Antonio Breschi - Track08.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object)

Antonio Breschi was born in Florence and started taking piano lessons at a very young age. After graduating from the Luigi Cherubini Conservatorium he dedicated many years to teaching and experimentation.

Antonio Breschi - Track08.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object)



His passion for jazz and ethnic music lead to his founding of the Florence Jazz Society in 1966, Florence-based group Whisky Trail in 1975, and La Radice Center in 1981. In recent years he has been concentrating on composing and performing his own music, and bringing together musicians and musical styles from many different cultures, both in his recordings and in live performances.

He has played in concert with Andy Irvine and Dollar Brand at the International Jazz Festival of Kalish in Poland, with Jacques Higelin and Manu Dibango in his "Al Kamar" show in Paris, with Benito Lertxundi in Madrid and Oiartzun, and with the African singer Ismael Lo in Milan with whom he received the joint award for "Dialogue with the far Shore of the Mediterranean", from Milan City Council.

Other concert highlights to date have been the Mercat de las Flors in Barcelona, the Arriaga Opera Theater in Bilbao and Victoria Eugenia Theatre in San Sebastian, the Teatro Romano in Verona, Cirque d'Hiver in Paris, the National Gallery in Dublin, Queens Arts Festival in Belfast, Volkshaus Zurich and Ljubljana Stadttheater.

Apple Gallery Radio

Oriuson


Autumn Festival on BWI playing Chandigo or Chandi Chess

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Exceptional Lives

Clare Mulvany is currently embarking on a ten month journey around the globe to interview 'people who change our world' about their life stories. She'll be meeting 'social entrepreneurs' working in a range of fields from education to business, dedicating their lives to making the world a better place for us all to live in. Nairobi is the first port of call, and from there she'll travel overland to Capetown. It is then on to India, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa and the USA. You're invited to read about the journey and people she meets along the way. Enjoy the ride!

Exceptional Lives

Chandi Chess : Machinima Video

Introducing Charlie Roundfield : TAKE 1 : Charlie arrives at Better World Island





Machinima Production

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Proposal to Relocate NCAD to UCD Scrapped

A proposal to relocate the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) to the University College Dublin (UCD) campus in Belfield has been scrapped. A collective sigh of relief is sure to be expressed by students, artists and lecturers alike on hearing that the Board of NCAD has decided not to pursue its controversial relocation plan which attracted widespread disapproval. A statement from the NCAD Board is expected in the coming days.

NCAD has been in talks with UCD since last October discussing the prospect of moving to the Belfield Campus where there is ample space to develop a new purpose built art facility for the college. It would be much cheaper to build a new facility than to renovate and develop NCADs’ existing premises which is estimated to cost in the region of 80 million Euro.

NCAD students were strongly against the move and organised a series of demonstrations over the past few months. Staff of the Fine Art faculty also came out publicly against the move as did the membership of Aosdana. Those opposed to the plans argued that a move to UCD would end NCAD's historic connection with the city centre and would be detrimental to the identity and ethos of the college.

NCAD, located on Dublin's Thomas Street, is close to all the major art institutions (IMMA, Hugh Lane, National Gallery), many art organisations and studios as well as a whole host of material and service suppliers – all essential to nurturing art practice. In addition, the removal of NCAD would be a loss to Dublin City Councils plans to develop the cultural identity of the Thomas Street area.

Though this news may be welcomed by many, NCAD remains in the difficult position of having to raise the huge amount of money needed if it is to develop and stay at its current location.

The NCAD board is chaired by Joe Mulholland and includes Marie Bourke of the National Gallery; solicitor and politician Liam Crowley; artist Betty Newman-Maguire; designer John Sherwin; and politician Mairin Quill. It also includes elected staff and student representatives John Brennan, Jennifer Caffrey, Theresa McKenna and Andrew Folan, as well as NCAD director Colm O'Briain.

http://www.ncad.ie/

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European Youth for Action: Art and Activism Caravan Makes Its Way through Greece-Balkans-Hungary

European Youth for Action: Art and Activism Caravan Makes Its Way through Greece-Balkans-Hungary

European Youth For Action (EYFA): Art and Activism Caravan
EYFA is a youth activist network. With the Art and Activism campaign, they aim to make activism creative and art active, and support the fight for environmental and social change, engaging society and the spreading skills, ideas, and resources. The Art and Activism (AA) Caravan is promoting use of art as an instrument for social change. It kicks off in Greece. It will travel through the former Yugaslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Hungary. It will end in Slovakia, at the Ecotopia gathering.

