This week we launched two brilliant briefs – a chance to tour China with National Youth Theatre (just in time for Chinese New Year, above) and the opportunity to be on the judging panel of our very first member-run brief, the Top Up Fund.

We’re still beside ourselves with excitement for Coming Up festival, which kicks off on 21 February – have you got your tickets yet? This week we chatted to Nina Smith about her culinary performance art piece with Kindle Theatre, EAT YOUR HEART OUT. If you want to be part of the action, the team are still looking for volunteers.

Ali Schofield interviewed one of my favourite actresses, Maxine Peake (Red Riding, Shameless, Criminal Justice, in the run-up to her performance in The Deep Blue Sea at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. She explained how she gets into character...

Downton Abbey’s costume designer Susannah Buxton talked about the inspiration behind the TV show’s sumptuous Edwardian clothes, while choreographer Mark Smith explained why being deaf never held him back in his career.

In the run-up to the Valentine’s Day launch of Ideas Fund Shorts – our £5,000 fund for short filmmakers – Hattie caught up with the winners of last year’s brief. Check out some clips of their resulting films.

Artist and writer Katy Bauer told us why she set up a micro-museum for the diverse Bristol neighbourhood of Stokes Croft – a really inspiring and unique community project.

On the less inspiring end of the scale, in this week’s Write Now I listed all the reasons why you shouldn't become a journalist – and then decided you might as well go for it anyway.

Meanwhile, the Royal Court’s Clare McQuillan talked us through the theatre’s legendary writing programmes, which have given a helping hand to the likes of Lucy Prebble (Enron) and Laura Wade (Posh).

We also kicked off our brilliant cut-price photography courses at IdeasTap HQ. Coming up next Wednesday: Photographic Production/Art Direction for amateur snappers. A two-part class for just £50 – book now, people!

Have a great weekend.

Image courtesy of Paolo Camera on Flickr.