Welcome to A Year in Review where we reflect on a very successful 12 months for Arts Queensland and the state's arts sector. In 2007 there has been a great deal of activity and acclaim and it's little wonder Queensland was the only state labelled an arts 'power player' by the ABC's Limelight magazine for its cutting edge arts policy, stand-out performances and emerging artists. Read full story >

Planning has begun for The Edge, the State Government’s next development at the Cultural Centre. Read full story >

Brisbane physical theatre company Zen Zen Zo is helping Hong Kong school children tell their stories in a remarkable exchange that is working both ways. Read full story >

Six high-profile Queensland acts will perform before the big names of international touring and production at the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) in Adelaide next month. Read full story >

The new Platform Papers essay, titled A Sustainable Arts Sector: What will it take? has recently been published by Currency House and is available from www.currencyhouse.org.au. Read full story >

Queensland theatre goers will get to see eight cutting-edge Australian theatre works as part of the inaugural National Play Festival 2008, in Brisbane from 10-23 February. Read full story >

Queensland's booming film industry will continue to strengthen in 2008 with three new productions getting the green light and international stars jetting into the sunshine state. Read full story >

The exclusive Andy Warhol exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) has captured national attention attracting more than 36,000 visits in its first month. Read full story >

Queensland's next Geoffrey Rush, Bernard Fanning or Stephen Page could be discovered in an exciting new program for senior school students keen to pursue a career in the creative arts. Read full story >

Meet Queensland playwright Sven Swenson. The inaugural winner of the Queensland Premier's Drama Award for the epic work Road to the She-Devil's Salon (Queensland Theatre Company, 2003), Sven is one of eight playwrights selected to showcase work at the National Play Festival 2008. Read full story >

Thomas the Tank Engine and the Fat Controller return to The Workshops Rail Museum, until 28 January, for the popular Friends of Thomas 2008 event. Read full story >

February at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts is set to be a musical affair with an eclectic array of local, national and international artists scheduled to perform. Read full story >

The fervent political feeling of the 1970s is on show in the Queensland Art Gallery's insightful exhibition Protest: Australian Political Posters 1972-92. Read full story >

Puppets come to life at the State Library of Queensland this summer in the children's production An Unexpectedly Mind-Boggling Adventure. Read full story >

Lovers of classical music are spoilt for choice next month with both the Australian Chamber Orchestra and The Queensland Orchestra offering stunning performances. Read full story >

The sixth biennial Regional Arts Australia national conference art at the heart will be presented 3 - 5 October 2008 in Alice Springs by Regional Arts Australia and the Northern Territory Government through Arts NT. Read full story >

Don't forget to get your entries in for Queensland's most prestigious design awards: qdos – queensland design on show. Read full story >

Are you keen to find business partners but not sure how to articulate your case? The Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF) can help you engage more effectively with business. Read full story >

AbaF's popular Art of Good Business workshop this year focuses on Working with the Media. This morning workshop will feature senior staff from Queensland Newspapers, publishers of The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail, discussing how arts organisations can make better use of the media, both in the arts pages and other sections of the newspaper. Read full story >

http://www.arts.gov.au
The federal arts portfolio is now within the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. Read full story >

http://www.culturaldata.gov.au
Two new publications are available: Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2007 and Cultural Funding in Australia, Three Tiers of Government 2005–06. Read full story >

http://www.copyright.org.au
The Copyright Council has produced a guide for writers of fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, plays and screenplays, covering managing writers' rights and getting clearances for other people's work. Read full story >

http://www.copyright.org.au
Merryn Carter, Marketing Manager AbaF, has authored an article on partnering entitled Who Partners and Why? which provides useful insights into business/arts partnering. Read full story >

http://www.myspace.com/australiacouncilmusic
The music board of the Australia Council for the Arts has launched its own MySpace page. Read full story >

Take advantage of the free school holiday activities taking place at the Cultural Centre this January. These imaginative and educational programs are great fun for the whole family, so make sure you pencil in a day for some excitement and creativity before the school holidays finish.

Keep your eyes open for the February edition of Arts Update for a chance to win tickets to one of the many events taking place around Brisbane.

We welcome feedback and contributions to Arts Update. Please contact the editor, Rachael Bottle on (07) 3225 8841 or email artsupdate@arts.qld.gov.au