The AA Caravan consists of artists from different parts of Europe, involved in different fields of activist art. They will give workshops in video making, rhythms of resistance, costume making, rebel clowning & street theater, drawing & painting. The workshops are one to four days long, working toward a public creative activism outcome in the end of the week.

They are inviting young people, social & environmental activists, art students and anybody interested in spending creative and active time together. Together, we want to brainstorm about ways to put art and activism into practice, using themes suggested by participants. Join the workshops or contact the organizers if you want to set up a workshop.

Where is the caravan going?
Athens, Greece: June 4-8
Bitola, FYROM: June 11-16
Tirana, Albania: June 18-23
Plav, Montenegro: June 26-30
Belgrade, Serbia: July 2-6
Novi Sad, Serbia: July 11-14
Tuzla, Bosnia Herzegovina: July 16-20
Banja Luka, Bosnia Herzegovina: July 23-27
Kapolcs, Hungary: July 30 - August 4
Zajeska, Slovakia (Ecotopia!): August 6-20

ActiVist ArT
takes art from the galleries, museums and theatres into public space, interacting with spectators in the streets,
motivates spectators to question and challenge the status quo,
supports the idea, that everybody is the artist,
opens up public space, making art open, understandable and accessible for everyone,
celebrates and promotes creativity and idealism, raising attention for social and environmental issues in creative ways, formulating critiques and discovering alternatives,
is not made for commercial or purely esthetical purposes,
is a communication tool taking many forms, films, installations, sculpturing, painting, wall murals, street theatre, poetry, drawings, photography,
is not just an art piece but a continuous process beginning with its creation and living on through the reactions it provokes,
is a way to integrate, involve and inspire people!
Further information: www.eyfa.org
Contact: coen@eyfa.org, belit@eyfa.org

ECOTOPIA 2006 Announcement

Ecotopia 2006 will take place in Zajezka, a beautiful location in Javorie mountains in Slovakia, from 6th to 20th of August.

Zajezka is a rural community in central Slovakia, where around 40 people live in houses scattered throughout the area. The Zajezka community exists 10 years and runs various projects related to traditional arts and crafts, alternative technologies, permaculture, rural development, etc.

The main topic of Ecotopia 2006 will be Art and Activism. Beside Art & Activism themes, the program will cover various issues and offer different workshops. Also, there will be possibilities for joining the local activities as well.

Ecotopia 2006 callout will be sent around soon. Please, spread the word. Everyone is invited, and everyone is welcome to take part in creating the program by giving workshops.


eyfa.org/news

Visual Artists Ireland : Advocacy Lobbying and Representation

Visual Artists Ireland : Advocacy Lobbying and Representation: "

Artists Resale Right
Introduction

The principle of the Artists Resale Right is that it allows visual artists and their estates to a share in the increased value of their artworks whenever they are resold through auction or other public sale.

The Artists Resale Right or Droit de Suit (Right to Follow) is a type of copyright that is currently provided for by legislation in a majority of EU states.

Ireland is an exception and does not currently operate the artists resale right, however, an EU Directive was passed in 2001 which obliges all EU states to introduce the scheme by 2006. The process of drafting legislation for introducing the Artists Resale Right in Ireland has been slow but is currently underway.

While the EU directive sets some parameters on how the scheme should work it also gives individual states the freedom to make decisions over certain aspects of how the scheme might operate. It is in regard to these issues that the current campaign is centred.

Visual Artists Ireland very much welcomes the introduction of the scheme for the benefit of Irish artists and their heirs.

It is the ambition of Visual Artists Ireland to ensure that the scheme is introduced in Ireland as soon as possible and that legislation is drafted in a way, which provides the maximum potential for artists to benefit from the scheme.

