Arts funding

A music venue in Bath that has hosted some of the biggest names in UK music has closed with immediate effect.

The Music Venue Trust said that the city's Moles venue has filed for insolvency, stating that the rise in costs and overheads and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis have made it impossible to continue.

Since opening its doors in 1978, the 220-capacity venue has hosted acts including Ed Sheeran, The Killers, Fat Boy Slim, Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, The Smiths and Idles during the early stages of their careers.

Tom Maddicott, co-owner of Moles, said: "Massively increased costs of stock, utilities and rent compounded by our customers also feeling the impact of the crisis has made it impossible to continue. 

"It’s obviously an incredibly difficult decision to have to take, for our team, the staff, the local community, and the artists that over the years have created such an incredible history of music.

"But the reality is that live music at grassroots level is no longer economically viable, and we will not be the only grassroots music venue forced to close. 

"There needs to be a major shake-up of the live industry with the big players supporting the grassroots where it all begins to secure that pipeline of talent."

A Lancashire museum undergoing roof repairs has delayed its reopening until next year due to severe weather conditions.

Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery closed temporarily on 1 November to allow for work to take place and was expected to reopen on 29 November. The £554,700 roof replacement scheme is partly funded by Arts Council England’s (ACE) Museum Estate and Development fund.

A spokesperson for Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery told the Lancashire Telegraph it now plans to reopen on 3 January.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, a 150-year-old roof does need a lot of TLC, and a new roof will ensure that we can continue to care for our collections without worry of water ingress for years to come.”

Previously, water leakage had caused internal damage to the building, limiting the display of the museum’s collections.

The work is being financed by a £365,000 ACE grant and £189,700 from the museum’s owner, Blackburn with Darwen Council.

The gallery recently won National Portfolio Organisation status for 2023-26, worth £148,000 annually.

Dozens of UK art projects have been chosen to partner with national and international organisations in a second round of the Four Nations International Fund.

A total of 39 new projects will receive up to £7,500 from the fund’s budget of £320,000, including £28,000 allocated for access costs. 

Backed by Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Wales / Wales Arts International and Creative Scotland, the fund is designed to support innovative models of international cultural exchange.

It is open to people working in the arts and creative industries in the UK who wish to collaborate with their counterparts elsewhere in the world.

This round of the fund brings together 60 partners from across the four UK nations and 50 international partners across 25 different countries.

Creative Scotland manages the fund’s application process of the UK's arts councils and agencies. On the partnership’s behalf, Dana MacLeod, Executive Director of Arts, Communities and Inclusion at Creative Scotland, said: “This second round of the Four Nations International Fund has made possible some new and exciting initiatives for artists in the UK and around the world to connect, exchange and collaborate. 

“The 39 projects demonstrate a strong diversity of cultures, practice, and perspectives, highlighting the positive effect arts and culture can have on communities globally.

"Coming together as agencies and funders to share resources and knowledge enables a much broader reach and impact for our artists and audiences.  We can also tackle important issues and challenges facing artists and practitioners around the world.” 
 

A scheme to build a new theatre on the site of the former Derby Assembly Rooms has been halted amid fears escalating costs could lead to "effective bankruptcy” for the council.

Derby City Council said that high inflation and interest rates had driven up predicted borrowing and construction costs for the Assembly Rooms site, which has been closed since a fire in 2014, leaving the project "unviable".

Earlier this year, the authority was awarded £20m from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to demolish the venue and replace it with a new ‘Learning Theatre’ hosting shows and offering students a place to work and perform.

The council had estimated the scheme, partnered by Derby Theatre and the University of Derby, would increase theatre attendance by 83,000, attracting an additional 25,000 visitors to the city and generating an extra £1.7m each year.

With the plan scrapped, DLUHC has agreed to a proposal to split the funds equally between Derby Theatre and the Guildhall Theatre, which has been disused since 2019.

Derby Theatre had been set to move into the new Assembly Rooms building as its current location is up for demolition. Meanwhile, the council is looking at bids from developers for the Assembly Rooms site.

Labour City Council Leader Baggy Shanker said: "The financial landscape for local government means that we can no longer take on the risk of proceeding with schemes of this scale, which could put us in the same difficult situation affecting some other local authorities who have had to declare effective bankruptcy.”

The boards of Jerwood Foundation and Jerwood Charity are set to be combined from 1 January 2024 following completion of formalities to merge the two organisations.

The foundation, which has been supporting the arts since 1977, endowed Jerwood Charity with a fund of £25m in 1999. The merger creates a single UK charitable foundation to ensure “a sustainable future with maximum impact for beneficiaries”.

The rationalised charity aims to support excellence and emerging talent in UK arts and crafts, with up to £2m of grants awarded each year. Applications for the first round of grants will need to be submitted before 1 March 2024 and will be awarded in April 2024. 

Rupert Tyler, formerly Chairman of Jerwood Charity, has been appointed Chairman of the merged Jerwood boards. Meanwhile, Lara Wardle, Executive Director of Jerwood Foundation, leads the organisation and management.

Alan Grieve CBE, Chairman of Jerwood Foundation for the last 30 years, remains a Trustee of Jerwood Foundation and Chairman Emeritus.

Wardle said: “We hope that our new streamlined, easy-to-understand application process will enable us to distribute funds effectively for maximum impact, fulfilling John Jerwood’s original philanthropic vision to support excellence and emerging talent in the UK.”