The Nerve Centre is the web portal for Bolton's Arts and Creative Industries, managed in partnership by Bolton Council, Bolton at Home and the University of Bolton.

If you are working within or looking to work within the Arts and Creative Industries in Bolton, this is your first port of call.  If you need some extra help, contact any of thenervecentre team or check out the business help section. 

This new mechanism for communication will allow Bolton’s creatives to keep up-to-date with all partners’ projects and initiatives.  Registering will give you

• Full access to the site, Monthly email update of news, events, opportunities and vacancies in Bolton's creative industries
• Promote your business for free in our Creative Directory and through adding in your own news and event

Creative Event of the Month:

July 2010: Bolton at Home hosts nalgao Arts, Health & Wellbeing Seminar

The latest nalgao professional development seminar was organised in partnership with Bolton at Home and in association with Manchester Metropolitan University Arts for Health, the National Culture Forum, the Chief Culture & Leisure Officers Association, Bolton MBC and Breakthrough Arts & Mental Health Forum.

The event, held at Bolton School, was aimed at officers involved in both policy and practice related to arts and health commissioning and service provision.

The seminar kicked off with an evening social and artistic programme, illustrating best practice of arts and health organisation in the Bolton area, giving delegates an excellent networking opportunity prior to the full day event.  Guests were welcomed by George Caswell, who championed the unique Housing Percent for Art service.

The following day explored the many ways that local arts development and delivery supports crosscutting agendas.  The programme demonstrated how working with health initiatives, organisations and communities can increase participation and access to the arts; which in turn promotes wellbeing and increases confidence and ability, and also supports community development and social cohesion, bringing groups of disadvantaged or hard to reach people to increase their quality of life.  The day commenced with an introduction from Jon Lord OBE, Chief Executive of Bolton at Home, and a major keynote presentation from Clive Parkinson, Director of Arts for Health at Manchester Metropolitan University.

• a series of breakout sessions included:
• the work of Breakthrough and The National Strategy Group for The Arts in Mental Health;
• a snapshot of Arts Health & Wellbeing projects from Bolton at Home's Housing Percent for Art service, including a participative session from artists Hope Mountain;
• strategic commissioning case studies from Warwickshire County Council;
• an Artist's perspective of working in Arts & Health, by community artist Vicky Wilson;
• a discussion forum on engaging the voluntary arts sector led by Paul Devlin;
• a joint Arts on Referral presentation by Durham County Council and Knowsley NHS;
• a joint presentation by City Arts Nottingham and Stockport MBC around Arts Health and Wellbeing and Young People;
• a joint presentation by Arts Council England's Director of Dance Strategy and the Youth Dance Strategy Manager at Hampshire Dance;
• and a session around Arts in Health Forums led by Damian Hebron, Director of the London Arts & Health Forum.

Delegates' attentions were piqued between the morning and afternoon sessions by a variety of lunchtime activities and performances, after which study tours provided a choice of visits to Salford Start and Trafford's Bluesci projects, or a tour of the various Arts Health and Wellbeing projects in Bolton.

Chair of Bolton at Home, Councillor Noel Spencer, at the piano with Housing Arts Officer, Reemer Bailey, following her lunchtime rectal at last week's nalgao seminar