Projects receive £3.1m to measure value of culture

12 Sep 2023

Six projects that aim to evaluate the value of culture and heritage to society have been announced as part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Culture and Heritage Capital Programme.

Founded in 2021, the programme assesses the social and economic benefits of culture and heritage weighed against their costs with the aim of providing the government with guidance on how to spend taxpayers’ money.

The latest projects include a case study for local and regional culture-led initiatives and levelling up focusing on National Museums Liverpool Waterfront Transformation, led by the University of Liverpool, which will receive £420,657.

Another study led by the University of Portsmouth will receive £359,015 to assess the economic and cultural value of digital culture and heritage assets.

Each of the six projects will receive between £359,015 and £528,825 financed by a £3.1m research funding round from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and DCMS.

The project leaders will collaborate with stakeholders, including Historic England, National Museums Liverpool and the National Trust.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson said it’s important to measure the benefits of arts and culture to people's lives “to make the most effective decisions to maximise their potential – especially where taxpayers’ money is being invested.”

AHRC Executive Chair Professor Christopher Smith said, “The culture and heritage sectors are a vital part of our economy, but we do not have a clear or agreed set of criteria for measuring all their relevant benefits, including the undoubted impacts of intangible benefits. This has a significant impact on policymaking.

“This project will help give us a better basis on which to evaluate the contribution of culture and heritage to society."

EU research project 'will boost creative industries'

07 Sep 2023

The UK Government's decision to rejoin a European Union research programme will help drive growth in the creative industries by providing access to grant funding opportunities, Creative UK has said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that from this week British researchers can apply once again for grants from the £85bn Horizon programme.

In total the UK will contribute about £2.6bn on average a year to Horizon and Copernicus, an Earth observation satellite programme, with the UK’s contributions due to start from January.

Creative UK Chief Executive Caroline Norbury said the Horizon deal has “transformative potential” to increase investment in the creative industries for start-ups and innovation.

"Cross border collaboration through research and development is crucial to fuelling the power of creativity to drive innovation, and access to the Horizon Europe programme promises to turbo charge this potential," she said.

"In unlocking access to Horizon Europe funds, the UK’s creative sector will now be able to benefit from €170m made available by the new European Knowledge and Innovation Community, which Creative UK co-founded. 

"This initial investment seeks to increase the innovation capacity and competitiveness of Europe’s Cultural and Creative Industries, and is expected to leverage a further €700m for start-ups and innovation.

“The transformative potential of investments such as these are precisely why Creative UK is working tirelessly to ensure the UK’s cultural sector and creative industries continues to play a leading role in global collaboration. 

"As Horizon Europe opens its doors to the UK once more, we will be equally determined in ensuring our creative economy makes the very best of the opportunity today’s agreement represents.”

Arts organisations 'increasingly anxious on trans issues'

White transgender symbol on the background of many pink and blue gender symbols. The colours of the transgender flag. 3D illustration via iStock.
07 Sep 2023

Detailed guidance providing arts organisations with clarity on the law relating to trans issues, and advice on how to deal with disagreements, is published.

Hollywood strike action hits UK film and TV crews

07 Sep 2023

A survey commissioned by the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (Bectu) suggests that industrial disputes in the US are having a significant adverse effect on the UK’s film and TV workforce.

The union questioned nearly 4,000 freelance film and TV workers in this country about the impact strike action by American writers and actors has had on their employment, finances and mental health.

Three-quarters of the survey respondents reported currently not working, and 80% said their employment had been directly impacted by the US industrial disputes.

Over a third of participants said that they are struggling to pay household bills, rent or mortgages, while 90% said that they were worried about their financial security, 

Nearly a quarter said they did not see themselves working in the industry in five years' time.

Commenting on the survey results, the head of Bectu, Philippa Childs, said, “Much of the rhetoric surrounding the US dispute is about the actors, but as our survey shows, the impact on crew and other film and TV workers is severe and cannot be underestimated.

“This is a workforce that has already faced incredible hardship throughout and following the pandemic and has now been hit by a second crisis in just a few years. 

