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.
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.
Funding cuts have forced museums and galleries to employ more unpaid volunteers and reduce the numbers of museum professionals, affecting education and outreach programmes.
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.
Sarah Stannage asks whether we can be confident that individuals and communities will step forward to support the development of local creative economies.
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.
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.
Paul Richards recalls how a dedicated team of volunteers, including performers, created UpRise, London’s anti-racism festival, after the demise of its predecessor.
Andrew Lock describes two architectural projects at the Southbank Centre that reveal the benefits of participation by users in the development of public spaces.