One of the main issues yet to be decided is who will be responsible for collecting and re-distributing the Artists Resale Right. Visual Artists Ireland believes that it would be best for this role to be undertaken by an artist centred organisation. To this end it has worked with the Irish Copyright Licensing Agency and the Copyright Association of Ireland to establish a new organisation that it feels would be appropriate to carry out this task. This new organisation has been legally constituted and is titled the Irish Visual Artists Rights Organisation (IVARO).

The work that Visual Artists Ireland has been undertaking in relation to the Artists Resale Right is currently being channelled through IVARO.

See the dropdown menu for more information on the Resale Right, the Directive, our position and the campaign. See the main menu for more information on IVARO."

International Call for Participation - Special Session 2006 UNESCO Young Digital

"Scenes and sounds of my city" Special Session 2006

The UNESCO DigiArts Team invites young students and teachers to
reflect on the theme of "scenes and sounds of my city" and to send
to UNESCO a joint project proposal in group work that focuses on a
specific topic or issue in relation to their urban environment or
their experiences within urban surroundings.

This project will be realized through a running session of the
Scenes and Sounds of My City web-based learning application, which
is designed for young people (12-18 years old) to collaboratively
use creative digital tools in expressing their visions on urban
topics.

Through participation in this session, young people will have
opportunities to:
1. Express their ideas, reflections, viewpoints on their own urban
environment through creative productions using digital media

2. Interact with their young peers from different regions,
countries, cultures
3. Use ICT resources and creative tools and obtain skills of
manipulating different digital and online applications.

At the end of the session, the best projects will be selected and
presented at an international electronic arts festival. A number of
young delegates among the participants will also be invited to this
festival to transform their digital pieces into physical urban
installations in public spaces.

How to participate?
The following materials should be submitted to digiarts@unesco.org
by 3 May 2006:
· Registration form
· One project proposal per group of participants
· Short introduction of participants including contact information
and photo
For more information, find attached detailed guidelines and the
registration form or visit:
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-
URL_ID=0690&URL_DO==DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION= 1.html

UNESCO DigiArts Team
digiarts@unesco.org
http://www.unesco.org/culture/digiarts/ydc

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CUSTOM HOUSE STUDIOS: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR EXHIBITIONS & STUDIOS

CUSTOM HOUSE STUDIOS: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR EXHIBITIONS & STUDIOS

The Custom House Studios are now inviting submissions for exhibitions and
use of studio space for 2007 and 2008. The Studios complex houses 7 artists
studios with individual entrances, natural daylight and high ceilings, as
well as an exhibition gallery, and a print studio. These facilities are
housed in a historic restored Customs House building on
the Quay in Westport. The studios are located up stairs overlooking the
harbour. All studios have daylight and 24hour access. The studios are
rented to Artists for a subsidised fee of 25 Euro per week, which includes
utilities. The studios can be occupied initially for up to a year. One
studio is available for shorter stays. There is no living accommodation.
The gallery is located on street level and enjoys a high visitor numbers.
There is a full programme of exhibitions.

Applications are now invited for: Studio Occupancy. Artists are now invited
to submit proposals for yearlong use of Studios in the year 2007and 2008. .
Artists are also invited to submit proposals for exhibitions at Custom
House. Please send letters of interest, CVs and documentation of work to:
John Mc Hugh Custom House Studios, The Quay. Westport Co. Mayo. Ireland. The
closing date for submissions is Thursday 31 of August 2006. Custom House
Studios Limited, Westport Quay Co Mayo. T: 098 28735. E:
customhouse@eircom.net



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BANK OF IRELAND ARTS CENTRE TO CLOSE

BANK OF IRELAND ARTS CENTRE TO CLOSE

The Bank of Ireland (BOI) Arts Centre at Foster Place near College Green in
Dublin is to close this coming June after nearly a decade in operation. The
Centre currently employs three full time and eight part time staff. Read
more on http://www.visualartists.ie.



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Vive Le Bourgeoisie

A 5 Minute video piece dealing with themes of identity and alienation.





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Co-Operative Games : Testing

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A Game called Re-Mission takes Young Cancer Patients inside their own bodies.

It sounds like a scene from the 1966 sci-fi flick Fantastic Voyage: A tiny robot swims through a human body, blasting away at rapidly multiplying rogue cells. To young cancer patients, though, it's a way to come to grips with the very real battle taking place inside their bodies. Part of an emerging genre known as serious games, Re-Mission is a third-person shooter designed to help young people with cancer cope with their illness.

Cancer turns a patient's life upside down, transforming daily existence into a routine of painful treatments, exacting regimens, uncertainty, and fear. This is doubly true for young people, who already face the challenges of growing up. Re-Mission wraps a true-to-life cancer simulation in a gaming interface, helping kids visualize the disease and vanquish it. The aim is to increase players' sense of control over their circumstances.

Players fly a nanobot called Roxxi through a cancer patient's body on missions that range from free-roaming exploration to run-and-gun combat. Along the way, power-ups energize weapons like chemotherapy, radiation, and diet, as well as response to complications like bacterial infection, nausea, fever, and constipation.

Re-Mission was conceived by Pam Omidyar, who came up with the idea in the late 1980s while working as a research assistant in an immunology lab. After spending the day watching malignant cells multiply under a microscope, she unwound by playing videogames with her husband, Pierre Omidyar, the software engineer who went on to found eBay. It occurred to her that kids with cancer might benefit from fighting the disease in virtual space.

She founded HopeLab in 2001; I joined as president in 2004. We're a nonprofit organization that helps young people with chronic illnesses; we develop innovative interventions and validate them through intensive research. HopeLab researchers talked to kids with cancer about what they'd like to see in a game and consulted with oncologists and biologists to make sure the simulation would be scientifically accurate. Then they got to work.

After completing a prototype in 2004, the team conducted a controlled, randomized clinical trial - much like the way drugs are tested - to gauge the game's effect. The one-year study tracked 375 people in the US, Canada, and Australia; a control group played Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb. The goal was to measure the effect on patients' sense of control, adherence to treatment programs, knowledge of the illness, and quality of life. The preliminary findings are promising. Final results will be presented in a peer-reviewed setting in coming months.

In April, HopeLab will begin distri­buting Re-Mission for free in treatment centers and over the Web. We hope this game will be our first effort in a series of unusual approaches to helping sick kids - and a good excuse for teens with cancer to grab the game controller and start blasting away.




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Ethnic Piano : New Orleans Jig : Trumpet Solo :Irish meet African. . Celtic Jazz

Antonio Breschi innovative and prolific composer.

"He is a genius whose music is without frontiers, and whose originality makes him one of the most innovative artists in the varied musical genres of today. He gives us a strong feeling of our roots and most of all he points in a new direction for the future."
(Dublin's Hot Press Magazine)

New Orleans Jig : Trumpet Solo






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CALL FOR INTEREST: MA IN ARTS IN CONTEXT AT DIT

CALL FOR INTEREST: MA IN ARTS IN CONTEXT AT DIT

The Fine Art Department in the Dublin Institute of Technology is developing
a MA in Arts in Context. This new programme is aimed at art practitioners
who have a degree in Fine Art, Design, Architecture, Media, Music or Drama
or already have an established arts practice and wish to develop the skills
and competences to work more effectively within a broader community context.
The MA Arts in Context will offer its participants opportunities to
instigate and explore interdisciplinary projects within a new kind of field
where ideas are drawn out of their traditional integument around particular
traditions of arts practice and lines of thought. It is planned that the
programme will start in January 2007, running over 3 semesters. Please email
us (indicating your area of art practice; qualifications and area of
interest): For more info: Anita Groener, Head of Department of Fine Art;
anita.groener@dit.ie Patricia Hurl, MA Arts in Context Coordinator;
patricia.hurl@dit.ie T: +353 1 4024188

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PROJECT '06 -:Galway : CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

PROJECT 06: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

2006 will see a fully fledged and fully independent alternative programme of arts events, entitled Project 06, which will take place in Galway during the Galway Arts Festival from 18 to 29 July.

The programme will reflect all artforms and types of performances, including some which have not been featured in the Arts Festival programme in recent years. Project'06 will emphasise a more personal dimension in their events and infuse its events with fun, spontaneity and street activity. Artists and arts groups from anywhere are very welcome to participate. full Programme and web site www.project06.com will be produced and a central Box Office will be operated
by the Town Hall Theatre. Closing date for inclusion in the programme is 1 May 2006.

PROJECT '06 - Galway

PROJECT '06 -:Galway : CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

PROJECT 06: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

2006 will see a fully fledged and fully independent alternative programme of arts events, entitled Project 06, which will take place in Galway during the Galway Arts Festival from 18 to 29 July.

The programme will reflect all artforms and types of performances, including some which have not been featured in the Arts Festival program

The Digital Hub : Call for Submissions

"CALL FOR ARTISTS WORKING IN DIGITAL MEDIA TO PARTICIPATE IN A SITE SPECIFIC EXHIBITION IN THE DIGITAL HUB

To mark the next phase in the development of The Digital Hub, we would like to invite submissions from artists working in digital media, to participate in a site-specific exhibition. The Digital Hub Development Agency will provide the brief and a space in which to exhibit their work.

The six artists selected will be allocated one building each from which to draw their inspiration. Artists will be given time to visit and investigate their allocated building, take photos, record sound & video footage etc. These buildings are due to be renovated as part of the site development. This project will serve as an important historical record of the famous Liberties community, as well as an innovative environment for creative work. The completed work will be shown in a gallery environment and online. The final piece must, therefore, lend itself to be shown both physically in a gallery environment and remotely via the Internet.

Work submitted must utilise digital media technology in its construction or in the way in which it is presented. New and experimental video, web art as well as works using mobile technologies, digital stills, sound pieces, and gaming technology will all be accepted.

The Digital Hub is happy to discuss any equipment requirements for the project that the chosen artists may have.

Submissions must include:

A clearly articulated statement of an original proposal specific to the project
(No more than 300 words)
A visual representation of proposal
Relevant portfolio of work no more than 5 images (JPEG), videos/DVDs no longer than 5 minutes.
A current curriculum vitae, detailing previous experience & past exhibitions, if applicable.

The Digital Hub is happy to discuss any equipment requirements for the project that the chosen artists may have.

Portfolio & Visual Representation of work can be sent in the following formats:
Slides, photos, digital photos (JPEG), video (VHS, DVD), laser copies, CDs.

Please send to the following address:

Exhibit, The Digital Hub Development Agency, The Digital Hub, Digital Exchange, Crane Street, Dublin 8, IRELAND"
Call for Submissions \\ The Digital Hub:

National Sculpture Factory

NATIONAL SCULPTURE FACTORY SEEKS PROGRAMME MANAGER
The National Sculpture Factory is a contemporary arts organisation based in
Cork, providing flexible workshop spaces and supports for artists, while
also promoting debate about contemporary visual culture through a dynamic
series of projects, commissioning, and discussion.

They are seeking a Programme Manager to research, manage and coordinate their
busy artistic programme. For further information and job description, please
see our website or contact: Elma O¹Donovan, Administrator, T: (0)21 4314
353. E: elma@nationalsculpturefactory.com. U:
www.nationalsculpturefactory.com. Closing date for applications: Friday 10th
February 2006
National Sculpture Factory :: Home

ARTS COUNCIL: SUPPORTS FOR ARTISTS 2006

ARTS COUNCIL: SUPPORTS FOR ARTISTS 2006

Over the first half of 2006 the Arts Council is developing a three-year
support programme for individual artists which will be announced in the
summer. This programme aims to build on and enhance the impact of all the
Council¹s direct and indirect supports to individual artists.

To facilitate this review, the Arts Council is offering the following
supports for individuals between January and June 2006: Travel and Mobility
Award (ongoing; at least four weeks before departure); Bursary (closing
date: 10 February); Location One Fellowship (closing date: 24 February)
Banff Residency (closing date: 10 March); Professional Development and
Training Award (closing date: 28 April)

The Arts Council has introduced improvements to bursaries that respond to
the ways in which artists now work. These include the introduction of a
small number of two to three year bursaries; bursaries to allow artists to
work collaboratively and equipment grants.

The Professional Development and Training Award which focuses on activity
that enhances creative practice and supports career development, has been
extended to support study in Ireland and abroad.

Some practical improvements are also reflected in the two international
bursaries which the Council offers, Location One Fellowship and Banff
Residency.

Another notable development this year is the expansion of the Travel and
Mobility Award, which continues to incorporate an informal short training
strand, and now will allow for group applications to accommodate artists
who, because of the nature of their artistic practice, do not tend to travel
individually. It will also provide support for inward mobility.

The Arts Council website will also contain details of the schemes supported
by the Arts Council and run in conjunction with other agencies. These
include: the Artist-in-the-Community Scheme (Create); Arts & Disability
Awards (Arts & Disability Forum); Frameworks (IFB); Documenting the Arts
(IFB); Splanc! (TG4), and Artist in Prison and Writers in Prison Schemes
(Dept of Justice) and RTÉ Dance on the Box (RTÉ). The Arts Council does not
handle applications for artists¹ schemes.

Full details of Supports for Artists 06 programme will be available in
hardcopy format from early January, or online from the Arts Council website.
http://www.artscouncil.ie/

Arts Council website

website

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CELTIC CROSSINGS SHOWCASE MAYFIELD COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE

CELTIC CROSSINGS SHOWCASE (CORK)

Celebrating the close of a year of work and achievements for Celtic
Crossings, A Cork 2005/Mayfield Community Arts Centre Project. Celtic
Crossings was a project formed to celebrate Cork as European Capital of
Culture and to celebrate the talents and abilities of 10 artists with
disabilities as well as giving them space to develop their own artistic
abilities. The Celtic Crossings studio group have participated in workshops,
residencies, exhibitions and exchanges with artists from Project Ability,
Glasgow and KCAT, Kilkenny. This event will showcase their achievements.
Rita Guinan, Ted Curtin, Kevin Rassmussen, John O�Callaghan, Eoin Barret,
Valerie Scully, Liz Morey, Adrian Hanley, Derek O�Brien, John Barrett.
Thursday 15 December 11am. Cork Vision centre, North Main St, Cork. U:
MAYFIELD COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE

Wexford Arts Centre : CALL FOR PROPOSALS

WEXFORD ARTS CENTRE: CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Call for on-site and off-site submissions. Wexford Arts Centre invites
proposals from artists and curators for exhibitions and events for its 2006
and 2007 visual arts programme. Submissions in all media will be accepted
including cross-disciplinary, performance, video, sound, installation and
applied arts. Proposals for on-site and off-site projects will be considered
while proposals specific to the Wexford Arts Centre space will be welcomed.
Submissions should include appropriate relevant documentation, artist’s
statement, CV, and description of proposed work.

WAC also invites practitioners working in the field of arts-in-context to
submit a CV and samples of work for the Arts Centres education and outreach
programme artists panel. In addition, the arts centre wishes to commission
new work and to develop project ideas in conjunction with artists, curators
and artist-run groups. Outlines of proposed work/projects are welcomed.
Address submissions to: The Manager, Wexford Arts Centre, Cornmarket,
Wexford. Closing date January 20th. For further information contact E:
wexfordartscentre@eircom.net.

Wexford Arts Centre

Cirque du Soleil : Alegria : benefit for Zip Zap

Cirque du Soleil will perform their show, "Alegria", as a benefit for Zip Zap, in London (February 1, 2006), and more info about how to purchase tickets--to help Zip Zap programs--is available at http://www.zip-zap.co.za,

To purchase tickets directly, go to http://tickets.royalalberthall.com/season/production.aspx?id=4046&src=t, the site for the Royal Albert Hall.

Please consider enjoying an unforgettable performance which will also benefit an invaluable program for youth! All best wishes and magical memories, Janet (Feldman, kaippg@earthlink.net )

Zip Zap Circus School will be the beneficiary of the Cirque du Soleil show, Alegria, on Feb 1, 2006, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Zip Zap is a circus school in Cape Town, mother city of South Africa. The school doors are open to all youth regardless of background, culture, gender or financial status. The school is free of charge to all students.

Using circus as a social tool, Zip Zap aims at bringing children together in a safe and fun environment. Circus skills as well as technical training (welding, rigging, prop building and repairs) will help them embark on a path of sustainable living. But, more importantly, life values such as team work, discipline, trust, confidence and honesty will enable these children to become responsible adults.

The School started in 1992 and has performed more than 500 shows in South Africa. They have also traveled to Denmark, Germany, Italy, France and USA for various festivals. Zip Zap is very proud to have performers currently working professionally in Europe & on a cruise ship in the Caribbean.

Even if producing professional circus artists is not the ultimate goal of the project, this has become a reality as the youth have embraced this opportunity, which has become a part of the success of this upliftment program. Zip Zap has been running various outreach programmes since 1994 with street children, rural children, and school children.

At the beginning of 2005, the focus of their outreach programme is with children born HIV positive and receiving ARV treatment at the Nolungile clinic in Khayelitsha, the biggest township of Cape Town.

Should you wish to support this program by buying a ticket at 60 pounds for the benefit show, please book directly through the Royal Albert Hall (tel. +44 (0)20 7838 3122) and mention that you want a ticket for the Zip-Zap benefit show on February 1, 2006.

Cirque du Soleil

POSTCARD CAMPAIGN FOR RETENTION TAX EXEMPTION SCHEME : The Arts Council

POSTCARD CAMPAIGN FOR RETENTION TAX EXEMPTION SCHEME
The Arts Council has warned that the abolition of the artists¹ tax exemption
scheme could cost Ireland a generation of new and emerging artists. Without the scheme, artists will choose to base their work in more well-established art markets around the world. The Arts Council has launched a postcardcampaign to the Minister for Finance urging him to retain the exemption.
The Council hopes the many people who support the exemption will electronically post its card to the Minister for Finance. The postcard is available on the homepage of the Council¹s website atThe Arts Council.
It is a simple-to-send electronic message.

Date: December 2005

To: Mr Brian Cowen, T.D., Minister for Finance

Dear Minister

I am asking you to ensure that the artists' tax exemption scheme, currently under review by your Department, is retained in its entirety. I feel it would be a retrograde step for the arts in Ireland if it were to be changed in any way.

Despite the growing popularity of the arts, most Irish artists still cannot make a living from their creative work. The greatest number of beneficiaries of the scheme earn considerably less than the legal minimum wage. Artists' earnings are subject to very considerable annual variation. The proceeds of, say, the sales from an exhibition or the publication of a book in any one year, may represent all of the artist's significant artistic earnings for a period of three to five years.

The small number of Irish artists who have enjoyed global commercial success on an unimaginable scale are still liable for Irish tax on a significant share of their income - the only part of their income that is tax-free is the income arising from their creative work.

Artists have a unique place in society and the introduction of this tax exemption was an enlightened acknowledgement of that. I appeal to you to keep the exemption.

Yours sincerely
The Arts Council

NHS TRUST COMMISSIONS: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS : BHR Hospitals

NHS TRUST COMMISSIONS: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Arts in Touch. Three commissions for arts project for Barking, Havering and
Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust. Commission 1: The Atrium ­ Lightwell: for
artists working in glass, metal, textiles or mixed media. Budget GBP30,000.
Commission 2: Children's Unit ­ The Tropical Lagoon: for visual artists, 3D
designers, furniture makers and automata makers. Budget information
available with artists brief. Commission 3: Cancer Unit ­ Viewfinder: for
landscape photographers. Budget GBP10,000 to include production. Deadline 15
January 2006. For information contact Amanda Flower T: +44 1708 517960. E:
Amanda.Flower@bhrhospitals.nhs.uk
BHR Hospitals - Welcome

The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture

SKOWHEGAN SCHOOL OF PAINTING & SCULPTURE: RESIDENCIES The 2006 Summer
Session: June 10th - August 12th. Skowhegan is an intensive nine-week summer
residency program for emerging visual artists, providing an exceptionally
stimulating and rigorous environment to support artistic creation and
interaction. Artists are provided with a concentrated period of work,
created with the support and critical assistance of a distinguished faculty
of Resident and Visiting Artists.

