Contacts for advice & training
Agencies who offer advice and support specific to creative and arts businesses
In this section there are:
- General creative and arts contacts
- Visual arts and crafts contacts
- Performing arts contacts
- Music contacts
- Digital arts and film contacts
- Community and participatory arts contacts
- Literature contacts
General creative & arts contacts
Regional and local organisations:
Creative Leicestershire
provide a free service of up to 15 hours one-to-one business advice to small creative companies and freelancers based in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Please contact our Business Adviser Fred Brookes for more information.Charnwood Borough Council
Arts Development Officer (part-time) Stephen Shepherd e: stephen.shepherd@charnwood.gov.ukHarborough District Council
Arts Development Officer, Sophy Sylvester s.sylvester@harborough.gov.ukHinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
Arts Development Officer, Lindsay Orton. E: Lindsay.orton@hinckley-bosworth.gov.ukLeicester City Council
Arts Team. Email: arts@leicester.gov.ukLeicestershire County Council
Emily Horwood, Arts & Creative Industries Officer e: ehorwood@leics.gov.ukMelton Borough Council
Arts Development Officer, Catherine Hallinan e: challinan@melton.gov.ukOadby & Wigston and Blaby District Councils
(joint post) Arts & Heritage Development Officer, Sallie Wocha e:slw@blaby.gov.uk or sallie.wocha@oadby-wigston.gov.ukRutland County Council
Kelly Seale is Arts Officer kseale@rutland.gov.ukMainstream
give one-to-one advice to black and minority ethnic arts businesses in the East Midlands. Based in Leicester with Arts Training Central www.mainstreampartnership.co.ukArts & Media Training
are based in Coventry and provide programme of courses for artists and creative industries www.amtcc.org.ukArts & Business
provide commercial business support for arts organisations through Board Bank; Skills Bank schemes. www.aandb.org.ukCreative Industries export adviser
employed by UK Trade & Investment, develops opportunities for international trade amongst creative industries in the East Midlands. E: christine.johnson@uktiem.co.ukNational organisations:
Arts Council England
the national development agency for the arts providing advice, publications and funding www.artscouncil.org.ukVisual arts, craft & design contacts
Regional/local organisations:
Design Factory
give one-to-one business development and support for designer makers and crafts businesses. Also developing service to connect designers with manufacturers. www.designfactory.org.ukDesigner Forum
are part of EMTEX (East Mids Textiles Association) and provide a variety of business and design support to fashion & textiles designers (freelance & in-house), design-led companies and fashion students in the East Midlands. See www.emtex.org.uk for more information.The City Gallery in Leicester
provide a range of support for visual artists including prizes from Open Exhibition and Platform awards for De Montfort University graduates. www.leicester.gov.uk/citygalleryNational organisations:
Artists newsletter
national organisation with lots of web-based information on best practise for visual artists www.a-n.co.ukCrafts Council
the national agency for contemporary crafts and has info and funding opportunities including Development Awards with four application deadlines annually. www.craftscouncil.org.ukThe Design Trust
website includes design business start up guide www.thedesigntrust.co.ukDesign Council
national strategic body for design which runs Design for Business and the Designing Demand one day workshop to help improve your business. www.design-council.org.ukAssociation of Photographers
website includes information and resources www.the-aop.orgDesign and artists copyright society
gives you information on and manages the copyright and intellectual property of visual artists. Membership is currently £25. www.dacs.org.ukPerforming arts contacts
Regional and local organisations:
Dance 4
dance agency based in Nottingham. Provide workshops, seminars and advice. www.dance4.co.ukLeicester Theatre Trust (formerly Haymarket Theatre)
runs programmes supporting local artist development include In Residence programme e: a.al-salloum@leicestertheatretrust.co.ukPhoenix Arts
give informal support for live art and moving image companies and artists www.phoenix.org.ukLeicester Comedy Festival
support promoters within the Festival with marketing, training www.comedy-festival.co.ukThe Y Theatre
give informal support to music promoters and other performance groups e: theatre@leicesterymca.co.ukTechnical Theatre Courses
