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Some artists stand to earn thousands as Sony Music cancels their historic debts.

Musicians who took on debt when they signed on to the label prior to 2000 did not always earn enough to repay their advances. Black artists have been particularly affected.

The move, which comes amid growing pressure on labels to distribute income more equitably, will allow these artists to profit from streaming revenues and other royalty payments for the first time.

Music industry lawyer Aurelia Butler-Ball said many of the record deals made before 2000 didn't know streaming platforms would ever exist: "Therefore, artists didn't have the right mechanisms in place to see those revenues."

She said other major labels such as Universal and Warner Music may follow suit.

"I think this is absolutely a sign of labels recognising that there is pressure coming from not only artists but fan bases, and it's increasingly being talked about publicly."

Minack Theatre in Cornwall has received an apology from DCMS after Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden wrongly claimed it had benefitted from the Culture Recovery Fund.

The venue hosted spouses of G7 leaders, including Carrie Symonds and Jill Biden, over the weekend.

Dowden quickly deleted his tweet claiming it was "one of more than 650 theatres helped through Covid with support from the £2bn Culture Recovery Fund" after the theatre called out his mistake:

"We did not benefit... as we were not eligible to apply. It turned out having a good level of cash reserves meant we had to fend for ourselves."

Executive Director Zoe Curnow called Dowden's attempt to score a political point "unfortunate".

LGBT charity Queercircle plans to open a dedicated cultural venue on the Greenwich Peninsula in January 2022.

It aims to fundraise £40,000 to open the new site in the Design District housing a gallery, library and project spaces, citing the loss of half of London's LGBTQ+ venues over the past decade.

The venue will offer an annual programme of physical and digital exhibitions, residencies and participation programmes.

Queercircle Founder Ashley Joiner said exploratory workshops had identified the need for a permanent cultural space for the LGBTQ+ community.

"We look to New York’s Leslie Lohman Gallery, Berlin’s Schwules Museum and Hong Kong’s Sunpride Foundation, and believe we deserve the same here in London.

"Having secured an affordable space, we hope to foster an ecology of artists, curators, writers, thinkers, community organisers, grassroots organisations and charities who collectively work together to build a stronger, more creative and collaborative community."

Manchester Museum has received more than £136,000 to roll out a two-year project targeting the museum sector's response to climate change.

'Roots & Branches' will scale up carbon literacy training across museums in England, creating a national "hub of cultural environmental action".

It aims to train 1,500 museum professionals and help 300 institutions pledge to take action against climate change.

Manchester Museum and the Carbon Literacy Trust, of which it is a member, will share a new coordinator post financed by the Arts Council England project grant.

"This project will be pivotal in developing museum practice further, transforming our sector’s capacity to support ecological thinking and action to build a sustainable future and inspire post-pandemic green recovery," Manchester Museum Director Esme Ward said.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has been cautioned to "abide by the rules" after claiming he will reopen his theatres without social distancing later this month regardless of the restrictions.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said after repeated questioning that he was "not going to get into speculation" about whether Lloyd Webber would be arrested if he contravenes Government guidance, which he has said he is prepared to do.

"We all have to abide by the rules," Jenrick said.

DCMS Committee Chair Julian Knight said Lloyd Webber's comments show how frustrated the live events industry is, "though clearly I wouldn't support anyone breaking the law".

"With the 21 June reopening on a knife edge, the Government needs to be absolutely upfront about the results of its pilot events and how they feed into decision-making."

An announcement on whether restrictions will be relaxed further on June 21 is expected next week.

The University of Surrey and augmented reality app Smartify plan to support arts and heritage organisations after winning a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council.

The Impact Acceleration Account grant will be used to deliver workshops on using augmented technology to increase engagement with arts and heritage.

Professor Caroline Scarles from the University of Surrey will co-lead the project. She says it will allow visitors to explore more exhibits and collections online whilst on-site visits remain restricted.

“It will also open opportunities in a post-Covid climate for developing new ways of engaging visitors outside the traditional in-person visit," she added.

Hereford has released details of how it plans to spend a £22m cash injection from the Stronger Town Fund.

Plans include a £7m library and learning resource centre with a new performance space.

An £800,000 music hub to support Herefordshire Music Service has also been pledged, alongside a digital culture hub led by Rural Media and Hereford College of Arts.

£160,000 will be spent on contemporary art commissions on the exterior of student accommodation blocks.

Hereford Mayor Kath Hey said these ideas were “very much about future proofing the city for the next generation”.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has come under fire from musicians after announcing a new post-Brexit tour deal.

Dowden tweeted on Saturday (June 5) that the UK had taken an "ambitious approach in negotiation on touring artists," after finalising a deal to allow musicians, performers and support crews to tour more easily in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

READ MORE: 'Major flaws' in ministers' post-Brexit touring claims

The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess said "if it wasn't tragic, it would be funny", comparing Iceland's population to Wigan and Liechtenstein's population with Wilmslow.

The UK Government has been heavily criticised for its inaction since news emerged in January that it rejected visa-free touring during Brexit negotiations.