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FOUR Welsh arts organisations and supporting businesses are spearheading a new UK-wide initiative designed to engage every child in Britain with the arts. Arts and Kids is the brainchild of The Prince of Wales, who approached Arts and Business - a not-for-profit organisation that helps both business and the arts to develop more effective ways of working together - to turn his vision for future generations into reality. The first four projects to take shape under the Arts & Kids banner will be delivered by some of Wales's flagship arts organisations including BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Diversions, The Dance Company of Wales and Welsh National Opera. Thanks to funding from the Arts Council of Wales, more than 1,000 children from across the country will have the opportunity to attend performances and work with artists between now and next March. The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation was launched earlier this year at Buckingham Palace. It is designed to be an ongoing campaign that will strengthen the exemplary work already underway. Arts and Business's role is to motivate the corporate sector to support the vital impact the arts can make on children and society. Rachel Jones, Arts & Business Cymru's director, said, "Arts & Kids is an exciting initiative, enabling future generations to experience a dynamic, creative world at a very formative stage of their lives. The support already evident in the Welsh business community is over-whelming and it's thanks to our first sponsors that the Prince of Wales's vision will be realised here before any other area of the UK." The first Arts & Kids project will enable children from Merthyr Tydfil to undertake workshops with Welsh National Opera and attend hour-long performances of Carmen at Cardiff's New Theatre on Thursday and Friday. This specially adapted version of the opera is part of WNO's Project MAX, sponsored by Hugh James Solicitors. On Saturday, Clwyd Theatr Cymru will stage a special matinee performance of its Christmas Show for children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. Thanks to sponsorship from MBNA, Arts & Kids is able to bring this unique opportunity to the children, their families and carers. In February and March 2003, Diversions - Cwmni Dawns Cymru - will stage two additional matinee performances in Milford Haven and Pontardawe for children who undertake workshops with the company, thanks to sponsorship from Barclays Bank plc. Also in the spring, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales will tour Aberystwyth, Bangor, Llandudno and Wrexham, sponsored by the Royal Mail Group plc. Arts & Kids will provide 400 free tickets for young people in those areas. |
| Western Mail arts pages web site: icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0900entertainment/0050artsnews/page.cfm?objectid=12421690&method=full&siteid=50082 |
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Tuesday, December 3, 2002 |
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