News

A music venue in Bath that has hosted some of the biggest names in UK music has closed with immediate effect.

The Music Venue Trust said that the city's Moles venue has filed for insolvency, stating that the rise in costs and overheads and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis have made it impossible to continue.

Since opening its doors in 1978, the 220-capacity venue has hosted acts including Ed Sheeran, The Killers, Fat Boy Slim, Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, The Smiths and Idles during the early stages of their careers.

Tom Maddicott, co-owner of Moles, said: "Massively increased costs of stock, utilities and rent compounded by our customers also feeling the impact of the crisis has made it impossible to continue. 

"It’s obviously an incredibly difficult decision to have to take, for our team, the staff, the local community, and the artists that over the years have created such an incredible history of music.

"But the reality is that live music at grassroots level is no longer economically viable, and we will not be the only grassroots music venue forced to close. 

"There needs to be a major shake-up of the live industry with the big players supporting the grassroots where it all begins to secure that pipeline of talent."

Creative UK has unveiled a bullying and harassment resource designed to help improve and professionalise behaviours across the creative industries.
 
‘It’s NOT OK’ is a free-to-use e-learning module that aims to inform workers in the arts sector about prevalent behavioural issues and offer guidance on how to seek help.

The project follows a series of industry roundtables with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), representatives from film and television, music, advertising, games, publishing, theatre and fashion along with key unions, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), and people with lived experience of bullying, harassment and discrimination.  

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: "I've heard first-hand this week about the serious impact bullying and harassment can have.

"It is never acceptable, and the creative industries must leave no stone unturned in making sure that people feel they can contribute their skills in a safe and supportive environment. Giving them the tools and training to call out inappropriate behaviour is an important step forward in achieving that." 

Festival organisers are struggling to book big names in the UK as they are no longer an appealing destination for headline acts, it has been claimed.

The Observer reports the situation has arisen due to rising costs, increased competition and Brexit. Organisers say US acts, in particular, are proving challenging to tempt over as their financial expectations in a dynamic pricing landscape exceed the £2m fee an A-grade festival headliner in the UK can expect.

“The UK just isn’t an attractive offer at the moment,” says Sacha Lord, co-founder of Parklife Festival and night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester. “When you’re booking these huge global artists, you’re competing with the rest of the world. It’s really tough out there.”

Audience expectations for high-production-value performances and the rising cost of putting a show together and taking it on the road were also cited as causing problems for both artists and promoters.

There are likewise concerns about increased competition from the proliferation of small-scale festivals in recent years as councils increasingly look to rent out their green spaces.

Lord says these issues have been compounded by Brexit, as previously, UK dates could slot into a European tour. With an increased risk of equipment being held up at the border, Lord said: “If that happens, you’re going to lose your headliners. It’s caused major issues in the industry.” 

Kelly Wood, national organiser for live performance at the Musicians’ Union, added that there aren’t as many acts coming to the UK as factoring in time for travel checks makes it less appealing.

The Lowry has invested in a wellbeing service to provide mental health support for its 650 staff.

The Manchester venue has signed up for a wellbeing streaming service provided by Frog Systems to give staff access to expert videos, podcasts, films and digital resources around wellbeing as well as a directory of support organisations in the UK.

The Lowry said the streaming service will sit alongside an in-house counselling service and an employee engagement platform to "provide an holistic package of freely available support that staff and volunteers".

“It’s so important we continue to do all we can to support the mental health and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers,” said Julia Fawcett, CEO of The Lowry.

Phil Worms, CEO of Frog Systems, said: “It’s been a tough time for the arts in general in recent years and The Lowry has not been immune.

"We are delighted to support the staff and volunteers who are in turn helping The Lowry to brighten the lives of so many others in the wider community.”

A total of 14 theatre and dance projects have received funding to tour communities across Scotland.

Among those receiving a share of £2m National Lottery funding through Creative Scotland’s Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance are Dogstar Theatre Company, based in the Scottish Highlands around Inverness, and Lyth Arts Centre, Scotland’s most northerly mainland arts centre based in Caithness.

Creative Scotland said the funding will enable a wide range of new and award-winning productions, such as modern adaptations of classic works, autobiographical pieces, musicals, physical theatre and spoken word performances, to visit small, mid and large-scale venues across 2024 and 2025. 

Paul Burns, Creative Scotland’s Interim Director of Arts, said: “We’re delighted to be announcing recipients of the seventh round of funding to support makers and programmers of some of Scotland’s best theatre and dance. 

