Sky appoints ‘cultural ambassadors’ to nurture creative talent

Television channel Sky Arts has launched a cultural ambassadors programme to nurture up-and-coming creative talent.

Five ambassadors – author Bernadine Evaristo, choreographer Akram Khan, artist Anish Kapoor, conductor Charles Hazlewood, and Nadia Fall, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East – will each recieve £30,000 a year for two years to create their own bursary schemes.

These range from mentoring schemes to development programmes and residencies. Some opportunities have been ringfenced for D/deaf and disabled applicants.

Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment, said the programme responds to "the difficulties facing the next generation of young arts practitioners in a world where opportunities have drastically diminished".