News

A consortium of arts organisations have joined forces to offer 40 paid work placements in Manchester.

Manchester International Festival is leading the programme as part of the Government's Kickstart scheme for young people facing lower employment prospects. 

It plans to create opportunities for local people at The Factory, the city’s new arts centre. 

The Royal Exchange, Contact, The Lowry and HOME were also involved in securing funding via Creative & Cultural Skills for the placements. 

The roles will cover all aspects of the industry, including sponsorship, communications, producing, marketing, touring, engagement, training, operations and maintenance.

A community of diverse freelance artists has published a manifesto in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and their own experience of working in an industry beleaguered by systemic discrimination. 

Energised by the sense that change is now possible, the group convened by Fuel Theatre have created guidelines for individuals and organisations to create a safe space, free of racism, for Black artists.

The manifesto includes the following call to action for individuals and organisations to sign up to its principles. 

As an individual, I endorse this manifesto and pledge to play whatever part I can in moving forwards together to create a safe space, free of racism, for the Black artist and for all. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8TJVLPM

As an organisation, we endorse this manifesto and pledge to work together to create a safe space, free of racism, for the Black artist and for all. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8TJVLPM

Nearly a fifth of National Trust sites could be at "high risk" over the next 40 years due to climate change.

In a worst case scenario in which carbon emissions aren't lowered, up to 47,888 sites could be at medium-to-high risk of flooding, landslides, coastal erosion and extreme heat and humidity.

The National Trust aims to become carbon net zero by 2030 and considering how its buildings and collections can be protected from extreme weather.

Harry Bowell, the National Trust Director for land and Nature said the data "paints a stark picture of what we have to prepare for".

"But by acting now, and working with nature, we can adapt to many of these risks."

An electronic music dance party in Amsterdam aims to determine whether festivals can reopen safely.

The experiment by Fieldlab, a collaboration between the Netherlands' government and entertainment industry, tested measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and monitored audience behaviour.

1,300 people were split into five groups with different rules. Some had to wear face masks, while others were encouraged to shout and cheer. Everyone was equipped with sensors to monitor how much contact they had with others.

"We are actually testing here if the people adhere to the measures that we requested from them," said Pieter Lubberts of Fieldlab Events.

Attendees had tested negative for Covid-19 ahead of the party and will all be tested five days after.

Video capability is being integrated into Customer Relationship Management systems for the cultural sector through a new partnership between worldwide video hosting platform Vimeo and ticketing supplier Tessitura.

The development will enable cultural organisations to give their audiences access to gated video performances, concerts, and educational programming, so that viewers have to login to access content. As well as helping organisations to build their audience data, the system will enable them to limit access to video performances to those who pay, or offer access as a benefit of a membership scheme.

It will also enable organisations to build a branded subscription service across devices and manage video libraries from a single secure hub.

Among the early users of the system are the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE).

Westminster's Labour councillors are proposing to turn Oxford Street's vacant Debenhams store into a gallery space.

The 'Oxofrd Street Art House' would include creative workspaces, five floors of galleries, a rooftop garden, cafes and a new home for Marylebone public library.

The flagship Debenhams store closed during the pandemic and there is no commercial interest in the 400,000 square foot building, TimeOut reports.

A new creative writing programme for Black, Asian and ethnically diverse writers is offering bursaries to explore the landscape and heritage of the South Downs National Park.

‘Shifting the Gaze’ will provide 15 bursaries of £500. The money will cover time researching and developing new writing projects.

The programme is a partnership between Sussex-based arts organisation Writing Our Legacy and the South Downs National Park Authority, which is currently celebrating a 'Year of Creative Writing'.

Amy Zamarripa Solis, Chair and Programme Manager of Writing Our Legacy, said the programme was “an opportunity to hear from new voices from the South East's diverse creative talent”.

She added: “South Downs National Park's rich heritage and inspiring landscapes provide a place for writers to explore and connect with an incredibly important place of natural beauty in the region.

“We can't wait to see the applications from writers and we urge writers of all levels of experience and backgrounds to apply." 

Applications open on April 5.