Key NPOs cut carbon emissions by 40%

14 Feb 2024

A group of 30 Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs) responsible for producing around a third of the portfolio's total carbon output have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by two-fifths since 2018, a new report commissioned by ACE has revealed.

The Culture, Climate and Environmental Responsibility annual report 2022-23 utilises data provided by 2018-23 NPOs covering a variety of environmental impact areas such as touring, business travel, electricity and gas use, and waste, focusing on the completed environmental reporting of 656 organisations - 79% of the current portfolio.

The report, produced by the culture and environmental charity Julie's Bicycle, includes data from 30 'Spotlight' organisations chosen because they have been identified as being responsible for around 30% of the carbon emissions created by NPOs.

Among this group – which includes the Royal Shakespeare Company, Baltic Contemporary Art Centre and the National Theatre – the findings reveal that over the five years, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been reduced overall by 40%.

This cohort also reduced gas use by 32% and electricity by 19%. However, some of the reduction in GHG emissions is due to the decarbonisation of the National Grid.

For example, the report states that in 2022/23, the actual reduction in carbon emissions associated with improved/reduced electricity usage is 13%.

Overall, the report found that NPOs have reduced their energy use by 20% over the last five years.

Examining insights provided by 562 NPOs in 2023 as part of the Beyond Carbon survey, the report found that 94% of NPOs now feature environmental sustainability in their core business strategies, compared to 78% in 2018.

Nearly three-quarters said they have either programmed or produced work that explores environmental themes. This figure was just 48% in 2018.

The upward trend is continued in several other areas, with 66% of the NPOs formally recognising environmental responsibilities in job roles - up from 44% -  and 81% having taken steps to eliminate single-use plastic compared with 64%.

While action to be more sustainable is often perceived as costly, 52% of the respondents reported financial benefits from their actions, and 55% reported creative and artistic opportunities.

In her introduction to the report, Alison Tickell, Founder and CEO of Julie’s Bicycle, called for decarbonising in the arts to become "business-as-usual", adding that "pathways to decarbonisation and regeneration are central to cultural purpose and relevance".

£500k capital funding for Colchester's Mercury Theatre

Image of Mercury theatre
14 Feb 2024

The theatre, which reopened in 2021 after a £11.9m refurbishment, will use the money to create new rehearsal and meeting room spaces.

Museum proposes using mine water for clean energy 

14 Feb 2024

The National Coal Mining Museum has proposed using geothermal heat to help it decarbonise.

The museum pumps an average of 1.5m gallons of water out of Hope Pit daily, which could be used as an alternative energy source. The scheme, which would cost an estimated £2m, could also heat nearby homes,    

Mine Director Shaun McLoughlin told the BBC: "Here at the National Coal Mining Museum, we've realised the potential of the heat from mine water, so we are currently in consultation with Kirklees and Wakefield Council to harness this potential.

"There is enough energy at this mine to provide the heat to heat the houses in Overton, Newhall Prison and decarbonise the whole museum."

McLoughlin added that a scheme could also offer a "great visitor experience for people to see the science and technology at work".

Former ArtsEd teacher launches unfair dismissal claim

ArtsEd building exterior
14 Feb 2024

A tribunal has heard that a former teacher at ArtsEd claimed there was a “culture of fear” at the school and raised concerns over leadership.

Bristol council set to vote on de-listing Colston statue

13 Feb 2024

Plans to de-list a statue of the transatlantic slave trader Edward Colston so it can be permanently housed in a museum are set for approval by Bristol council.

The Grade II-listed statue was toppled by protesters in 2020 before being plunged into Bristol Harbour. It was included in a temporary exhibition at the city's M Shed Museum but has been out of public view since January 2022.

Bristol City Council's development control committee will vote on 21 February on a proposal to delist the statue.

If approved, the statue will be part of an exhibition on protest that due to open next month.

The move follows a public consultation by the We Are Bristol History Commission, which found 80% of Bristolians agreed it should be placed in a museum.

According to a council report, Bristol City Council Conservation said a statue of Colston returning to its plinth was "not a reasonable expectation" due to the possibility of "civil unrest".

Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said: "I remain in support of the view that the best place for the statue is in a museum where its context, and that of what it represents to many communities, can be appropriately shared with diverse audiences."
 

Music licensing organisation to fund East London arts school

Year 12 students on ELAM's music course
13 Feb 2024

Phonographic Performance Limited will financially support programmes at East London Arts & Music that ensure equal access to the school's specialist education.

Speakers cancel RSA events after union calls for boycott

13 Feb 2024

Internationally renowned speakers have withdrawn from engagements at the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA) after members of the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) called for a boycott of the institution in a dispute over pay and concerns about leadership.

Staff at the RSA, who went on strike in December, are calling on fellows, guest speakers, academics and the public not to attend or speak at events organised by or at the RSA. They are also asking members to withhold nominations for new fellows and for academics to abstain from participating in research projects with the RSA.

Economist Yanis Varoufakis cancelled an event at RSA on 15 February in response to the campaign. He wrote on X: “It's our hope that this boycott will help the [RSA union] to ensure that the RSA, with its historically progressive aims, offers fair pay and conditions for all staff.”