"Featuring new and familiar names, this stellar line-up of shows is ready to hit the road and weave their magic with first-time and seasoned audiences in a whole host of settings.”  

A museum was prevented from reopening after a health and safety inspection discovered  "hazardous substances risks", according to a heritage organisation.

The Wirral Transport Museum and Tramway was closed on 20 April by Wirral Council following an inspection by the Office of Road and Rail (ORR), which found “significant contraventions of health and safety law” both in the building and in the procedures of how the museum and tramline operated.

Big Heritage,  which finalised its takeover of the museum on 17 November from the Wirral Council, said that the closure had been an "inconvenience, but no inconvenience supersedes public safety and the risk to life of visitors and volunteers".

In a statement, Big Heritage said: "We have every sympathy with volunteers and visitors who have been frustrated at this situation.

"But we can attest that Wirral Council took the results of the inspection very seriously and have spent considerable time and resources to address the issues raised as quickly as possible."

The company said procedures had been implemented to monitor and record a range of health and safety and control of hazardous substances risks. It added that a model railway donated 20 years ago has been removed from display as it posed a serious fire risk.

Big Heritage has announced plans to raise over £5m to transform the museum and double its size.

A Wirral Council spokesperson told the BBC: "Ahead of the transfer of the building, there were several issues identified by the council and the ORR report that needed to be addressed and which required the facility to remain closed so the work could be carried out safely.

"The security and upkeep of the building is now in the hands of Big Heritage CIC, while the council-owned heritage trams are on loan to them, with specific contractual requirements around their safety, security and maintenance.

"The council is committed to providing ongoing support to all parties with an interest in the future success of the Wirral Transport Museum."
 

A free outdoor festival held in Birmingham had a positive economic and cultural impact on the city, according to a new report.

Birmingham Festival 23 was held over nine days in Centenary Park this summer to mark the first anniversary of the city hosting the Commonwealth Games.

The event comprised 153 projects and performances from more than 800 artists and saw a footfall of 123,500, with local people making up 85% of the attendees.

Visitors to the festival brought a positive economic impact, the report revealed, as local audiences spent a total of £422,391, while visitors spent £210,616.

The report also found that 80% of attendees felt the the festival made them feel proud of their local area, while 93.9% agreed it was friendly and inclusive. 
 

The organisation behind Vault Festival has announced plans to move into a new venue in central London to host its next festival in autumn 2024.

Vault Festival of live performance has taken place at The Vaults, a theatre and creative space beneath London Waterloo station, since 2012. Earlier this year, the venue announced it would no longer host the event, putting its future in doubt.

Vault says its new multi-space venue will be a “thriving artistic hub” located in a vacant space in Zone 1. Due to open in spring 2024, it will host “new creative ventures” in addition to the yearly festival and will be aimed at supporting early-career artists. 

The company is currency fundraising for access equipment in the new space.

Vault Director and Co-Founder Andy George said: “One of our non-negotiables for our new home was ensuring we have step-free access so more people can enjoy the work of our wonderful artists. But we don’t want to stop there. We want to install access tools throughout the building so that artists and audiences who are d/Deaf, deafened or living with sight loss can enjoy everything we and our artists do.”

He added: “We are pumped to have found a new home for VAULT following a challenging few years.”
 

Thanet Council has revealed plans to restore and modernise Theatre Royal Margate in a bid to transform the Grade II* listed venue into a “nationally significant performing arts hub”.

Proposals put forward for public review include adding a bar and cafe, a 50-seat studio theatre and sound recording studio to the 245-year-old building, as well as rehearsal rooms, offices and accommodation for touring theatre companies.

The council is also testing the market to find a new operator from the performing arts sector for the venue.

Funding of £2.2m has been allocated to the project as part of the Margate Town Deal, but the council says significant external financing is needed. 

To raise funds, Thanet Council has applied to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a further £3.2m. It is also in conversation with Arts Council England about applying to the Department of Culture Media and Sport’s Cultural Development Fund, launching in 2024. 
 
Ruth Duckworth, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property at the council, said: “The Theatre Royal is an important historic performance asset, and plays a key role in Margate’s leisure offering. The project to restore and relaunch it is highly ambitious, and it will not be possible without the support of other major funders, an operator with vision and resources, and the support of the community. 

“The Theatre Royal has the potential to provide employment and training opportunities for young people in performing arts and creative careers. It is a truly unique heritage stage, and I would love to see homegrown talent performing in high quality, locally made productions, as well as visiting national and international theatre productions.”