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Cape Farewell - Disko Bay

On 25 September 2008, a 40 strong crew of artists (including KT Tunstall, Martha Wainwright and Jarvis Cocker) and scientists set sail on Cape Farewell’s Disko Bay expedition to the …

Music policy

Our policy summarises the context for music and the Arts Council’s role. It sets out our vision for music and the priorities we have set to help us deliver it. Our ambition is to make it possible for audiences in England, wherever they live, to experience and be enriched by the best music from England and from around the world.

Music is a vibrant artform in England: more people than ever – young people, adults, professionals, amateurs – are playing, singing, creating their own music, downloading, DJing, buying, studying and listening to music.

The consolidation of the recording industry has been accompanied by an equally rapid growth in new technology – from iPods, DVDs and new digital channels to big-screen relays and internet broadcasting – and music has never before been so universally available.

Our funding supports the development of a diverse range of artists and organisations which produce and present the most inspiring musical experiences for audiences and participants across the country. 

The Take It Away instrument purchase scheme is aimed at encouraging anyone who plays or wants to learn a musical instrument, and our large scale investment in Youth Music offers thousands of children and young people, particularly those with limited opportunities, the chance to experience and take part in music.

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Arts policies (PDF)

Our arts policies set out the context for each artform, and the vision of what …

Arts policy (Word)

Our arts policies set out the context for each artform, and the vision of what …

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Scottish Opera - War and Peace

The result of a two-year project to restore the original version of Prokofiev's opera, this epic follows the life of heroine Natasha. Throughout the decades spanned by the story, Russia is under threat from Napoleon and the fates of all the huge cast of characters hang in the balance.