Spotlight on Shakespeare

Actors on stage at the RSC
21 Apr 2016

What do audiences for Shakespeare look like today? As theatres prepare to mark the 400th anniversary of the bard’s death, The Audience Agency reveals some valuable insights.

Democratising the arts

Photo of a performance
21 Apr 2016

70 years after public money was first put towards increasing the accessibility of the arts, Steven Hadley asks if it’s a never-ending task.

Cultural inequalities

Students in beautiful library
21 Apr 2016

We accept income as a strong predictor of cultural taste. But why should this be, asks sociologist Aaron Reeves. And does taste matter as much as actual participation? 

Not all bad news

Photo of street performers
14 Apr 2016

Festivals may no longer benefit from regular funding streams, but Owen McNeir is optimistic that they can still thrive on a mixed-income approach to fundraising.

Words, words – they're all we have to go on

Image of magnetic word tiles
07 Apr 2016

Rachel Grunwald flinches every times she hears someone – including herself – use terms such as ‘cultural offer’, ‘digital’ or ‘diversity’. Is it time to rethink the language we use?

Dark performances

Production shot
07 Apr 2016

How many theatres offer audio description services to blind and partially sighted people? Matthew Cock carried out some research and is disappointed with his findings.

A DIY approach can make us better value the arts

Photo of barriers
01 Apr 2016

The arts needs to lose a sense of purity and develop a start up attitude, argues festival director Briana Pegado.

Recruiting millennials

Group of young people with mobiles/tablets
31 Mar 2016

Tech and data-savvy millennials are ideal employees for arts organisations, but how can we make the sector attractive enough to recruit them, asks Libby Penn.

Allowed to play up

Girl in flowery red hat
30 Mar 2016

Is ‘live art’ the perfect medium for intergenerational arts projects? Liz O’Neill explains how children can help adults embrace the fun of experimental performance.

We need to do better

Actor with wheelchair
30 Mar 2016

Angered about how few young people with learning disabilities are involved in the arts, Richard Hayhow urges the sector to open its eyes to the talent and creativity out there.

How to... Create theatre for deaf and hearing audiences

Photo of a performance
24 Mar 2016

Make full use of the senses – even those you don't have: Deafinitely Theatre’s Paula Garfield explains how to create theatre for deaf and hearing audiences.

Insight tools for touring companies

Circus performance with musicians
24 Mar 2016

Touring companies have trailed behind venues in their access to meaningful audience data, but new insight tools are now benefiting touring companies and venues alike. Rosie Hanley reports.

The gig economy explored

Photo of a post it note illustrating work-life balance
17 Mar 2016

How do we best manage an economy in which many people don’t have a salaried job? Michelle Wright discusses the move away from 9 to 5 employment in the arts.

Reimagining opera

Image of two men in embrace
15 Mar 2016

From an all-male ‘CarMen’ to a gay-themed Tosca, Robin Pietà reveals how Secret Opera is helping opera to shed its stuffy, elitist image and boosting LGBT representation in the industry.

Behind the curtain: The stubbornly beautiful craft of violin making

Richard Wilson
14 Mar 2016

What draws people to a craft that has remained unchanged since the 1800s?

The power of performance

Photo of three women dancing
10 Mar 2016

Dance offers older people many physical and social benefits, but performing to an audience makes the greatest impact on wellbeing, believes Jemma Bicknell.

A joyful union?

Photo of begging poster
10 Mar 2016

The arts and health may have been officially coupled with the launch of a new evaluation framework, but will they ever be comfortable bedfellows? Frances Williams has her doubts.

How can you develop without opportunities?

Marketing for Clocks 1888: the greener of Keisha Atwell
08 Mar 2016

Young actress Keisha Atwell reflects on her career so far, calling for the same opportunities to be given to all BME performers. 

How to... plan a theatre tour

Production shot of The Birthday Party
08 Mar 2016

London Classic Theatre’s Michael Cabot shares his tips for those hoping to hit the road.

Developing a narrative for people, communities and place

Photo of choir rehearsal
03 Mar 2016

How can arts organisations present their offer more effectively to public service commissioners? Five pilot consortia have been working to do just that and Jessica Harris reports on what they’ve learned. 

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