A year of reorientation in the Borough of Brent

Kamiah, Nuradean and Santos - Vent at Brent 2020, London Borough of Culture
08 Apr 2021

Lois Stonock planned the London Borough of Culture 2020 to respond to Brexit. Then Brent became home to one of the UK’s first coronavirus fatalities.

Battersea Arts Centre brings in 'pay what you can' model

07 Apr 2021

The National Portfolio Organisation has pursued its plan to widen access in spite of the pandemic and says funders have been "universally supportive".

New initiative targets independent venue accessibility

08 Feb 2021

A 12-month project to make venues safer and more inclusive raises bigger questions about how disabled artists will return to performing live post-pandemic.

Hiring ‘emerging’ disabled artists isn’t radical

Two people reading lines
02 Dec 2020

Do you think your organisation treats Deaf and disabled artists equally? Laura Guthrie says the sector’s outdated structures and traditions make that nearly impossible.

Arts workers' skills bolstered frontline Covid responses

12 Nov 2020

Creativity, compassion, collaboration and a tendency towards efficiency meant arts workers were highly responsive in a time of crisis, councils say.

Advocating together for Deaf and disabled artists and audiences

Extraordinary Bodies production: ' What Am I Worth?'
15 Sep 2020

We are at a crossroads, says Jamie Beddard. Access, democratisation and engagement must not be sacrificed in the rush to return after the pandemic.

On equal footing

photo over the shoulder of an older gentleman sitting down who is looking at a photograph
13 Jul 2020

The experience of running participatory work online has led Theatr Clwyd to rethink the whole concept of ‘reach’. Let’s use this moment to make the arts truly accessible to all says Gwennan Mair.

NEWS COMMENT: After the Interval – who will return?

Andrew Miller
03 Jul 2020

The slump in disabled audiences’ confidence presents a major problem for the arts sector, says Andrew Miller.

How we can stop infantilising disabled artists?

A photo of a performance including an actor in a wheelchair
31 Mar 2020

Age-old paternalistic attitudes will persist unless disabled people lead change themselves, says Vici Wreford-Sinnott.

Can libraries deliver culture for all? ACE’s new strategy unveiled

A photo of a man dressed as a First World War Soldier
27 Jan 2020

Children, young people and libraries are central to the funder’s ambitions to enable everyone to benefit from creative and cultural opportunities.

Three reasons why ACE’s new strategy won’t cut it

A photo of a crowd at a concert
23 Jan 2020

As Arts Council England prepares to publish its next ten-year strategy, thought leaders suggest a radical alternative.

New national agency to study ageing and creativity

11 Dec 2019

A three-year project will research ways to support later-life creativity and creative technology solutions for an ageing population.

Diversity and inclusion: why are we still talking about it?

A room of people listening to a speaker
28 Nov 2019

A reluctance to self-reflect and a tendency to recruit in our own image are at the root of the sector’s failure to employ a workforce that reflects the wider working population, says Sara Whybrew.

Artists face financial squeeze as 'perfect storm' of market trends favours the elite

Photo of art auction
18 Nov 2019

Artists will increasingly need multiple income streams and brand collaborations to fund their creative practice in an Instagram-fuelled marketplace, a new report says.

Head to head: can a toolkit solve the sector’s class problem?

14 Nov 2019

This year Jerwood Arts published a toolkit for cultural organisations, designed to encourage greater socio-economic diversity in the arts. Julie Lomax, Chief Executive of a-n The Artists Information Company, sees it as a starting point for helping solve the sector’s ‘class crisis’ – but arts consultant Chrissie Tiller isn’t so sure.

Changing the narrative in East Leeds

A photo of the Chapel FM building in a former church
14 Nov 2019

It’s been five years since Heads Together opened Chapel FM in East Leeds. Linda Strudwick looks at what can be achieved from running an arts centre in the middle of a disadvantaged community.

‘We raise each other up’: supporting a new generation of writers

A photo of a young woman in front of a camera
14 Nov 2019

New Writing North is helping young people in some of the region's most socio-economically disadvantaged areas express themselves through creative writing. Laura Fraine explains how a new generation is finding its voice.

A welcoming space for affordable training

Picture of a collage including a dog and a cartoon face
14 Nov 2019

The lack of affordable skills-based training and opportunities to learn from others makes it much harder for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop their careers in the arts. Simina Neagu and Valentina Bin took action to fill the gap.

‘Better evidence’ needed on immersive technology

11 Nov 2019

A study warns that “debates about authenticity, re-creation and fakery are amplified by digital technologies”.

Disability front and centre stage

Production still from Dishoom!
31 Oct 2019

Creating a production that allowed a young and inexperienced disabled British Asian actor to play an authentic character was a rewarding challenge that led to a rich experience for everyone involved. Pravesh Kumar tells the story.

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