International

At least 53 cutltural sites in Ukraine have been damaged since the Russian invasion began.

UNESCO says it has confirmed damage to 29 religious sites, 16 historic buildings, four monuments, and four museums, including one sheltering civilians in Mariupol.

"Our experts continue to verify each report and it is feared that other sites will be added to this list," a spokesperson said.

The agency is liaising with culture professionals in Ukraine to help protect artifacts and urging Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to adhere to its Hague Convention duty to protect cultural property during the conflict.

Cultural sites are marked with a blue shield are protected by the convention. If attacks are committed against these sites, UNESCO says the perpetrators will have committed acts that constitute war crimes.

18-year-olds in Spain will receive €400 (£335) in culture vouchers to spend on the arts this year.

Approved by the Spanish government last week, The Youth Cultural Bonus can be spent on festivals, live events, books, vinyl and digital music.

Vouchers must be split across cultural mediums, with a €200 (£170) spending cap on live events and festivals, a €100 (£85) limit for physical products and a €100 limit for digital products.

The project aims to generate new habits of cultural consumption, create new audiences and reduce the negative impact caused by the pandemic on the country's cultural sector, according to a statement from the Spanish government website.

The initiative follows similar examples in France and Italy, where 18-year-olds receive €300 (£250) and €500 (£450) respectively to put towards cultural spending.

DCMS is asking places to put themselves forward for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Bids are reviewed every 10 years by a panel of heritage experts and "only locations with the potential to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List will be put forward to formal nomination," the department says.

A tentative list of sites that currently includes Scottish Flow Country and Gracehill in Northern Ireland will be updated later this year and given to the World Heritage Committee in 2024. 

There are currently 33 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the UK, including Stonehenge, The Tower of London, Hadrian's Wall and, more recently, the slate landscape of north west Wales. Liverpool lost its status last year due to development on its waterfront.

Heritage Minister Nigel Huddleston encouraged applications: "As well as international acclaim, UNESCO status boosts tourism and creates employment and economic growth opportunities."

A postdoctoral fellowship in Chinese and Sinophone contemporary art will provide a "unique opportunity", its funders say.

Asymmetry Art Foundation and The Courtauld have partnered on the two-year grant for early career academics, their first collaboration.

Two fellows will be mentored by The Courtauld's Senior Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Art, Dr Wenny Teo and be involved in a lecture series and international symposium.

Courtauld Director Marit Rausing said the initiative is part of "our continuing efforts to decentre and decolonise the curriculum".

A call for applicants will open soon with the first fellow selected by the summer.

A cross-cultural network for artists' archives will be pursued under a new international partnership.

UK charity Art360 Foundation and US non-profit, the Hauser & Wirth Institute, plan to develop the Expanded Archives Network, building on a professional network established by Art360 in 2019.

The partners say it will platform independent artists and preserve and present their archives for a wider audience. Membership of the network will be free.

Ellie Porter, Head of Programme at Art360, said much of the work to preserve cultural heritage remains invisible despite its "urgency and value".

Hauser & Wirth Executive Director Lisa Darns added: "Through supporting and connecting archivists globally, we hope to help elevate the status of this vital and progressive work in the broader art world."

More than 49 major European cultural networks have pledged support to Ukraine’s sector in an open letter to policy makers.

Led by the European Theatre Convention, the letter urges national, European, and global stakeholders to make funds and other support available to Ukrainian arts organisations and professionals.

Signatories say they are ready to receive and host artists, stage performances, organise events and advocate for a peaceful solution to ongoing conflict.

Thousands of theatres, music venues, festivals, cinemas and arts organisations across Europe are represented in the letter.

“We stress that the European cultural sector is united and that you can count on us,” it reads.