“Many of our members have been laid off from productions under ‘force majeure’ clauses with little notice or pay, and with 6 in 10 respondents telling us they are struggling with their mental health, it’s clear the impact also extends beyond financial insecurity.

“For too long, we have seen a pattern of engaging crew where they are picked up and dropped again with little notice, protection or reassurances about future employment. They are often the first to suffer and the hardest hit when production is impacted.

“The government is vocal about the huge cultural and economic value of the creative industries; it must put its money where its mouth is and look after those who work in the sector. Likewise, urgent industry collaboration and commitment from employers to support the freelance workforce is critical if we want to UK to remain a cultural hub.”

Over 80% of UK musicians report loss of earnings due to Brexit

07 Sep 2023

A survey suggests that 82% of UK musicians impacted by Brexit have experienced a loss of earnings, with DJs and vocalists among the worst affected.

Commissioned by UK Music, the survey questioned 1,461 musicians, vocalists, composers, songwriters, lyricists, producers and DJs about the challenges they have faced since the UK left the EU more than three years ago. 

The results show that 30% of music creators have seen a change in their earnings during that period. Of those whose income had been impacted, 82% said their profits had decreased, while 18% said their incomes had improved post-Brexit. 

Nearly two-fifths of those hit by Brexit said it was no longer financially viable for them to tour EU nations. 

One of the biggest problems cited by artists affected by Brexit was securing visas and work permits, with 59% of respondents considering it a significant issue. 

Other barriers to touring in the EU cited by participants included administration costs (56%), transport costs (55%), shipping and logistics (54%), production costs (34%), carnets (32%), and cabotage (13%). 

UK Music Interim Chief Executive Tom Kiehl said, “Restrictions on visas, work permits, truck hire and merchandise sales along with excessive red tape are making touring simply unviable for many.

“The ability to tour internationally in the early stages of an artist’s career is crucial to their success and our sector’s ambition to grow British music exports amid fierce global competition. 

“We need the Government to make it a priority to secure a Cultural Touring Agreement with the EU to remove these barriers.”

Interest in orchestral concerts at five-year high

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
31 Aug 2023

Researchers find non-traditional programming is attracting newcomers to performances.

R&D data ‘should be broadened’ to include arts

a recording camera films a conference
29 Aug 2023

Policy briefing says R&D contributions from the creative industries are unlikely to be “fully captured, understood, or accurately valued” without reforms to data collection.

Scottish project explores experiences of autistic adults

28 Aug 2023

A new seven-month creative project hopes to highlight the experiences of older autistic adults with learning difficulties in Scotland.

The collaboration between Heriot-Watt University and Scottish Autism will use filmmaking and art to shine a light on the hopes, concerns and needs of this group, while also exploring together what future social care services could look like.

The AHRC-funded collaboration is titled: 'Ageing, health, and social care: the meaningful engagement of autistic people with learning disabilities'.

Autistic filmmakers Iceberg Productions will interview autistic people with learning disabilities, aged 55 and over, to create a documentary which will be presented at a series of workshops.

Professor Mary Stewart, Director of Social Interaction, Mental Health and Wellbeing at Heriot-Watt, said the motivation for the project "came from the unfortunate reality that autistic people with learning disabilities do not often have their voices heard in research".

She added: “We know that using art as a tool for discussion can be very effective and allows for a range of ways to engage with discussion.

"The outcomes of the project will ultimately be used to raise awareness and provoke discussion with service professionals, policymakers and the wider community in Scotland and beyond."

‘Very marginal’ link between creative industries and gentrification

Bristol's city centre depicting street out
24 Aug 2023

Analysis suggests creative firms follow existing gentrification, while artists and workers precede it, leaving an often 'very small' correlation between the sector and gentrification of a neighbourhood.

Impact of Brexit damaging music sector

24 Aug 2023

ISM report says difficulty and expense related to touring in the EU is impacting the viability of working musicians and is undermining the UK’s soft power.

