Fund to boost heritage volunteers' digital skills

29 Nov 2021

Seventeen heritage projects across the UK will share £1m to improve volunteers' digital skills.

The money comes from the National Lottery Heritage Fund's Digital Skills for Heritage initiative.

The fund aims to break down barriers and inspire the sector to get more people involved in heritage, according to National Lottery Heritage Fund CEO Ros Kerslake.

Charity for the blind and partially sighted Vocal Eyes received the largest grant (£99,814) for its Museums and Heritage Access 2022 programme, which primarily recruits digital volunteers from Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent communities.

Welsh gallery wins Sanctuary accolade

29 Nov 2021

Swansea’s Glynn Vivian Art Gallery has become the UK’s first Art Gallery of Sanctuary.

The distinction is awarded by City of Sanctuary UK to community groups, private organisations and public sector services that demonstrate a special commitment to inclusivity.

The council-owned gallery offers weekly art sessions led by and for refugees and people seeking asylum in the local community.

Thanuja Hettiarachchi, Coordinator of Swansea City of Sanctuary’s 10th anniversary programme, said the Glynn Vivian does everything it can to include sanctuary seekers in all its activities.

City of Sanctuary UK Chief Officer Siân Summers-Rees added: “The Glynn Vivian reflects our concept of sanctuary in arts so well."

Stand and Be Counted was the UK's first Theatre Company of Sanctuary, with others including the Young Vic, Belgrade Theatre, and Leeds Playhouse following suit.

Lewisham plans diverse Borough of Culture calendar

29 Nov 2021

Lewisham London Borough of Culture will celebrate local diversity and bring positive changes to the area, according to its coordinators.

We Are Lewisham said the year will include Breathe 2022, an air pollution-focused artwork beginning in April, and see The Albany transform into a beach for climate change artwork Sun & Sea in June.

Liberty Festival, a showcase by D/deaf, disabled and neurodiverse artists, and Revolution Through Music, a celebration of Lewisham’s activist history, are both scheduled for July.

The borough won more than £1m to stage the third edition of the event, which was delayed from 2021 due to the pandemic.

The programme represents a much-needed call to action that is also joyful and celebratory, according to Creative Director Gavin Barlow.

"Lewisham has always been somewhere that stands up for what it believes in, and the year will showcase the power of the arts to inspire positive change and celebrate our borough’s contributions to music, visual art, dance and more."

£1m to support South Yorkshire’s cultural recovery

28 Nov 2021

Creative and cultural start-ups and small businesses in South Yorkshire can now apply for grants supporting post-Covid recovery. 

The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) will offer between £5,000 and £40,000 per applicant. A total of £1m is available, with £450,000 earmarked for Doncaster. 

Proposals must show consideration towards the borough’s Great 8 Priorities, which include tackling climate change, promoting cultural opportunities and six wellbeing goals.

South Yorkshire is among the regions that lost the most economic value due to Covid-19, according to new research.

Mayor Dan Jarvis acknowledged local arts, culture and heritage have been hit hard by the pandemic, making investment an essential part of recovery.

“If supported and nurtured, the creative industries can help drive growth in our region and realise untapped potential.”

Green light for £75m Edinburgh concert hall

25 Nov 2021

Plans for Edinburgh's first new concert hall in a century have been approved.

Local councillors voted on Wednesday (November 24) in favour of the £75m project to be sited between St Andrew's Square and the St James Quarter.

Due to open in 2026, the venue will host music of all kinds as well as spoken word events and act as the new home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Previous plans were scuppered by a legal challenge from developers of a nearby hotel complex. 

Edinburgh City Council, the Scottish Government, UK Government, and American philanthropist Carol Grigor are funding the project.

£12m fundraised for Birmingham 2022 festival

25 Nov 2021

Funders have given £12m to secure the future of the Birmingham 2022 festival.

The Commonwealth Games cultural event will feature hundreds of artists and is expected to reach thousands of participants and members of the community.

A core programme of events supported by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmee Fairburn Foundation will explore local LGBT+ stories and LGBT-led commissioning.

One funded project will be a "wide-reaching intergenerational" tap-dancing scheme across the West Midlands.

"It gives us the perfect opportunity to re-connect with each other and our towns and cities and get the region dancing,” project director Stephanie Ridings said.

Merged entity Creative UK launches

25 Nov 2021

Creative England and the Creative Industries Federation have merged to become Creative UK.

The amalgamation has been made official about a year later than expected, though the parties have worked together under a holding company since early 2020.

The new entity's purpose is to "harness the power of creativity and amplify the voice of its membership to build a fairer and more prosperous world".

"By coalescing the collective capabilities of Creative England and the Creative Industries Federation, and drawing on the insights and experience of our growing membership, we are perfectly positioned to have visible impact and drive real change," Chief Executive Caroline Norbury said.

Head of Brand Rachel Johnson said a new website and logo signifying amplification reflects "an inclusive and cohesive identity that reflects the ambition, diversity and scope of the new organisation".

Culture hit twice as hard as rest of UK economy

25 Nov 2021

Merseyside, South Yorkshire, and the West Midlands are among the regions that lost the most economic value due to Covid-19. 

UK Music looks beyond London in diversity plan

24 Nov 2021

A "greater focus" outside London is needed to increase diversity in the music industry, UK Music says.

The association wants its 10-point plan for increasing diversity to have a greater impact beyond the capital.

A transparency review of the plan says more must be done to create safe spaces, as a “culture of apprehension” still exists around appropriate actions and cancel culture.

Other priorities include engaging with more communities who suffer disadvantage or discrimination and securing Government guidance on how to report someone’s ethnicity. 

