Advance notice

Arts Council England to sponsor South Bank Show award for cultural diversity.

The 2004 South Bank Show will make an award to be sponsored by the Arts Council. Arts Council England’s decibel award for achievement in culturally diverse arts will be presented on 23 January. This unique award is the result of a partnership between LWT, (producers of the South Bank Show) and Arts Council England – decibel to recognise work that contributes to the development and promotion of Black and Asian arts. The award has never been more relevant or pertinent to the British Arts scene than in 2003, and its inception will serve to highlight the often over-looked artistic endeavours of our multicultural arts communities.

Arts Council England has placed cultural diversity as a central value in all its work. Our cultural diversity initiative, decibel, which runs from May 2003 until March 2004, has been developed to raise the profile of culturally diverse arts across the country and to highlight and support the wealth of artistic talent in our Black & Asian population.

The South Bank Show awards are now in their eighth year and will take place at the Savoy Hotel where some of the UK’s most creative and popular artists will be honoured for their work. There are 12 categories from opera to popular music, literature to cinema and visual arts and a special award for outstanding achievement in the arts.
If you would like more information about the decibel award, please contact Alex Holdaway, Press Officer, 020 7973 6459 or alex.holdaway@artscouncil.org.uk

<small>[ 19 December 2003, 01:43 PM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>