Mayor of London launches theatre campaign

06 Dec 2022

Tickets for popular theatre shows are to be sold at discounted rates as part of efforts by the Mayor of London to boost tourism in the capital.

As part of the mayor's Let's Do London campaign, a "12 Shows of Christmas" promotion will see tickets for London West End shows are to be sold at a discount by Transport for London (TfL) to try to attract people into the capital on the Tube.

For 12 consecutive days, 100 tickets will be sold for £30, a 35-45% discount on the usual price.

It is hoped the campaign will boost sales and tourism after the industry took a hit from the pandemic.

ACE hands audience data contract to consultancy firm PwC

10 Nov 2022

Arts Council England drops arts and culture research specialists The Audience Agency from sector support role, handing new contract for data insights to global consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Chinese Arts Now unveils rebrand

30 Sep 2022

An arts organisation dedicated to providing a platform for East and Southeast Asian artists has announced a new name and logo.

Chinese Arts Now is now Kakilang, which means "one of us" in the Chinese dialect of Hokkien.

Kakilang has said it will stage three live productions next year, including a project in partnership with the Barbican in London, with further details to be announced shortly. 

An-Ting Chang, Artistic Director at Kakilang, said: "Our organisation today is a combination of many cultures and identities and the best thing is: this word broadens the people we want to include. 

"Who is our Kakilang? That was the key question when we came up with this name. Our Kakilang is those who come together through art, and who champion diverse voices and communities. 

"There are so many stories we want to tell from our communities. And we want more people to be our Kakilang, joining us through all forms of live arts.” 

Scheme to tempt visitors back to museums launches

13 Sep 2022

A new museum and gallery membership scheme in Tyne and Wear has launched as part of efforts to attract people "back to culture".

Local museums and galleries in the area say they have been struggling to return to pre-pandemic visitor levels after a drop in numbers of up to 50% at some venues. The new scheme covers 10 galleries and museums run by Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums. 

The venues offer free entry, but admission is charged for special major exhibitions. Under the new tiered membership scheme, visitors can purchase an annual membership that includes free entry to ticketed exhibitions, invitations to special events and priority booking.

Membership fees will be used to fund the running costs of venues including Laing Art Gallery, Hatton Gallery and Discovery Art Museum, Shipley Art Gallery and South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, as well as two Roman forts and a steam railway.

Museum service undergoes rebrand

15 Aug 2022

Brighton & Hove’s museum service, previously known as the Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust, has announced details of it new name and brand identity.

The service, which was previously council-run but moved to trust status in late 2020, will be known as Brighton & Hove Museums.

The organisation said the new name and refreshed website and logo are intended to “communicate the direction being taken across the service since the museums became an independent charitable trust”.

Meanwhile, two of the trust’s sites have been renamed to recognise the importance of their outdoor spaces to visitors - the Royal Pavilion will now be known as the Royal Pavilion & Garden, and Preston Manor will be known as Preston Manor & Gardens.

Record label support for artists rises to £495m

15 Aug 2022

UK record labels invested £495m supporting artists’ careers and development in 2021 through A&R, marketing and promotion – more than double their investment in 2016.

Figures published by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the representative voice for independent and major record labels across the UK shows labels’ investment last year included a record £358m spend on A&R and another £137m. The investment represents 39.2% of total UK label revenue.

The A&R spend, which includes artist advances, creating new recordings, video costs and tour support, was 107% more in 2021 than the amount invested in 2016 of £173.3m. 

Over the same five-year period to 2021, UK labels’ total revenue income increased by 42.9%, driven largely by a 51.3% surge in streaming revenue. 

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI, BRIT Awards & Mercury Prize, said: “The UK has been one of the world’s music superpowers since the advent of pop culture, thanks to the combination of our many incredible artists drawn from all regions and nations, and the passion, financial backing and expertise of our record labels. 

"During a time when music has returned to growth after years of decline, labels have continued to prioritise investment in artists. 

"It is fuelling success for a new generation of UK artists who are embracing the opportunities of this truly connected world, underpinning our leading position on the global music stage.”

ICO 'taking no action' on arts data breach

outside of the Royal Academy of Arts
04 Aug 2022

Data watchdog decides regulatory action not required after arts organisations notify it of ransomware attack that resulted in customer's names and email addresses being stolen.

British music exports hit record high

an audience watches a gig
26 Jul 2022

Data from the British Phonographic Industry reveals consumption of British music increased in every region globally in 2021.

Exclusive: Major arts organisations affected by ransomware data breach

19 Jul 2022

Southbank Centre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Opera House and The Old Vic among many UK arts organisations affected by huge data breach.

