in 2007, and with the Spread Your Wings participants and other members in 2008.

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Hackney PDP Pilot

NALD member Eva Lewin has been piloting a professional development planning service in the London Borough of Hackney as part of a literature clusters project with Spike Warwick. It contains fascinating views on how this peice of work took shape and insights for other NALD members who may be interested in a similar approach to creating and supporting networks.

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Genista McIntosh to Investigate ACE's Spending Review

Baroness Genista McIntosh is to undertake the investigation into the controversial spending review decisions taken by Arts Council England, The Stage has revealed.

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McMaster Review

In July 2007 James Purnell, the Secretary of State for Culture, asked Sir Brian McMaster, former Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, to undertake a review to report on: how the system of public sector support for the arts can encourage excellence, risk-taking and innovation; how artistic excellence can encourage wider and deeper engagement with the arts by audiences; how to establish a light touch and non-bureaucratic method to judge the quality of the arts in the future.

You can read the report on the Department for Culture Media and Sport website.

Read McMaster Review

Literature Professional

The fifth issue of NALD's industry magazine, Literature Professional, edited by Susan Tranter, is available for NALD members to download from the 'articles' section now.

Download Magazine

NALD Expo

Thank you to all those who took part in NALD’s 3-day literature development Expo Only Connect in October 2007. Podcasts and Notes from the event are available on the site

See Presenter Gallery

NALD & SAC Literature Festivals Day

NALD hosted a literature festivals day on behalf of the Scottish Arts Council at the Stirling Tolbooth this November. Read the programme and notes from the event here.

View Notes & Programme