News

Falkirk is set to receive a “regionally significant” arts centre as part of investment zone funding.

The £80m Falkirk Growth Deal, delivered by the UK and Scottish governments, Falkirk Council and Scottish Canals, will develop eleven projects across Falkirk and Grangemouth.

£3m is earmarked for a National Outdoor Art Park.

The development is expected to create up to 2,000 jobs and £1bn worth of future investment.

"The deal will help regenerate town centres, create new cultural attractions and reskill the workforce," Scotland’s Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said.

Creative arts workers are the most satisfied in the UK, new research indicates.

Conducted by insight platform New Possible, the What Workers Want study found job satisfaction in the creative arts to stand at 81%, the highest of 14 industries surveyed and 9% higher than the UK average.

35% of creative arts workers said they were likely to look for a new job role in the next 12 months, ranking the industry sixth lowest, against a UK average of 40%.

Respondents cited unhealthy work culture, poor leadership and poor work-life balance as the main reasons for looking for new roles.

Across sectors, job satisfaction was highest amongst those aged 18-24, despite younger workers being more likely to search for new roles.

“The truth is that many young workers are simply unwilling to settle for the kind of working lives that their parents and grandparents experienced,” New Possible Founder Nate Harwood explained.

“This represents a major challenge to many employers who are struggling to attract and retain workers.”

More than a third of applicants to the second round of the Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) were unsuccesful.

Arts Council England (ACE), which has now administered seven rounds of emergency support, declined requests from ArtsProfessional for the success rate for the £262m second round after 578 organisations - nearly a third of applicants - were rejected in the first.

However, minutes from a National Council meeting in March, published November 30, reveal 3,831 organisations bid for support in CRF round two.

Altogether, 2,277 organisations were given funding, making the success rate for this round about 59%. The success rate for round one was 70%.

ACE says it plans to release application numbers and success rates once all of the CRF has been allocated.

Heritage-led regeneration is key for growth in Britain’s historic town centres, according to planning consultants Lichfields.

The company's Historic Opportunities report says heritage assests must be repurposed in “ambitious and creative” ways, citing environmental, economic and social benefits.

Analysis of Towns Fund, Future High Streets Fund and Levelling Up Fund applications revealed heritage regeneration to be one of six funding themes. 90% of Towns Fund bids intend to use at least part of their grant for heritage-led regeneration.

The report’s lead author James Fryatt says future projects should focus on reusing assets, with the average vacancy rate of historic high streets and towns at about 14%.

“This will see historic buildings increasingly adapted to reflect changes in retail and growing demand for leisure activities and creative and flexible workspaces."

Lichfield Heritage Director Nick Bridgland added: “Our report points to a successful future for those historic towns that take advantage of the available funding and adopt a fresh approach to heritage-led regeneration work."

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) is urging people to support their local artists and arts venues this Christmas.

More than half of the country's cultural workforce remains at significant risk of redundancy, according to the findings of a recent taskforce.

People who are yet to use their £100 Spend Local cards should consider spending it on the arts, ACNI Director of Development Noirin McKinney said.

The council offers interest free loans for art and musical instrument purchases, or people could buy gig and theatre tickets or book themselves on a creative course for the new year.

"There's much to choose from and I would encourage everyone to spend local this festive season," McKinney added.

Performances of The Rhythmics at Southwark Playhouse have been cancelled before they officially began.

Significant disruption has prematurely ended the production's run: there have been absensces in the company due to illness, two press night performances were delayed, and there is "ongoing uncertainty in the wake of recent Government announcements".

Producers Aria Entertainment, Metta Theatre and Edward Prophet said the show closed on Sunday (December 11), ahead of the press night and three weeks earlier than planned.

"With the necessary self-isolation requirements for confirmed Covid-19 cases, and the fact that productions of this scale are unable to contract and rehearse significant understudies, the decision has been taken to cease performances entirely."

On Wednesday (December 15), the National Theatre announced it had cancelled upcoming performances of Hex and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time due to illness in the company.

"As the Omicron variant rapidly works its way into the population, theatres everywhere are faced once again with tough and urgent decisions, despite the rigorous regimes in place, in order to keep their companies and staff safe," Director Rufus Norris said.

Researchers are calling for arts workers involved in higher education to contribute to a new survey.

The National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange has extended its questionnaire until December 20 to explore collaborations between the two sectors.

Devised and led by Dr Thanasis Sypriadis, the survey asks how confident and supported arts professionals feel collaborating with educational institutions, what could be improved, and the role the centre might have in this.

Anyone who has been involved in the joint devising, leadership, or delivery of projects, research or activities is encouraged to take part. 

Museum curators and librarians rank among the top five most trusted professions in the UK, according to a survey by Ipsos Mori.

93% of Britons said they trust librarians to tell the truth, second only to nurses at 94%.

It's the first time librarians have made it into the top of the index, which confirms growing distrust in the police and slightly more trust in politicians, journalists and professional footballers.

86% of people trust museum curators, up four percentage points since last year, the survey found.

Artists and arts organisations in Essex will soon be able to apply for up to £30,000 from a £1m fund.

Essex County Council will open the fund for applications from January 4, announcing grantees at the end of March.

Grants of at least £2,500 are available to individuals, community groups, charities and public and private organisations.

The council says Essex's creative sector was the third largest in the UK pre-pandemic, contributing an estimated £2.6bn.

"We believe that a thriving creative sector is part of a strong economy and one which will rejuvenate our high streets. It is my hope that the Arts and Cultural Fund will support the diverse and vibrant communities we have throughout the county," Councillor Graham Butland said.