Monday, 20 May 2024
Proportion of people attending arts events on a weekly basis has fallen by 14 percentage points over the last two years, according to government data.
The percentage of people physically attending arts or cultural events at least once a week fell to 59% during the final three months of 2023, according to statistics published by DCMS.
The figure comes from the government’s most recently published Participation Survey covering October to December 2023 - the third quarter of 2023/24. The 59% is a drop of one percentage point on the figure recorded... read more
Friday, 24 May 2024
Sector leaders call for arts, culture and the creative industries to be central to policy plans of parties contesting the forthcoming general election.
Photo:
UK Government
Ringfenced funding for arts and 'radical' action to support the growth of cultural and creative industries are among a range of policies being pushed to be taken up by political parties in the run up to the general election.
Speaking outside 10 Downing Street on Wednesday (22 May) Prime Minister... read more
Friday, 24 May 2024
Senior figures from arts and culture organisations have previously said that government-ordered review of Arts Council England requires sector input to be meaningful.
A formal consultation with arts and culture organisations will be conducted as part of the ongoing review of Arts Council England, it has been confirmed.
A full scale review of the government quango launched on 15 March with the appointment of Dame Mary Archer as Lead Reviewer.
Speaking at the... read more
Thursday, 23 May 2024
Culture Secretary says that while she has concerns about the state of local authority finances, tax reliefs introduced by government have allowed cultural organisations to 'maximise their economic potential'.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer was unable to name a single arts and culture organisation struggling to remain open due to financial problems during a grilling by MPs.
Appearing before the Culture Select Committee yesterday (22 May), just hours before Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a general... read more
Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Report finds evidence of unsustainable working conditions and a growing pay disparity for parents and carers working in the performing arts.
Photo:
PiPA
Parents and carers in the performing arts are earning on average £7,000 less than workers without caring responsibilities, according to the findings of a new report.
The second edition of the Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA) benchmark survey, Balancing Act: Take Two, commissioned by... read more
Tuesday, 21 May 2024
The National Lottery Community Fund, which has previously funded arts projects supporting wellbeing, young people and the elderly, has announced plans to extend its reach to more than 80% of the UK.
Photo:
Sabrina Bracher/iStock
A National Lottery-supported fund that has previously invested in arts projects across local communities is set to receive its largest expansion in three decades.
The National Lottery Community Fund plans to make funding available for more than 80% of areas across the UK and reach more than 60% of... read more
Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Campaign group says fundamental changes to the schooling system are necessary to address 'erosion and inequality' in arts education provision.
Photo:
monkeybusinessimages via iStock
Schoolchildren should be entitled to four hours of arts lessons each week as part of a range of measures to improve arts education provision across England, a campign group has said.
The Cultural Learning Alliance's (CLA) manifesto also calls for parties contesting the forthcoming general election... read more
Tuesday, 21 May 2024
A survey has shown that 70% of people agree that music is important to their well-being.
Photo:
Bill Lam
Nearly 75% of people believe UK orchestras are a vital part of the country’s heritage, according to new a new report.
Conducted by The Association of British Orchestras (ABO) as part of a three-year campaign, a survey of 2,000 adults has shown that 65% of respondents think classical music is under-... read more
Monday, 20 May 2024
Disappointed music fans have vented their frustration at Royal Albert Hall's online ticket booking system branding it 'an absolute shambles'.
Photo:
Mark McNulty
BBC Proms has reported record-breaking online ticket sales over the weekend, with around 125,000 tickets sold and 15 out of 90 concerts now standing room only.
Figures provided by the BBC show that opening day sales on 18 May were 36% higher than last year, with 107,000 tickets sold, around 500... read more
Monday, 20 May 2024
Arts Council England confirms that it discussed controversial changes to its Relationship Framework with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport prior to its publication but inists had no input into the revisions.
Guidance published by Arts Council England warning cultural organisations to be wary of "overtly political or activist" statements was drawn up in relation to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, performers' union Equity has claimed.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the union... read more
Friday, 17 May 2024
Research finds a 'huge range of effectiveness' between different cultural organisations when it comes to web pages focused on similar goals.
A noticeable gap in website performance exists between the best and worst performing cultural organisations, a study has found.
A report by digital agency Substrakt assessing website traffic data across 76 cultural organisations in Europe and North America during 2023 found that the "digital divide... read more
Friday, 17 May 2024
Culture Secretary says the UK can 'support positive social change' in Saudi Arabia through engagement and relationship building as UK cultural organisations attend trade event in Riyadh.
Photo:
DCMS
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has defended UK efforts to capitalise on opportunities for businesses in Saudi Arabia following a meeting with the kingdom's Tourism Minister.
Her meeting with Ahmed Al Khateeb coincides with a visit to the kingdom by leaders of UK arts and culture organisations -... read more