‘Extremely alarming’ pay gap in Ireland’s creative industries

23 Aug 2023

Creatives in Ireland’s music and performing arts sectors are earning less than two-thirds of their counterparts in other industries, according to the findings of a new survey.

Over half of galleries unaware of Martyn’s Law

23 Aug 2023

Research has revealed that 55% of UK galleries are unaware of Martyn’s Law, a new piece of legislation which requires them to consider the threat of terrorism and put mitigation measures in place.

The law was created in response to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, in which the assailant and 22 concert-goers were killed.

It is named after Martyn Hett, one of the victims of the attack, and is designed to ensure public safety by reducing the risk from terrorist attacks at public venues.

Research commissioned by specialist heritage insurer Ecclesiastical found that although details of the draft Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill were published in May, more than half of galleries remained unaware of its requirements.
 
The survey of 100 gallery decision makers found that 80% feel their organisation needs more support to prepare for the legislation coming into force.

Faith Kitchen, customer segment director at Ecclesiastical Insurance said: “Ensuring the safety of arts and heritage venues is paramount. We encourage galleries to familiarise themselves with the concepts and requirements of the forthcoming legislation.”
 
The Protect UK website provides information, tools and guidance to help galleries evaluate and mitigate terrorism risks.

The legislation is currently being scrutinised by the Home Affairs Select Committee in draft form. It is expected to be passed in spring of 2024.

National Gallery ranked best value museum in Europe

17 Aug 2023

A study looking at reviews, admissions fees, Instagram popularity and opening hours to determine which European museum is the best value has ranked the UK's National Gallery in first place.

The research, conducted by The Knowledge Academy, placed the National History Museum second. Both London museums hold a 4.5 star rating on Tripadvisor and offer free entry.

The Louvre in Paris was ranked third, while the British Museum, the other UK entry in the top 10, came sixth.

UK-based entries in the top 20 are the Victoria and Albert Museum (=11th), The Roman Baths in Bath (16th), Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh (19th) and the Churchill War Rooms (20th).

Scientists collaborate with Royal Ballet to improve performance

09 Aug 2023

The Royal Ballet School has announced plans to work with scientists to unlock advances in performance science that might help train the dance stars of the future.

Researchers from the University of Essex will study pre-professional students aged 16 to 20 to help the school better prepare them for the profession.

The rigorous techniques of classic ballet require dancers to have extreme physical fitness, which scientists hope might be enhanced by elite sports techniques like targeted weight training.

The goal of the research is to discover new approaches to increasing dancers’ strength in order to improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.

The research will be led by Jamie Harding, a strength and conditioning coach at Essex University’s School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences. 

“Ballet is unique in that it is an aesthetic art and a high-performance sport – with exacting competing demands,” he said.

“Dancers perform feats that are unimaginable to mere mortals and our research will make sure their bodies are up to the gruelling demands.”

Researchers will conduct five studies, which will finish in early 2025.

The school already has a dedicated in-house healthcare team that works to understand and optimise dancer development and training. The research will build on this existing programme, which collects data on dancers to understand the key stages in a student’s growth and development.

“Research is hugely integral to us as a world-leading organisation,”  said Head of Healthcare Karen Sheriff. “It helps us to answer specific performance questions, develops our practice and enhances our scientific understanding of our young dancers so that we can identify the most effective ways to support them as athletes.”

Divided opinion over Scottish theatres plan

08 Aug 2023

A new report calls for a commercially-driven theatre company specialising in popular work to be established in Scotland.

NPO revenue from international activity halves

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performing at Carnegie Hall in New York
08 Aug 2023

Arts Council England study finds international environment has become "increasingly complex" for English cultural organisations and practitioners to navigate.

English Heritage to introduce ‘dress up’ for adults

02 Aug 2023

Historical ‘dress up’ costumes aimed at adult visitors are due to be introduced at 11 English Heritage sites this summer.

The move is in response to research commissioned by the charity and conducted by the University of Kent that found adults have more active imaginations than children.