Concern over exodus of arts marketing professionals

14 Jul 2022

The Arts Marketing Association (AMA) has launched a series of job templates to help tackle the “growing gulf” between expectations of arts marketing roles and offered pay rates.

It warned that during the pandemic “a huge amount” of marketing talent left the arts, culture and heritage sector, due to a crisis caused by consistently poor pay being offered to skilled workers.

The association reported that recruiters are struggling to fill roles, warning that marketing “ultimately can be the difference between success and failure in reaching audiences and ensuring a sustainable future for organisations”. 

A recent Centre for Cultural Value study revealed that the performing arts workforce is 15% smaller in 2022 than it was in 2021, meaning that staff are working longer hours to accomplish the same level of output. Many advertised vacancies are for two roles that have been merged into one without reducing expectations accordingly, AMA said.

“We’re seeing demoralised and burnt-out arts marketers who have left and will continue to leave our sector,” said CEO of AMA, Cath Hume.

“Long-term this will negatively impact the success of the sector and its organisations. Our members are being asked to take on more and more within their roles, but with no corresponding increase in resource or budgets.”

Many advertised roles have become “catch-all” positions with “wildly unrealistic” expectations, the association said, in part due a widespread misunderstanding of what marketing roles involve, particularly at senior levels.

The new templates aim to combat this by including appropriate job descriptions for various roles that can be used for recruitment. 

As well as creating fairer conditions for existing arts marketers by ensuring that skills and expectations are aligned with the pay and working hours available, they aim to make the sector more accessible and inclusive to those currently under-represented in the workforce.
 

Event marketing firm announces acquisitions

06 Jun 2022

Live entertainment marketing platform Activity Stream has acquired mobile ticketing specialists crowdEngage and event and venue management firm Yesplan.

Activity Stream said the move will strengthen its offerings to the live entertainment and experience sector, creating the first company to offer solutions across the life-cycle of an event, from event planning, marketing, communications, sales management and customer engagement through to event delivery.

The new company now has a client base of more than 450 organisations around the world in 20 countries.

Einar Saevarsson, founder and Chief Executive of Activity Stream, said: “Our mission when we founded Activity Stream was to accelerate the digital transformation of the live entertainment industry by offering intelligent tools that any experience brand could master, afford and greatly benefit from.” 

“Our clients want to build stronger, deeper and longer term relationships with each and every one of their visitors. We allow any experience brand to easily join up their many data sets and customer touch points, to produce meaningful, personalised and relevant communications, that drives revenue and loyalty.”

“The addition of Yesplan and crowdEngage places Activity Stream solutions at the very heart of some of the world’s greatest events and experiences.”

What is market research?

26 May 2022

There are many misconceptions about market research and who is or isn’t qualified to undertake it. Robin Cantrill-Fenwick unravels its mysteries.

Comparing apples to oranges

image of a light bulb
17 May 2022

Arts organisations increasingly use data to inform their decision making. But, argue David Johnson and Sarah Thelwall, if it’s not relevant, it risks being distracting, or even misleading.

UNBOXED 2022 working on 'a recipe for failure'

17 Mar 2022

A scathing report from MPs says the festival is "an irresponsible use of public money" set to prove its sceptics right. How fair is the criticism?

Performance school demands diverse audiences for corporate gigs

15 Feb 2022

The academy's Co-Director says he will no longer put young Black performers in spaces where they don't see themselves represented.

A flexible marketing model

actors perform in a production of Wuthering Heights
09 Feb 2022

The nature of arts marketing has shifted over recent years with knock-on effects on relationships with producers. Howard Buckley assesses the opportunities of this new way of working. 

Convince them you’re Covid-safe

People walking around a gallery
08 Dec 2020

Audiences are ready to return but they need reassurance to take the first step. A new digital toolkit will help bridge the gap, says Katy Raines.

Colston Hall reborn as Bristol Beacon

23 Sep 2020

Bristol Music Trust says the new title reflects a more inclusive narrative where music - not history - "is at the heart of what we do".

Time to let go of protective control

Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues skyline
23 Jun 2020

Given where we now find ourselves, we have few choices but to pool resources and develop new economic and business structures within which the arts will be able to thrive in the future. Anne Bonnar and Hilary Keenlyside propose some fundamental building blocks.

Refund scandal could tarnish the reputation of the theatre industry

people standing casullay outside the Savoy Theatre in London
15 May 2020

Ticket buyers fighting to claim refunds from ATG Tickets have found the company is not automatically refunding transaction fees, claiming this is in line with the industry’s Code of Practice.

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