Arts 'key to a long life'

19 Dec 2019

New research from the British Medical Journal found visiting museums, theatres, concerts and art galleries once or twice a year can reduce the risk of death by 14%, with more regular attendance lowering the risk by as much as 31%. Researcher Dr Daisy Fancourt and her team analysed data from more than 6700 adults over the age of 50, as part of a wider study about ageing. Fancourt said further trials are needed.

East Bank overspend rises to £32m

18 Dec 2019

LLDC says the cost of the new East London cultural quarter is more than advisers predicted and has not ruled out further increases to the budget.

‘An early Christmas present’: NPOs get 1.84% funding boost

18 Dec 2019

Arts Council England has confirmed a small cash injection for each of its portfolio organisations in 2020.

Whistleblower targets Irish Arts Council's move

18 Dec 2019

The whistleblower alleged the council breached financial guidelines when making its case to move to new premises, saying the move could cost taxpayers millions in the long term. Minister for Culture Josepha Madigan said the council needed to seek her consent for its proposal to relocate to a site that costs 30% more to rent while still paying for its current building until 2025: "the council has not applied for such consent."

Vienna State Opera encouraged children to smoke

18 Dec 2019

Young dancers were encouraged to smoke to control their weight, addressed by their clothing size and exposed to harsh training routines, a special commission has found. A report said the academy, one of Europe's most prestigious ballet schools, was "endangering their wellbeing": "It is clear that children and adolescents are not sufficiently protected from discrimination, neglect and negative medical effects."

ACE treads carefully with ‘intrusive’ new social class metric

17 Dec 2019

Arts Council England will begin collecting data on the socio-economic background of its NPO workforce next year, but will need to overcome perceptions that doing so is “alien, intimate and intrusive”.

Female artists’ work three times more likely to be undervalued than men’s

17 Dec 2019

New research “confirms many fears that female artists are making less money, regardless of talent”. So what’s the solution?

Fashion designer punched at opera

17 Dec 2019

Lawyer Matthew Feargrieve has been convicted of assault for his attack on Ulrich Engler at the Royal Opera House in October 2018. Engler had moved into a seat near Feargrieve because it had a better view, causing the lawyer to lash out angrily. District Judge John Zani did not accept Feargrieve's argument of self defence.

Green light for ballet academy

16 Dec 2019

Huntingdonshire District Council planners have approved new use for an industrial unit in Godmanchester, paving the way for applicant Mark Swann to turn the warehouse into a dance studio. The academy will teach a range of dance styles to students, most of whom will be aged 15 to 18.

Pension strike costs Opera de Paris €2.5m

16 Dec 2019

Almost all shows were cancelled last week as ballet dancers, who can retire at 42 under the current pension scheme, joined the strikes. Each performance of Alexandre Borodin's 'Prince Igor' that had to be called off cost €358,000 in lost ticket sales.

 

AP's end of year quiz

13 Dec 2019

Arts numpty? Or sector swot? Test your team's knowledge with ArtsProfessional's light-hearted look at the year's news... 

'The bullies have won’: sector reacts to General Election result

13 Dec 2019

An arts charity has experienced a groundswell of support and sector bodies are doubling down on calls for immigration reform.

'World's oldest story' found in Indonesian cave

12 Dec 2019

A 44,000-year-old cave painting depicting human-like figures hunting animals is believed to be the oldest known record of storytelling, according to a team of Australian and Indonesian researchers. The figures are therianthropes - humans with animal characteristics - and, therefore, represent the world's oldest depiction of spirituality as well.

Art Berlin cancelled due to financial woes

12 Dec 2019

Koelnmesse, the owner of the prominent art fair and sister event Art Cologne, has decided there is not "any possibility of realising an event in Berlin that meets our expectations". Organisers secured Tempelhof airport as a venue at the last minute earlier this year, but the agreement did not extend into 2020, troubling future planning, and the fair did not make as much money as expected. "Our focus, now more than ever, is the art fair in Cologne,” the company said.

Stop demonising us, BP boss tells arts sector

12 Dec 2019

The Head of BP in the UK said the company’s sponsorship of the arts is helping to further the public debate on climate change.

New Yorkshire media hub completed

12 Dec 2019

Leeds Studios is set to open in May at the site of a former printworks following a major refurbishment by property development company Caddick Group. Three floors of the site will become Channel 4's new national headquarters. Opera North will also be one of the tenants of the 110,000 square foot space, using it for rehearsals and storage.

Protests over proposed state control of Hungarian theatres

12 Dec 2019

Thousands demonstrated in Budapest on Monday against a bill that would make funding for theatres conditional on a state appointee having a say in selecting theatre directors. Hungary's government said the change would make it clear that a theatre's operation is the responsibility of its financial backer but critics counter it will harm independence in the arts. The bill says that cultural activities would be expected to "actively protect the interests of the nation's survival, well-being and growth".

New national agency to study ageing and creativity

11 Dec 2019

A three-year project will research ways to support later-life creativity and creative technology solutions for an ageing population.

Visiting Arts avoids closure through merger with Farnham Maltings

11 Dec 2019

Farnham Maltings will gain expertise in creating connections in hard-to-reach regions while Visiting Arts secures a future for programmes it was struggling to resource.

Liverpool's 'Hollywood' at risk

11 Dec 2019

A project to transform the former Littlewoods building into a film and television studio is at a standstill and its developers, Capital and Centric, say it "hangs in the balance". Progress halted after an arson attack on the property last year and is unlikely to resume at the start of 2020. The complex, if completed, is expected to include two 20,000 square foot sound stages and create up to 4000 jobs.

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