The study “directly refutes the commonly held belief that we become less imaginative as we get older”, the charity said.

Researchers from the university’s School of Psychology asked more than 470 people aged between four and 81 to imagine how unfamiliar historical objects could have been used. 

The answers were assessed based on characteristics including the number of unique responses and how close the guesses were to the object’s actual function.

As age increased, people were more likely to imagine uses that were closer to the actual function of the objects, but they were also more likely to give original answers and to provide more detail.

Meanwhile, adolescents and young adults came up with a larger number of suggestions spanning a wider range of categories than other age groups, suggesting that different age groups have different imaginative strengths, researchers said.

The research “shows that our imaginations continue to grow and change, even throughout adulthood, with the over 60s actually showing the most originality,” said Dr Angela Nyhout, Assistant Professor at the University of Kent’s School of Psychology, who led the research team.

“Adults’ imaginations can be just as vivid as children’s, but what they already know about the world constrains their imagination in some cases and enhances it in others. We just need the freedom of the right environment and opportunity to explore the limits of our imagination, and historical places are a perfect place to do this.”

English Heritage has used these findings to inform its One Extraordinary Summer events programme, for which it will introduce both hands-on history sessions and historical adult dress-up opportunities, with costumes including Roman togas, Medieval chainmail, Victorian suits and Tudor gowns, as well as WWII uniforms. 

At Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire, which inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula, adult visitors will be invited to don vampire capes and accessories.

The 11 sites offering the costume will be Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire, Boscobel in Shropshire, Corbridge Roman Town in Northumberland, Dover Castle in Kent, Eltham Palace in London, Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, Osborne on the Isle of Wight, Pendennis Castle in Cornwall, Witley Court in Worcestershire, Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire and Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.

Cultural education 'at risk' following ACE shakeup

Young people painting
01 Aug 2023

Report identifies risk of patchier arts provision for young people following Arts Council England's decision to stop funding Bridge Network.

Parliamentary inquiry to examine film and TV sector

24 Jul 2023

A parliamentary inquiry is set to investigate the current challenges faced by the British film and high-end television industry.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee will work to identify the best way to support the independent film production sector and consider what needs to be done to maintain and enhance the UK’s draw as a global production destination.

The committee will also examine issues around skills and retention in the industry, adapting to circumstances such as the rise of artificial intelligence. and challenges facing British cinema in the wake of the Cineworld restructure and collapse of the Empire chain.

“We will be looking at how to maintain the attractiveness of the UK as a global destination for production while ensuring independent films, similar to recent hits Rye Lane and Aftersun, can be made and seen,” said Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the CMS Committee.

Dinenage added that the actors and writers strikes in the US shows “the importance of getting ahead of the game in adapting skills and responding to the challenges of artificial intelligence”.

“The challenge now is to make sure the industry and Government are thinking of the future to maintain and enhance an industry that is hugely important both to the economy and to the culture of the UK and its power on the world stage,” she said.
 
The committee is inviting written evidence in response to a series of questions about the current state of the industry until 19 September.

Government wants more autism-friendly cultural programmes

20 Jul 2023

Proposals for the government's forthcoming Disability Action Plan include plans to encourage more autism-friendly programmes in the cultural and heritage sectors. 

The plans are part of a raft of ideas designed to 'make disabled people's lives easier'.

Other proposals, which are now open to public consultation, include ensuring businesses are aware of disabled people’s needs, including Guide Dog access needs.

Tom Pursglove, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, said: "Our Disability Action Plan will lay out practical measures we can implement here and now to improve the lives of disabled people.

"From leading the way globally with assistive technology to improving inclusivity and accessibility across sport, travel and culture, the plan will also be important in setting the stage for longer-term change."

The online consultation runs for 12 weeks and is open for anyone to comment.

Louise Mckiernan, Chair of the Disability Unit West Midlands Regional Stakeholder Network, said: "The launch of this consultation is an important opportunity for disabled people in particular to have their say and to help shape the government’s short-term plans."

Pages

Subscribe to Research