run by Loughborough College and the AETTI, at the college and in theatres around the country. Courses cover essentials for theatre technicians including lighting, rigging, health & safety. For full information email theatre@loucoll.ac.ukNational organisations:
Independent Theatre Council
web information and courses including ‘starting your own performing arts company’ amongst many others. www.itc-arts.orgWork in Dance
first stop shop about professional development and employment for dancers and dance managers www.workindance.comDance UK
works nationally to speak out for dance and provide professional development for dancers www.danceuk.orgCircus Arts Forum
www.circusarts.org.ukNational Rural Touring Forum
who produce a good guide to small-scale touring www.nrtf.org.ukMusic contacts
Regional and local organisations:
Leicester Music Scene
local resources and support information www.leicestermusicscene.co.uk Bathysphere
provide music technology and digital arts development including artist support and consultancy www.bathysphere.co.uk
The Mag
music advice guide set up by Punch Records in Birmingham www.themag.org.ukEmmnet
provide training and information for pop/rock bands based in the East Midlands www.emmnet.orgNational organisations:
The Incorporated Society of Musicians
the professional body for UK classical musicians. Site includes online resources, info on member benefits and directory of teachers, performers, composers www.ism.orgJazz Services
run a directory and many other services to support jazz in the UK www.jazzservices.org.ukMusicians Union
are a membership organisation with lots of benefits including training www.musiciansunion.org.ukDigital arts and film contacts
Regional and local organisations:
Line Out
provide integrated training programme in video and film covering all skill levels and aspects of production www.lineout.orgEM-Media
the development agency for the media and film industry. They provide a graduate training programme, the insight training programme and mentoring. www.em-media.org.ukDigital Arts Forum for the East Midlands
including links, blogs, news and events www.digitalartsforum.org.ukRadiator Festival
for new technology art. Biennial Festival based in Nottingham www.radiator-festival.orgArts & Technology Partnerships
develop the arts using emerging technologies. Based at Loughborough University the project has a resource centre and runs courses training artists in new technologies. www.arts-technology.orgNational organisations:
The Film Council
Strategic national agency for film www.ukfilmcouncil.org.ukParticipatory arts contacts
Regional and local organisations:
Charnwood Arts
based in Loughborough and provide informal artist training eg New Deal, focus on new media skills, Leonardo programme www.charnwoodarts.comMantle Community Arts
based in Coalville and provide a participatory artists support forum and training schemes www.mantlearts.org.ukSoft Touch Community Arts
based in Leicester and work with young people and communities from disadvantaged backgrounds. www.soft-touch.org.ukArts in Education
support arts activity in schools in Leicester and Leicestershire. Rachael Phelps is the Arts in Education co-ordinator.Extended Schools
is the intiative focussing on out-of-school-hours activities with young people. Many schools are consequently looking for artists/creatives with experience of leading work with young people. Gaynor Nash is the co-ordinator for Leicester City on gaynor.nash@leicester.gov.uk. David Brown heads up the extended schools co-ordinators at Leicestershire County Council on dbrown@leics.gov.ukEast Midlands Participatory Arts Forum (Empaf)
gives information and advice for individuals and companies working in community/participatory settings www.empaf.comNational organisations:
Mailout
the national network for artists working in community settings. Sections include info on arts & education, arts & health, arts & criminal justice www.e-mailout.orgFoundation for Community Dance
national development agency for community dance. Site includes info and directory of artists and companies www.communitydance.org.ukSound Sense
the UK development agency for community music www.soundsense.orgLiterature contacts
Regional and local organisations:
Leicester City Council
Literature Development Officer is Damien Walter e: damien.walter@leicester.gov.ukLeicestershire County Council
Literature Development Officer is Kerry Featherstone e: kfeatherstone@leics.gov.ukLeicester Writers Club
Club for professional and semi-professional writers. www.leicesterwriters.org.ukNational organisations:
