A Happy New Year to you all.
Please find attached an invitation to the forthcoming launch of The Ideas Factory at Bournemouth & Poole College and Weymouth College. This exciting and innovative venture is seeking to offer resources, expertise and professional development opportunities for emerging, developing and established makers and craftspeople. If you are seeking business advice and support, IT assistance, networking opportunities, specialist workshops, a qualification in the skills you require, or simply a forum for exchanging ideas and information - this could be for you.
The project launch will take place at The Study Gallery, Poole on Tuesday 13th January 6.30 to 8.30pm or alternatively, at The Mulberry Centre, Weymouth on Thursday 22nd January 6.30 to 8.30 pm (both will include refreshments), with a programme of events to follow. The evening will include an open forum discussion about the support needs of the crafts industry in this area and brief presentations about known industry needs & opportunities - all with a view to using the information gained to develop appropriate and relevant support.
If you would like to find out more, come along to the launch or contact Jason Miller on 01202 205937 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Training
As for other training, we’d like to hear from you about what you would find most helpful and if you haven't had the chance to complete the attached questionnaire we’d be really grateful if you could find the time to do so.  Please send it on to Tasty Marketing who are helping us out with this or e-mail it back to me and I will forward it on.

(Contact Peter John Cooper This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for questionnaire)

Hello!
Thanks to everybody who’s been coming along to Bar Seven, 1 High St, Swanage for the Sunday sessions from 5-8pm. Last Sunday we had a particularly good time with DEAN BARNES, top London session guitarist. Some people apparently think it’s just blues on a Sunday, but we certainly dispelled that myth on Sunday! This Sunday my guests are PETE HARRIS (guitar, vocals) from Southampton and HUGH BUDDEN (harmonica, vocals) from Poole, so we are back to the blues, but with a rootsy, jazzy and country feel. Plus there’s always me on piano/organ/double bass (!) and Bournemouth Fred on drums!
So, commercials over, who knows anything about Salsa? I’ve been asked to do some research, so if you go regularly anywhere, have been at any time, or know somebody who can help, please let me know!

Best Wishes,
Steve

Hi everybody, 

Thank you to all those who attended the meeting. (Lighthouse 20th November) It was great to see so many organisations represented. 

Event Communication 

For those who didn't attend, we had a very interesting discussion on the event communication issue. My interpretation was that we didn't reach any firm conclusions with the following difference of opinion: -          

the more established organizations stressed the importance of a multi-faceted marketing approach -          

the newer organizations without marketing personnel saw more importance in working together to help establish/promote a primary web portal for marketing events in order to make best use of limited resources. It was generally agreed that Listed's website is a valuable resource for advertising events and with planned improvements should significantly help improve communication of the arts in the area. 

Artist communication 

Peter John Cooper explained his group's proposal for a Dorset-wide communication network for artists. As promised in the meeting, he has refined his proposal which I attach below. 

Mark Howell

The Arts Poole