The ABO Conference will take place from 24 - 26 February 2010 at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Hosted by Royal Scottish National Orchestra, our themethis year is Identity: the orchestra's place in contemporary culture. As always, we have devised a packed programme for all levels and areas of management, but don't just come to hear your sessions! Conference is the best place to see what else is happening in the sector, to hear from eminent and stimulating speakers and to join in the debate.

As last year, all booking is done through the website and remember that the earlier you book the bigger the discounts. We have held prices at 2008 levels for the second year running and have managed to negotiate two levels of hotel room to cater for all budgets. Keep checking abo.org.uk/conference for all the latest news. Don't forget to book before VAT returns to its normal rate on 1 January to take advantage of the best prices!

A busy November saw our final Specialist Manager Meeting, two new Brass Tacks courses in Evaluation and Health and Safety, and of course continued conference planning. We also had the final ABO Board meeting of the year followed by the AGM, at which we said farewell to Stephen Maddock of the CBSO, after six years' sterling service on the ABO board, and a huge welcome to Simon Taylor of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Barry Kempton of City of London Sinfonia. This was followed by the CEOs Forum, at which there were presentations on the ABO's Annual Review and campaign, the Cultural Oympiad and Sustainable Touring, and launched the 2010 conference.

In addition to these the ABO team met with the following people on your behalf: Tom Hutchinson, RPS; Chamber Orchestra Strategy Group; Orchestras Live; Julie's Bicycle; David Abrahams, ISM; Classical Music magazine; iTunes Europe; Victoria Sharp,London Music Masters; Susannah Simons, BBC; DHA Communications; Dr. Jenny Kidd, City University; Sarah Jane Turcan, Charles Russell; Annabel Jackson; UK Borders Agency. We also attended the Philharmonia's Re-Rite launch athe Bargehouse, where a week later we launched our Orchestras in the Future briefing at an event chaired by the Guardian's Chief Arts Writer Charlotte Higgins; the All Party Parliamentary Classic Music Group; MBF St. Cecilia Lunch; Paul Hamlyn Foundation Awards; Schools Prom; MMM Steady State conference; ACEVO Arts & Heritage Group; London Sinfonietta leaving party for Jane Williams; and concerts/performances by ENO, LPO, Bryn Terfel/Sinfonia Cymru and City of London Sinfonia.

Taking Part has published its latest data relating to children’s engagement and non-engagement in culture, leisure and sport. The data is based on interviews conducted between July 2008 and July 2009, in which 1,476 five to ten year olds and 1,146 11 to 15 year olds were asked to quantify their involvement in the sports and cultural sectors. Figures show that 99.2 per cent of five to ten year olds had engaged in cultural activity out of school time in the past 12 months, whereas 99.4 per cent of 11 to 15 year olds had participated in and out of school in the past year.

The statistics also reveal that 72.3 per cent of five to ten year olds had been to a public library, 66.3 per cent had visited a museum, 97.2 per cent had undertaken arts activities, and 72.1 per cent had been to an historic site. The figures for 11 to15 year olds again relate to activities both in and out of school, showing that 78.7 per cent had been to a library, 59.7 per cent had visited a museum, 98.8 per cent had been involved in arts, and 65.8 percent had visited an historic site.

In terms of arts activities, the highest participation percentage in both age categories was reading and writing (87.7 per cent of five to ten year olds and 93.6 per cent of 11 to 15 year olds), followed by arts, crafts and design (80 per cent and 83.3 per cent), and music activities (55.4 per cent and 72.5 per cent). Other activities included film and video (49.1 per cent and 70.2 per cent), theatre and drama (47.1 per cent and 69.4 per cent), and dance (43.2 per cent and 51.9 per cent). In a category unique to 11 to 15 year olds, 71.1 per cent of children said they had participated in computer activities, such as blog-writing, making computer games, or using a computer to create original artworks or animation.

The survey also provides a baseline for a number of Departmental Strategic Objectives. The aim for culture is to increase the proportion of children engaging in 5 hours of culture per week (out of school activities only for those aged five to ten, and both in and out of school activity for those aged 11 to 15). Currently, 45.4 per cent of five to 10 year olds are meeting the desired hours.

Click here to read the full report.
 

A huge congratulations to the team at the Royal College of Music who have become our second Silver Award winners. Their award will be made at Conference in February. The Royal Academy of Music had their Bronze award presented at a Principal's reception at the end of November.

Annabel Jackson has been appointed to evaluate the charter, will be carrying out this work in the next two months and will report at the Conference in Glasgow.

20 organisations representing the British Entertainment Industry have launched the Save our Sound UK campaign, asking the Government to act to safeguard the future of any events which use radio microphones. These events (live music, theatre, film and TV production, sports events, concerts and conferences, to name a few) became threatened when Ofcom announced its plans to sell the ultra-high radio frequency channels 31-37 and 61-69 which will be cleared out by the digital switchover. After these channels have been auctioned off by the Government, they will become illegal to use.

The cost of replacing wireless equipment is estimated to be tens of millions of pounds, and thus far, Ofcom’s proposed funding scheme is inadequate to cover these costs. Under its proposed terms, only equipment which tunes to channel 69 would be eligible for funding, and those who are eligible would only receive funding based on an estimate of residual value of equipment rather than what it would cost to replace.

The Save our Sound UK joint initiative asks that the Government acts, if and where Ofcom cannot, to provide what the industry needs. The demands are twofold; that the funding package covers all affected equipment, not just that tuned to channel 69, and that the funding is based on what it will cost to replace equipment with like-for-like alternatives. To learn more about it see here.
 

Congratulations to the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Opera House for triumphing at the latest A&B Awards. See here for further details.

City of London Sinfonia have appointed Stephen Layton as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor and Michael Collins as Principal Conductor.

English National Opera have appointed Jane Williams as Head of Music Administration and Roland Taylor as Director of New Media and Participation.