Workers pay the price of austerity

Graphic of people
19 Dec 2014

Interns, apprentices and volunteers are taking the place of permanent paid staff in the arts sector, which is also seeing a move away from contracts of employment towards freelance working.

Arts organisations increasingly rely on volunteers

Photo of a man wearing a 'Volunteer' tshirt
17 Dec 2014

The latest data reveals a shift in both employment practices and audience patterns among Arts Council of Wales’ Revenue Funded Organisations.

Young people, good practice and the law

Photo of young people working
24 Nov 2014

Eleanor Deem gives some guidance on managing young people in both volunteer and paid roles.

Active sponsorship

Image of a mentoring session
02 Jun 2014

Northern Trust’s employees are actively involved in a community partnership with the RPO, says Naomi Venn.

A well grounded community

Image of Richard Stride with a volunteer
26 Mar 2014

How does a tiny Georgian theatre survive in a working class town? Esther Harris talks to Richard Stride, owner of the Groundlings Theatre in Old Portsmouth.

Museum services suffer as unpaid volunteers and interns replace staff

Museum invigilator on duty
01 Oct 2013

Funding cuts have forced museums and galleries to employ more unpaid volunteers and reduce the numbers of museum professionals, affecting education and outreach programmes.

Inspired to continue

Image of Bookstart bear
09 Sep 2013

To replace events previously run by Lincoln City Council, former member of the arts team Sara Bullimore founded the Lincoln Inspired festival. She tells the story so far.

Creating the big society

Image of bannners
11 Apr 2013

Sarah Stannage asks whether we can be confident that individuals and communities will step forward to support the development of local creative economies.

Closing the gap

Image of a STEM ambassador in a glass dome
11 Apr 2013

Kirsten Bodley believes that creativity is crucial to scientific and technical innovation, and in turn technical skills have a huge role to play in artistic progress.

Cheery smiles

12 Nov 2012

The Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust uses 450 regular volunteers in various roles from demonstrating crafts to litter-picking. Lucy Andrews Manion describes how she keeps them all happy.

Digital interaction

Photo of two volunteers at Sampad
12 Nov 2012

Clayton Shaw describes how a volunteering project in digital technology appealed to young people in Birmingham.

Dedicated teamwork

Photo of Miss Baby Sol and band at the Uprise Festival
12 Nov 2012

Paul Richards recalls how a dedicated team of volunteers, including performers, created UpRise, London’s anti-racism festival, after the demise of its predecessor.

Design and build

Photo of container staircase at Southbank Centre
12 Nov 2012

Andrew Lock describes two architectural projects at the Southbank Centre that reveal the benefits of participation by users in the development of public spaces.

The art of inclusion

02 Jul 2012

Mindee Hutchinson highlights the importance of social nurturing when running arts activities with young people

Open doors

21 May 2012

Across the UK and US the prison arts community is forming a transatlantic network. Becky Mer examines the ins and outs

Understanding interns

27 Feb 2012

Sean Egan and Paul Jennings demystify the law surrounding internships

Protecting jobs, promoting good practice

12 Dec 2011

Steven Warner and Stephanie Cesana give a trade union’s perspective on the role of volunteers in arts organisations

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