This week, the NCA attended a meeting of the UK Border Agency (UKBA) Arts and Entertainment Task Force; Arts Council England has published the findings of their Theatre Assessment 2009; and the NCA has submitted responses to two separate consultations on the Primary Curriculum Review and the Planning Guidance for Arts Council Wales Investment Review.

This week, the Home Affairs Select Committee has published a report on their inquiry into the Points Based System; the NCA is seeking your views on its draft response to the MLA’s Museum Accreditation Consultation; ACE and MLA have collaborated with Sport England to re-launch the Active People Diagnostic online tool, now including cultural participation data and the NCA is looking for images to illustrate the next edition of nca news. We would also like to let you know that there will be no Friday Briefing next week, the Briefing will return from its summer holiday on Friday 21 August.

This week, a new report from Arts & Business brings hopeful news about individual donations to the arts; the government allocates its £3 million fund to encourage art in empty spaces and bidding is open for additional funding from Arts Council England; the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published new report on the points based system and the NCA has submitted a response to MLA’s Museum Accreditation consultation.

This week the NCA brings you useful checklist and guide from the UK Border Agency on visas and immigration, seeks your views on cultural provision in Wales and looks at the latest debate over the arts in education.

This week the NCA is pleased to be able to congratulate Will Gompertz on his new BBC appointment, we introduce you to Arts Council England’s new top team and we submit our response to the Welsh Assembly’s Cultural Duty consultation. We are also introducing a new element to the Friday Briefing. Each week we will ask our members a question linked to the week’s news and invite them to discuss it on our Facebook discussion board. The inaugural question, and the link to the discussion board, can be found below.

It’s a return to business as usual after a traditionally quiet August. This week sees DCMS publish plans for the proposed City of Culture Scheme. Arts Council England outlines its plans for the use of Artistic Assessments in deciding RFO funding. The UK Border Agency agrees enhancements to its immigration system IT and the Department for Children, School and Families launches the Year of Music.

With the effects of the recession still being felt in arts organisations across the country, this week the NCA scrutinises Arts Council England’s sustain awards. We have an update on the Arts Council of Wales’ Investment review and we bring you the latest news from the UK Border Agency about sponsorship rules and their latest consultation.

This week saw the return of Margaret Hodge to her former position as Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism as well as the announcement of cuts to the arts in Scotland. The NCA urges you to check your responsibilities as an employer and respond, in light of UKBA plans to implement identity cards for foreign workers. Also this week, the NCA responded to the Government consultation on the BBC Licence Fee to support regional news and the Arts Council England publish latest findings from their Taking Part survey.

With bated breath we listened to Ben Bradshaw’s speech at the Labour Party Annual Conference this week, but disappointingly so far both the Lib Dem and Labour conferences have provided very little with regards to the arts and culture.  Let’s see if the Tories have anything more substantial to say. The NCA has been busy this week responding to the consultation on file sharing and analysing the Arts Council England (ACE) recent Sustain award announcements.  Also this week the first nation wide audit of councillors was published and the Arts Council of Wales initiated a review of the Lottery Capital Programme.

The end of the Conservative Party Conference brings the political conference season to a close in England. As at the Labour and Liberal Democrat conferences, Jeremy Hunt chose to make sport his focus in his platform speech, although Ed Vaizey made a clear commitment in the Q&A session preceding the speech to “get behind music in schools”.  All eyes now turn to Scotland where the SNP conference is soon to get underway. Given the upheaval in the Scottish cultural landscape at present, can we expect some artistic pronouncements from Scotland’s party of government? This week sees Margaret Hodge delaying the publication of DCMS’ Library Review; we seek your views on the latest stage of the Arts Council of Wales Investment Review; Arts Council England announces contacts for City of Culture hopefuls and seeks new blood for its regional councils; and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland publishes its latest report on lottery funding.

This week saw MPs return to Parliament but it is almost as if they never left with the expenses scandal and troops in Afghanistan dominating the headlines once more. The NCA has submitted its response to the Arts Council of Wales regarding the appeals process. Also this week, we draw your attention to Creative Scotland’s Perspectives online forum, the launch of a Participation in the Arts website, and the Learning Revolution Festival taking place throughout October.

This week we welcome the Arts Council of Wales new funding from the Assembly Government and ballet dancers retain their shortage occupation status. Elsewhere, the NCA has been invited to join Arts Council England’s new Investment Strategy External Reference Group and the National Skills Academy announces funding for up to 1125 new arts apprenticeships. Finally, NCA congratulates the winners of London 2012’s Artists taking the lead project.