Current Projects and Awards

From time to time the Foundation initiates projects to develop various aspects of the arts in the two counties. For some years it underpinned the financing of an independent Company, the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Arts Education Agency, whose functions were subsequently taken over by the two County Councils.

In 2003 the Foundation launched Singworks in Worcestershire. The aim of this project is to initiate a range of activities that will stimulate and develop singing opportunities for young people in Worcestershire. Through the project singing in education, worship and other community contexts will be better connected so that an improved platform for the development of an integrated singing culture can be created, nurtured and sustained.

The project’s origins lie in a meeting of representatives from choral groups, Worcester Cathedral, the education authority and others at the Elgar Birthplace debating how singing among young people could be encouraged. Singworks is managed Herefordshire and Worcestershire Arts Development Limited, a company set up by the Elmley Foundation to meet the administrative needs of projects.  Singworks, which has a close association with youngchoirs.net, is run by an Advisory Committee. Its Director is Cathy Dew. For further information please visit the website www.singworks.net.

This year a project to explore possibilities for the establishment of a Visual Arts Commissioning Agency for the rural parts of the two counties has been launched, supported by Arts Council England, West Midlands. The highly experienced independent consultant Tessa Jackson will be analysing different types of commissioning agency models, and researching interest among regional and local agencies into potential sources of partnership funding for commissioning and revenue.

We have also supported a major two-year audience-development project by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group to bring highest calibre contemporary concerts to rural venues in the two counties. Taster events will be followed by full concerts. The first tours took place in April 2005.