In the first of our series looking at the role of philanthropy in arts funding, Caroline McCormick of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation argues that the financial plight of our cultural institutions is undermining their huge impact.
Recently DCMS has been consulting extensively to identify ways of encouraging cultural philanthropy - in particular from high-net-worth individuals. This government views philanthropy as the answer to the problem of declining levels of charitable giving to the sector which, according to the UK Giving Report 2023, has more than halved to less than 1% of all philanthropy.
I have been asked by several of those consulted what they should say in response. Reflecting on this question, I go... more
01 May 2024
Opinion
The decimation of arts education has hit the music sector particularly hard. Deborah Annetts of the Independent Society of Musicians calls on government departments to work together to stop the decline.
30 Apr 2024
Feature
As activity this year gathers pace, Michelle Wright explores the many quandaries arts organisations have to navigate in deciding where to focus their fundraising efforts.
29 Apr 2024
Case study
Welcome to Metroland. We are in Brent, London’s fifth largest borough, an urban sprawl and home to 340,000 people. But, as Lois Stonock shares, the cultural infrastructure needs support.
26 Apr 2024
Opinion
To mark World Intellectual Property Day, Adele Morse thinks it’s time the UK caught up with other countries in paying its artists fairly.
24 Apr 2024
Opinion
Co-Founder of Freedom in the Arts, Rosie Kay, thinks the arts in the UK have strayed into a culture of intolerance, which has led to cancellation and a climate of self-censorship that has to be addressed.
24 Apr 2024
Opinion
Voters across England go to the polls next week (2 May) to elect many thousands of new councillors and 10 metro mayors – one of them being the Mayor of London. Phoebe Gardiner outlines what mayoral hopefuls need to understand about the capital’s culture.
23 Apr 2024
Feature
As global politics become increasingly polarised, the right to freedom of expression is under threat in many countries, including the European Union, writes Johanna Bankston.
22 Apr 2024
Feature
Responding to Arts Professional’s coverage of ACE’s political statements policy in February, Lauren James explains why defending free speech is so important to those working in the sector’s ‘engine rooms’.
19 Apr 2024
Feature
The future of the arts scene is 'terrifying', according to Ayvianna Snow, Chair of Equity's London North branch. Here, she makes the case for the UK to increase arts spending to 1% of government expenditure.
18 Apr 2024
Opinion
There has been a massive decline in arts for young people over the last 15 years. So much so that Joe Hallgarten thinks we need a dedicated national organisation to repair the damage. The current review of ACE might provide an opportunity.
18 Apr 2024
Feature
In light of the huge challenges that so many arts and culture organisations have faced in recent years, Watershed’s Clare Reddington shares five ‘rules’ for turning your organisation round.
17 Apr 2024
Feature
A report from King’s College London looks at potential policy solutions to combat precarity in freelance cultural work. Sana Kim, one of the researchers, shares its key findings.
16 Apr 2024
Opinion
A blog post by a former government adviser has called for a cap on the number of students studying creative subjects. Orian Brook thinks the figures used to justify this argument misrepresent creative graduates’ earning power and contribution.
16 Apr 2024
Feature
Being an artist, at all career stages, is a minefield waiting to be triggered without informed guidance. Simon Poulter has been canvassing artists about being sold a dream.
10 Apr 2024
Opinion
Artistic freedom is an increasingly contested area of public discourse. But as Ruth Anderson of Index on Censorship argues, while she might not agree with what is expressed, she defends the right to do so.