News

A sex education theatre show for children has been cancelled amidst threats and complaints.

Bristol’s Tobacco Factory, where the Family Sex Show was due to premiere in May, said its building and team received “unprecedented threats and abuse” following widespread backlash.

The show, created by ThisEgg, features non-sexual nudity and conversations around consent, pleasure and queerness, targeting all audiences above age 5. 

Developed in conjunction with safeguarding and education specialists, ThisEgg said it hoped the performance would open up conversations around relationships.

An online petition branding the event “wholly inappropriate and a blatant attempt to sexualise children” gained more than 38,000 signatures.

ThisEgg said on Twitter it was “regrettable that violent and illegal threats and abuse” forced the cancellation.

“We believe that what has happened is reflective of structural and societal attitudes towards relationships and sex education as well as art, culture and who is allowed to create and what we are allowed to engage with in the UK.”

People who booked tickets will be offered refunds.

London’s Florence Nightingale Museum is set to reopen after two years of pandemic related closures.

The museum will welcome the public from May 12 - International Nurses’ Day and the 202nd anniversary of Nightingale’s birth.

Featured exhibitions include a celebration of Nightingale’s bicentenary, an updated Crimean War display, and a new family activity trail.

Director David Green says after an “immensely costly” closure, the museum is back on surer footing.

“After the experiences of the past two years, the value of nurses has never been clearer [and] we are so pleased to be returning to tell the story of Florence Nightingale and the people following in her footsteps today.”

Arts workers are the professionals most likely to anticipate negative mental health consequences due to the energy crisis.

Projects across virtually all professional fields will be negatively affected by the energy crisis, including the arts and culture sector, according to the results of a survey by the Association for Project Management (APM).

The survey of 1,000 project professionals found most anticipated increased project costs. But among arts and culture workers, a negative effect on the project team’s mental health was the most prevalent concern.

Other likely negative impacts included delays to start dates and completion, and an inability to fully realise the intended benefits of projects or achieve net-zero targets.

“The breadth of responses from this survey show the many different ways that projects are likely to be affected by the global energy crisis,” said Professor Adam Boddison, APM’s Chief Executive. 
 

Academy Music Group (AMG) venues are taking a 25% cut from merchandise sales at live events, according to an investigation by The Guardian.

An undisclosed amount then goes to Universal Music Group (UMG), owners of the world’s three largest record labels, even if the artist in question is not signed to UMG.

In March, post-punk band Dry Cleaning hosted a pop-up merch store away from their gig at London’s O2 Forum, owned by AMG, to retain their profits.

“We probably sold the same number of units, but as we were able to retain 25% it worked out better for us financially,” Band Manager Helena Watmuff said.

Over 380 venues nationwide are included in the Featured Artists Coalition's (FAC) 100% Venues directory, a public database of venues that charge zero commission on artists' merchandise sales.

FAC CEO David Martin said these venues are making selling merchandise at gigs worthwile for artists: “[This creates] a fairer and more sustainable touring circuit, particularly for grassroots and emerging talent.”

A composer development initiative for PRS for Music members is now open.

Inspired by the work of American minimalist composer Philip Glass, the scheme is targeted at emerging composers in the early stage of their career.

Applicants are encouraged to respond to his body of work, and a theme of "refraction" by submitting two contrasting, original electronic compositions.

Four composers will be commissioned by Glass’ publisher, Dunvagen Music Publishers, to write an original composition using Philip Glass source material, to be released as a digital EP by Orange Mountain Music.

Entries must be submitted by May 13.
 

Independent labels’ share of the UK music market grew to just under 27% in 2021.

Data from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) indicates the single-percentage point increase on last year is bolstered by a sharp rise in indie labels' share of the UK’s vinyl market, which now accounts for four in every 10 vinyl sales.

Independent labels' album sales have grown by more than 10% in the past two years to account for 34% all album sales in 2021. 

The upward trend continues into 2022, with indie labels' overall market share increasing to 28.9%.

Last week's UK album charts saw indie labels represent the three highest selling records of the week for the first time in over a decade.

BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor attributes the rise to the streaming era and the enhanced choice indie labels offer to artists and fans.

“We’re delighted to see the indie sector going from strength to strength, contributing to the growth of the UK music industry as a whole.”