Rough guide UK
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The Basics
Population: 61 Million
Capital: London + Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast
Minimum Wage Rate: €1,130 per month
Language: English
Other Languages: Welsh and French (no, just joking!)
EU Member: Reluctantly
Current Government politics and support for culture: See Cultural Policy for general objectives and principles of cultural policy. Labour Government (meant to be more left than right wing) likely to change after general election in May/June 2010. Support for culture through supposedly "arms length" arts councils (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) and local authorities. But this is likely to decrease in future years due to government debt caused by 'credit crisis' and heavy borrowing.
Working
Who needs a visa to work there?: Anyone from a country outside of the EEA (European Economic Area) except that: You must register under the Worker Registration Scheme if you are working in the UK and you are a national of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, or Slovenia. You will need to register if you plan to work for more than one month for an employer in the UK. Once you have been working legally in the UK for 12 months without a break, you will have full rights of free movement. You can then apply for a registration certificate to confirm your status. SEE UK VISAS There are separate requirements for Bulgarian and Romanian workers.
Best places to look for / find culture jobs: THE GUARDIAN ARTS JOB FINDER
Also try: ARTS JOBS ON LINE ARSCULTUREMEDIAJOBS ARTS COUNCIL JOB LISTINGS ARTS HUB FULL CIRCLE THE STAGE
Best places to look for volunteering and internships: ARTS COUNCIL JOB LISTINGS and ARTS HUB/FULL CIRCLE (see above)
Studying/Training & Mobility Grants/Bursaries
Recommended university/college culture management courses
- first degree: Middlesex University; De Montford University; University College, Birmingham; Arts University College, Bournemouth; University of Winchester; University of Ulster; Sheffield Hallam University. See WHAT UNIVERSITY
- postgraduate degree: Birbeck University of London; University of Essex; Trinity University College; University of Winchester; University of Chichester; University of Leeds. SEE: See WHAT UNIVERSITY
Recommended vocational and short-term culture management training: Not aware of any to recommend for overseas students?
National Grants or Bursaries For Mobility: Apart from the regular EC programmes managed by UK agencies such as The British Council and ECOTOEC (such as EVS, Youth for Europe and Grundvig), not aware of any specific grants or bursaries given from the UK for overseas students or cultural operators. But they could be available through British council programmes in your own country.
Arriving in the UK
A lot of cheap airlines are available, you can search using the following map:
For more general informations about travelling in Europe, see the Travels page.
Living
Coolest places: London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Brighton, Newcastle, Cardiff, Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Lake District, West Coast of Scotland
Places to avoid: Stockton-on-Tees, Wisbech, Eastbourne, Middlesborough, Birmingham, Blackpool, Mansfield, Burnley, Doncaster, Lincolnshire, Stevenage, Reading
Weather: Ha ha ha!
Budget airlines?: Yes. Everywhere! EasyjetRyanairBMI Baby or reduce your carbon footprint and take the train. Seat61
What to eat and drink: Asian and oriental food. Curry. Ale and not lager. Single Malt Whiskey. Marmite. Fish and chips. Yorkshire pudding.
Cost of living examples:
- A Beer: €3.16 PRICE PINT
- A Cappuccino: €3.50
- A litre of milk: €1
- Renting a 2 bedrooms apartment in an average town: €500. RENTRIGHT
Personal experience/views
Useful Links
LONELY PLANET NORTHERN IRELAND
Department for Culture, Media and Sport http://www.culture.gov.uk
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (Northern Ireland) http://www.dcalni.gov.uk
National Assembly for Wales - Directorate for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/cultureandsport/?lang=en
Scottish Government http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Arts-Culture
Arts Council of Wales http://www.artswales.org.uk/
Arts Council England http://www.artscouncil.org.uk
Arts Council of Northern Ireland http://www.artscouncil-ni.org
British Council http://www.britishcouncil.org
Crafts Council http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk
Craft Scotland http://www.craftscotland.org
Heritage Lottery Fund http://www.hlf.org.uk
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (formerly known as Re:source) http://www.mla.gov.uk
National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts http://www.nesta.org.uk
Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission http://www.niftc.co.uk
Scottish Arts Council http://www.scottisharts.org.uk
Scottish Screen http://www.scottishscreen.com
UK Film Council http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk
Visiting Arts http://www.visitingarts.org.uk/
Arts & Business, UK http://www.aandb.org.uk
British Film Institute http://www.bfi.org.uk
Independent Theatre Council http://www.itc-arts.org/
Museums Association http://www.museumsassociation.org/
National Campaign for the Arts http://www.artscampaign.org.uk/
Theatrical Management Association / SOLT (Society of London Theatres) http://www.tmauk.org/
Voluntary Arts Network http://www.voluntaryarts.org/
Arts Research Digest http://www.arts-research-digest.com/
Cultural Trends http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/09548963.asp
Centre for Cultural Policy Research at the University of Glasgow (includes Impact, the database for social and economic impact of culture and major events) http://www.culturalpolicy.arts.gla.ac.uk/
International Intelligence on Culture http://www.internationalintelligenceonculture.org or http://www.rodfisher.org
Literature Review of the Evidence Base for Culture, the Arts and Sport Policy, Scotland http://www.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch
Cultureonline http://www.cultureonline.gov.uk
Culture Northern Ireland http://www.culturenorthernireland.org
Visiting Arts: Scotland Cultural Profile http://www.scotland.culturalprofiles.org.uk
Visual Associations / AXIS artists database http://www.axisartists.org/
Eurofound - Place of work and working conditions
Suggested reads and books
- Notes from a Small Island Bill Bryson (1995) Travels in the United Kingdom, his farewell to the country he was temporarily leaving.
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