Through its admissions process Skowhegan seeks to bring together a gifted
and diverse group of individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to
art-making and inquiry. Sixty-five participants are accepted annually.
Skowhegan's financial assistance program helps insure that artists accepted
to the School may participate regardless of their financial status. A
variety of full and partial scholarships are available to those who provide
evidence of financial need. Deadline Feb 1 2006. A detailed description of
the program, financial assistance opportunities and the 2006 application are
now available online at: www.skowheganart.orgThe Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture

Craft Northern Ireland

INTRODUCING: CRAFT NORTHERN IRELAND

Craft Northern Ireland, a new regional development organisation for craft,
will be launched on 28 November at Ormeau Baths Gallery. Craft Northern
Ireland has been established to support individual designer-makers and
businesses. It will promote the development of aesthetic and design aspects
of craft in the region, while also stimulating opportunities to increase
business success.

Raising the profile of Northern Irish contemporary craft among the general
public, arts and business communities will be a key objective of Craft
Northern Ireland. Craft Northern Ireland will be located in Cotton Court in
Belfast¹s Cathedral Quarter. See: www.craftni.org. For further information
please contact Joe Kelly, Director, Craft Northern Ireland. T: 028 9038 8391
E: joe@craftni.org.Welcome to Craft Northern Ireland

Artist Opportunities : European Ceramic Workcentre

ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES AT EUROPEAN CERAMIC WORK CENTRE

The European Ceramic Work Centre (.ekwc) sees a lot of creative potential in
the relationship between ceramics and architecture. For that reason the
centre has started two projects in 2005. One project focuses on the brick
and the other focuses on five annual combined residencies in the ekwc for
visual artists / designers and architects. Architects, designers and visual
artists with an academic education or an equivalent proven professional
experience are invited to send in a proposal for one of the projects.
Closing date is December 1. Additional information and application forms can
be found on the ceramics & architecture section of U: www.ekwc.nl. Those
interested can also contact T: 31 (0)73 6124500. E: info@ekwc.nl

Brick: architects, visual artists and designers are invited to send in a
proposal for the development of a new type of brick or a new application for
existing bricks. In 2006 the selected participants will have the time to
realise their project plan. In 2007 the results will be shown in a
publication and an international exhibition.

Combined residencies. Dutch and foreign architects, visual artists and
designers are invited to form a combination with a representative from
another discipline; thus: an architect chooses a visual artist and/or
designer and vice versa. The condition is that at least one architect is a
member of each combination. The combination jointly submits a proposal for a
residency in the .ekwc. We expect these project proposals to relate to the
use of ceramics in architecture and to have any kind of artistic or
technical innovation in mind.� � European Ceramic Workcentre

EXHIBITIONS AT GLENCREE VISITOR CENTRE: CALL FOR ARTISTS

EXHIBITIONS AT GLENCREE VISITOR CENTRE: CALL FOR ARTISTS

Glencree Visitor Centre Gallery are currently putting a programme of
exhibitions together for the coming year (2006-7). Particularly interest in
artists/photographers who are working in the areas of social inclusion,
cultural diversity, anti-racism, peace and peace-building or in some
community based project that has a consciousness raising aspect around
themes of poverty, conflict, reconciliation and respect ­ to name but a few.
Exhibitions that in short, have some element of social awareness. Contact
Philip Boxberger, Exhibition Organiser, Glencree Visitor Centre, Glencree
Centre for Reconciliation, Glencree, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow. T: 01 2829711.
E: info@glencree.ie. U: www.glencree.ieGlencree Centre for Reconciliation - Welcome

Vincent van Gogh: The Drawings : The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Special Exhibitions:

Vincent van Gogh: The Drawings
October 18, 2005–December 31, 2005


A large and significant part of Van Gogh's production that remains comparatively unknown is featured in this first major American retrospective of the artist's drawings. The exhibition includes a selection of more than 100 works ingeniously composed in pen and ink, graphite, chalk, charcoal, and watercolor, along with a group of related paintings. These graphic images, lent by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and from 50 other public and private collections, brilliantly illustrate Vincent's own dictum: 'Drawing is the root of everything.' "
The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Special Exhibitions: Vincent van Gogh: The Drawings: "