The report also calls for more investment: “For there to be lasting change, there must be significant and consistent financial investment by music companies and organisations in processes and initiatives”.

Royal Pavilion and Museum Trust eyes restructure

24 Nov 2021

A restructure of The Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust (RPMT) will save £300,000 and affect more than a quarter of jobs, it is anticipated.

The trust, which manages Brighton’s Royal Pavilion and four other museums in the city, says the changes will result in "a more efficient and successful service”.

The restructure will establish new "income raising teams". CEO Hedley Swain says the charity will do "everything" it can to avoid compulsory redundancies.

"We’re hoping to become a stronger organisation for the future... Our five venues will benefit from a more unified vision as we all work together to create a stronger family of venues."

The consultation will be completed in January 2022, with changes announced thereafter.

Protests against Thurrock theatre closure continue

24 Nov 2021

More than 4,200 people have signed a petition against proposals by Thurrock Council to close a local arts complex.

A second protest on Wednesday (November 24) demonstrates the tenacity of the Save Your Thameside campaign, organiser Sam Byrne said.

Thurrock Council received a £191,000 Culture Recovery Fund grant to reopen Thameside Theatre, but has since deemed the complex containing the theatre, city library and museum "surplus to requirements".

"If Thurrock Council get their way, they will provide a nonprofessional community arts offering in a drafty community hall in the middle of nowhere," Byrne said.

"We have written to Thurrock Council about this matter on many occasions and their lack of response and interest in engaging with the people of Thurrock shows their true lack of understanding in the arts, culture and heritage of our borough."

Thurrock Council has been approached for comment.

Scotland adds negative tests to passport scheme

24 Nov 2021

Unvaccinated people will be able to attend venues in Scotland after negative test results were added to its certification scheme.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on Tuesday (November 23) that the system for nightclubs and large unseated cultural events will not be extended to theatres, cinemas and hospitality venues to the relief of industry organisations.

From December 6, people can provide a negative lateral flow test result to enter venues.

"The new rule will also, we hope, encourage the greater use of regular lateral flow testing and it will still meet our aim of reducing the risk of transmission, within higher risk venues," Sturgeon said.

Dorries bites back at 'a vocal number' of her critics

24 Nov 2021

The new Culture Secretary showed she won't back down easily in her first face off with committee MPs, raising claims of gender discrimination.

EU scheme offers artists grants to explore misinformation

23 Nov 2021

UK artists can apply for up to €40,000 for projects exploring misnformation, data, technology and social media.

The EU-funded MediaFutures scheme aims to make awards of that size to collaborative work, and to give up to €30,000 for pure arts projects. Start-ups can apply for up to €65,000 to create new products, or €80,000 to work with artists.

Applicants should demonstrate how their work would "counteract the negative impact of misinformation and disinformation within society". 

Mentorship, legal support, networking opportunities and tech help are available to the successful candidates. 

Applications open on Thursday (November 25).

£6.5m works to restore sculptors' society home

23 Nov 2021

The Royal Society of Sculptors has begun a £6.5m project to turn its historic home into "a leading centre of sculpture and 3D art".

It will reopen next summer following the first phase of works to "conserve and transform" Grade II listed Dora House.

Fundraising is under way, with a further £165,000 needed to make the building watertight and restore the facade.

President Claire Burnett called the need for repairs "critical".

"One staff member has to sit under an umbrella when it rains, the basement is out of bounds due to damp and the front and chimney are in need of a complete overhaul."

Most of the society's income comes from renting out half the building, which also provides gallery spaces that are visited by about 12,000 people each year.

The society says it will continue delivering exhibitions, residencies and education initiatives during the closure.

Plea to save NI arts from urgent 'threats to very existence'

23 Nov 2021

An anticipated £13m in Executive support may not be enough, as more than half the sector's jobs remain at risk.

Distanced performances 'crucial' over winter

23 Nov 2021

Venues face a choice between offering lower capacity events or losing up to a third of their audiences, surveys suggest.

Neurodivergence manifesto a ‘call for change’

art of an eye amulet
22 Nov 2021

New recommendations around employment and lobbying for benefits will be “hard to ignore”, creatives say. 

Covid cuts Northern Ireland arts workforce by a quarter

22 Nov 2021

A quarter of Northern Ireland's arts workforce has been lost to Covid-19.

The number of people employed by arts organisations in the country fell 25% in the 2020/21 financial year, according to Arts Council Northern Ireland’s (ACNI) annual funding survey.

Covid restrictions meant just 59 in-person arts activities took place that year compared to 67,000 in 2019/20. Total income fell by £4.5m (9%) and earned income by £16m (69%).

Losses were offset by a 22% increase in income from public sources. ACNI delivered £12.9m in grants to 97 arts organisations last financial year, the same number as the year prior.

ACNI Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships Karly Greene said that though online events grew, they were no replacement for the income generated by live events.

“While we don’t yet know the long term impact these changes will have on the sector, this survey highlights a need for ongoing financial support and will be an important tool in helping us to strategically plan for the future."
 

Crafts charity rebrands for inclusive future

22 Nov 2021

Crafts charity Devon Guild of Craftsmen has rebranded to MAKE Southwest ahead of redevelopment plans.

A spokesperson said the new name reflects the many women involved in the gallery and its focus beyond Devon.

The charity plans to restore its Grade II-listed mill building to improve accessibility, restore its waterwheel and create new maker spaces for craftspeople. 

MAKE Southwest Chair Louis Victory said the works will turn the building into a “creative place in its own right”

“Although the early months of the pandemic were difficult, we are now operating successfully, having taken the opportunity to modernise and plan for an ambitious and exciting future.”

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