Voluntary Arts Network
Encyclopedia
The Voluntary Arts Network (VAN) is the UK and Republic of Ireland
development agency for voluntary arts and crafts participation. It recognises that these activities are a key part of our culture and as such they are absolutely vital to our health, social and economic development.
By providing information and training, VAN works with policy makers, funders and politicians to improve the environment for everyone participating in the voluntary arts and crafts. This includes over 300 national and regional umbrella bodies, and through them, their member groups of local voluntary arts practitioners.
VAN is registered in Scotland as Company
No. 139147 and Charity
No. SC 020345.
, dance
, drama
, literature
, media, music
, visual arts
, crafts and applied arts, and festivals.
and works with umbrella bodies serving two or more constituent nations of the UK and Republic of Ireland. The other four teams are based and work in England
, Ireland
, Scotland
and Wales
.
Voluntary Arts England has an office in Newcastle upon Tyne and works across England to increase participation in the arts and crafts for every person. Current work includes developing a groundbreaking national manifesto for participation in partnership with National Campaign for the Arts, nalgao, the Foundation for Community Dance, Disability Cultural Projects and Creative 3. Voluntary Arts England are funded by Arts Council England
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
development agency for voluntary arts and crafts participation. It recognises that these activities are a key part of our culture and as such they are absolutely vital to our health, social and economic development.
By providing information and training, VAN works with policy makers, funders and politicians to improve the environment for everyone participating in the voluntary arts and crafts. This includes over 300 national and regional umbrella bodies, and through them, their member groups of local voluntary arts practitioners.
VAN is registered in Scotland as Company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
No. 139147 and Charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
No. SC 020345.
Definitions
VAN defines the voluntary arts as those arts and crafts that people undertake for self-improvement, social networking and leisure, but not primarily for payment. The range of art forms is wide and includes folkFolk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, media, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
, crafts and applied arts, and festivals.
Structure
VAN has five departments. Voluntary Arts Link is based in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and works with umbrella bodies serving two or more constituent nations of the UK and Republic of Ireland. The other four teams are based and work in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Voluntary Arts England has an office in Newcastle upon Tyne and works across England to increase participation in the arts and crafts for every person. Current work includes developing a groundbreaking national manifesto for participation in partnership with National Campaign for the Arts, nalgao, the Foundation for Community Dance, Disability Cultural Projects and Creative 3. Voluntary Arts England are funded by Arts Council England