Thursday, 18 April 2024
Council cuts to arts budgets have left charitable trusts and foundations 'overwhelmed' with applications for funding as arts and culture organisations attempt to source alternative income.
Arts organisations are turning to trusts and foundations to plug funding gaps caused by local authority cuts to arts spending leaving them "overwhelmed", Arts Professional's latest Pulse survey has found. With more than two-thirds of local authorities cutting or planning to cut the amount they spend on arts and culture, 57% of survey respondents said they had applied for funding from trusts and... read more
Thursday, 25 April 2024

Shadow Culture Secretary says Arts Council England would be 'central to a decade of national renewal' under a Labour government.

screengrab of Thangam Debbonaire
A Labour government would conduct a fresh review of Arts Council England (ACE) if the current process being led by Dame Mary Archer "does not ask the right questions", Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire has said. Speaking at The Stage's Future of Theatre conference today (25 April)... read more
Wednesday, 24 April 2024

Fewer than half of visual artists in the South West have been commissioned to create new work in the past year survey finds.

Female painter draws picture with paintbrush on canvas for outdoor street exhibition
Photo:

TRAVELARIUM

Most visual artists living in the South West of England earn less than £10,000 a year from their artistic work, research by sector support organisation Visual Arts South West (VASW) has found. A survey of 318 visual artists from across the region found that 35% made under £5,000, with 20% earning... read more
Wednesday, 24 April 2024

First meeting of group tasked with achieving cross-industry consensus on how much musicians make from streaming begins with call for action to 'ensure the UK remains a competitive marketplace for music-making'.

Photo:

millann/iStock

Patience is "wearing thin” with the lack of progress in achieving a fair slice of streaming income for musicians, organisations representing music creators have told an industry working group established by government. A statement delivered at the first meeting of the Creator Remuneration Working... read more
Tuesday, 23 April 2024

MPs and music industry bodies criticise government's rejection of recommendations aimed at making the music industry safer for women.

The hands of a woman using a mixing desk
Photo:

demaerre

Government is not doing enough to improve protections from harassment and discrimination for women working in the music industry professionals, an influential group of MPs has said. The Women and Equalities Select Committee (WEC) published a range of recommendations directed at the government in... read more
Tuesday, 23 April 2024

Calls for a Freelance Commissioner and Cultural Touring Agreement are among the proposals outlined in the manifesto, which covers skills and education, freelancing, investment, innovation, intellectual property and global power.

Photo:

gorodenkoff/iStock

Creative UK has published its manifesto for the cultural and creative industries ahead of the forthcoming general election. Entitled Our Creative Future, the manifesto covers six areas - the future of creative education and skills, freelancing, funding and investment models, intellectual property... read more
Monday, 22 April 2024

Welsh Culture Secretary tells Senedd that crumbling infrastructure and a lack of funds will not force National Museum Cardiff to close.

Exterior view of the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff picture in 2021
National Museum Cardiff will receive funding to remain open, the Welsh Culture Secretary has told the Senedd, following concerns that the building may have to close due to maintenance issues and a £3m grant cut from the government. Lesley Griffiths, who was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Culture... read more
Monday, 22 April 2024

Arts Council England stands by decision to fund a show about a transgender artist’s search for a sperm donor with more than £60,000 of public money.

Promotional material for Krishna Istha’s show First Trimester
Arts Council England (ACE) has spoken out in support of a show about a transgender artist’s search for a sperm donor after the use of public money for the project was criticised. Krishna Istha’s show First Trimester, which involved conversations live on stage with potential sperm donors, took place... read more
Wednesday, 17 April 2024

Senior figures from arts and culture organisations say government-ordered review of Arts Council England requires sector input to be meaningful.

Let's Create logo
The current review of Arts Council England (ACE) should involve consultation with the arts and culture sector to ensure a broad range of voices are heard, leaders have said. A full scale review of ACE officially launched on 15 March with the appointment of Dame Mary Archer as Lead Reviewer. ... read more
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Wednesday, 17 April 2024

Company says it has taken the 'difficult decision' to withdraw two weeks from its previously announced 2024/2025 season in the face of challenging economic times.

The Marriage of Figaro as performed by Welsh National Opera
Photo:

Richard Hubert-Smith

Planned tours by Welsh National Opera to Bristol and Llandudno will not go ahead due to ongoing financial challenges, the organisation has said. WNO said the "difficult decision" was taken because substantial reductions in the public funding it receives from Arts Council Engaland (ACE) and Arts... read more
Wednesday, 17 April 2024

The OHMI Music-Makers programme will now be available for schools in Central Bedfordshire, Southampton and Liverpool.

A young person playing a clarinet
A music-making programme for disabled children is being extended to another three areas of England after receiving Arts Council England lottery funding. OHMI Music-Makers will now be delivered by The OHMI Trust in Central Bedfordshire, Southampton and Liverpool. The aim of the scheme is to offer... read more
Tuesday, 16 April 2024

A combination of redundancies and roles not being replaced will reduce the public body's staff by 13.

Arts Council of Wales offices in Cardiff
Photo:

Google

Arts Council of Wales (ACW) has announced significant staff redundancies and the departure of senior leadership team members as part of a cost-cutting restructuring of the arts funder. The job cuts follow the Welsh Government's announcement earlier this year of a 10.5% reduction in ACW's budget for... read more