News

York Theatre Royal will have new box office software, environmentally friendly lighting and better access for disabled people following a major upgrade.

City of York Council has agreed to put £500,000 towards the works over the next four years. Councillor Darryl Smalley said the theatre "plays a significant role in contributing to the diversity of York’s economy and the wellbeing of residents".

"The decision session will set out how the council and York Theatre Royal will work together in the future, from strengthening the local economy, increasing opportunities for young people and importantly ensuring value for money."

Oil company Shell will not renew its sponsorship of the BFI and Southbank Centre.

The long-running partnerships will come to an end this year amid growing debate over the ethics of fossil fuel company sponsorship in the arts. The BFI said this had been Shell's decision; Southbank Centre said the end to its 14-year-long partnership was mutually agreed.

READ MORE:

• No room for neutrality on ethical sponsorship
• Pulse report: ethical sponsorship in the arts

The BFI recently declared a 'climate emergency' and pledged to amplify the voices of people affected by climate change.

Chris Garrard, Co-Director of campaign group Culture Unstained, said Shell should not be welcomed by arts institutions: "With mounting pressure from artists, workers and the public these partnerships have stopped helping Shell launder its image and instead shone a spotlight on its climate crashing activities."

Opera singer Placido Domingo has withdrawn from planned performances at the Royal Opera House (ROH) in London.

The ROH said his withdrawl was "mutually agreed" following an investigation by an American performers' union that found Domingo had behaved in a sexually inappropriate manner towards women working in the industry.

READ MORE:

• Domingo abused his power, investigators find
• Royal Opera House keeps Domingo shows

On Tuesday, a separate investigation by Domingo's former employer Los Angeles Opera also found the allegations against him were credible.

An ROH spokesperson said: “We would like to confirm that we have received no claims of misconduct against Maestro Domingo during his time at the Royal Opera House and are sympathetic of his reasons for stepping down."

Arts sector associations are pushing their policy goals ahead of the new Budget, due to be announced next week.

Performers' union Equity is visiting Number 10 on Friday to press for support for the creative industries. As well as increased investment in the arts and arts education, Equity is asking for protections for the BBC and a European visa for creative professionals.

READ MORE:

• 'Dire circumstances' for arts funding
• Life after Brexit: copyright and Creative Europe

UK Music CEO Tom Keihl has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to emphasise the music industry's contribution to the economy and urge the Government to adopt the assocation's four-point plan to boost its growth: fiscal incentives, international trade support, shared parental leave for the self-employed and rehearsal rooms for young people in low-income areas.

A separate open letter asking the Government to reconsider its withdrawl from Creative Europe is being circulated online. It has already amassed several hundred signatures.  

Theatres, museums and festivals will share in an £8.6m boost to arts and creativity in the Greater Manchester region.

The investment in the Greater Manchester Culture Fund - a 23% increase on the £7m allocated in 2018 - will benefit 35 cultural organisations across 10 boroughs. For the first time this year, literature and carnival arts organisations have received grants alongside museums, heritage, theatre, film, dance, music, and visual arts organisations.

The successful applicants include Manchester International Fesitval (MIF), HOME, Royal Exchange Theatre, Oldham Coliseum, Halle Orchestra and Manchester Pride.

Plans for the opening phase of a new creative arts campus in Manchester are under way after its developer secured £140m.

LTE Group has partnerned with Manchester College, the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership and local authorities to create an education centre for the creative and digital industries. Manchester City Council has already approved a £27.6m loan for the redevelopment.

The 200,000 square foot facility will focus on the creative and performing arts and feature a theatre, film studios, music practice rooms and a photography studio.

The project aims to be completed in Juanuary 2022, with a second phase to develop additional teaching spaces to follow.

Guildhall School of Music and Drama has closed for up to two weeks after a teacher contracted coronavirus.

An email from Principal Lynne Williams said the man “came into contact with a limited number of students” but that all performances, classes, workshops and meetings have been cancelled as a precaution. Students have not been quarantined.

The neighbouring Barbican Centre remains open as usual.

Financial returns for creative arts graduates are negative or close to zero - depending on your gender.

Research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) says one in five students would be better off if they skipped university altogther. An analysis of tax data found creative arts graduates had the worst financial returns of any degree subject. "The losses are substantial," IFS economist Ben Waltmann said.

Men studying creative arts can expect negative financial returns across their lifetime, compared to men who studied medicine or economics whose average returns are more than half a million pounds.

On average, financial returns for female arts graduates over a lifetime are close to zero, compared to £250,000 for women with degrees in law, economics or medicine.