Wildlife TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham and comedian and writer Deborah Frances-White also withdrew from engagements at the RSA.

Employees have been in talks with RSA management for six months about a pay claim submitted in January 2023. Staff want a flat £2,800 salary increase for all employees, an increase from 5.5% to 8% for pension contributions and a £400 allowance for staff who don’t benefit from hybrid working.

The union has also accused the organisation of "curtailing free speech and debate through censorship and anti-democratic decisions" and is calling for an independent review of "the suitability of the leadership of the RSA". 

An RSA spokesperson said they were disappointed by the boycott and added that the body has worked with the IWGB to find “constructive resolutions,” offering a £1,000 salary increase, which the union has rejected.

In October 2023, an employment tribunal found the RSA had unfairly dismissed an employee who spoke to the press about the organisation's refusal to recognise the staff trade union. The IWGB said the victory "has only strengthened our members’ resolve to win the ongoing pay dispute and has given them confidence and energy to transform the RSA into an organisation that respects and values their work.”

Badenoch blocks grant for NI rap trio over political views

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, pictured at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023.
12 Feb 2024

A spokesperson for Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said it was “hardly surprising” it had overturned Kneecap's funding award as the Northern Irish group is "opposed to the United Kingdom".

Council votes to support museum’s overbudget renovations 

12 Feb 2024

Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) has voted to continue supporting the redevelopment of Ipswich Museum after a £2.7m overspend.

The museum closed in October 2022 for renovations and expansion, initially budgeted at £8.7m, half of which was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF).

Now with an estimated cost of £11.4m, after rising inflation and supply chain issues, IBC voted on 6 February to ensure the project is delivered in full, unanimously deciding to apply for a second round of funding from the NLHF.

According to a council report, NLHF has indicated that it will consider an additional funding application if the council provides match funding.  

At a committee meeting, the council was warned that, if rejected, the project could be subject to a complete review, halting it for at least 18 more months.

"It's really hard to see what other option we have because we are so far down this road now," said Conservative councillor Ian Fisher.

"If we don't vote for it, we get something that's not going to be anywhere near what we wanted."

Labour councillor Carole Jones, portfolio holder for planning and museums, said: "There are improvements that we need to make, and this is not an extravagant scheme.

"We are where we are, and we can only go forward."

Government launches £24m fund for museum building projects

Rotunda Museum Interior
12 Feb 2024

The government's Museum Estate and Development fund supports capital projects for museums.

Theatre boss says building’s RAAC can be fixed

12 Feb 2024

The Chief Executive of the Royal & Derngate in Northampton has said the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) that forced the building to close for a month in September is less of a problem than initially feared. 

The theatre reopened to audiences in October and is operating at full capacity despite parts of the foyer being closed.

Chief Executive Jo Gordon said: "The good news is the recent RAAC tests that have come back suggest, if you can have such a thing, it's good RAACE.

"It means some of the repairs, some of the mitigation, we can get started on straightaway. It's not the kind of thing that would need a full roof replacement, which was one of the worries in the back of the mind."

Gordon hopes the work will be completed "between now and the summer".

Northern Ballet confirms switch to recorded music

Northern Ballet's headquarters in Leeds
12 Feb 2024

The Musicians' Union 'rejects' Northern Ballet's decision to proceed with cutting the Sinfonia for some touring performances in 2024, labelling the move 'unacceptable'. 

Orchestra musicians walk out over unpaid fees

12 Feb 2024

Musicians from London Chamber Orchestra (LCO) walked out of a rehearsal on 7 February ahead of a performance in protest over unpaid wages.

Around half the players, who are all freelance, took action after voicing objections to five months of overdue payments, according to a report in The Observer. A subsequent performance by LCO at Cadogan Hall went ahead after other musicians were brought in to cover.

Jocelyn Lightfoot, the ensemble's Managing Director, said the issue arose after Barclays Bank froze LCO's account “with no prior warning". The action was part of Barclays' anti-crime measures.

Lightfoot said: “We kept the musicians informed during this period that their payment would go out as soon as the account was reopened, but as the timeline of the reopening was further delayed many times, it was difficult to provide musicians with a clear timeframe.

"We understand the monumental strain on this body of freelancers whose opportunities to work have been reduced and jeopardised due to sweeping cuts to orchestral funding.”

She confirmed that the payments have since been made.

A Barclays Bank spokesperson said: “We take the protection of our customers’ funds and data extremely seriously.

“As part of our ongoing responsibility to help prevent financial crime and to meet our regulatory responsibilities, we are required to ensure we hold up-to-date information regarding our customers’ accounts. Customers are also required to inform the bank in a timely manner of any change to their legal status relating to their business, charity or trust.”

Barclay’s anti-crime measures are understood to have affected other organisations, including the classical music venue, St John’s Smith Square, Surrey-based Clockwork Charitable Trust and the Ogmore Valley Male Voice Choir.

Theatre cancels pro-Israel fundraiser amid claims of threats to staff

08 Feb 2024

A West End theatre has cancelled a speaking event to be hosted by journalist Douglas Murray called 'Standing with Israel' following claims that staff refused to work after receiving outside pressure. 

The event was due to be held at the Apollo Theatre on 4 February to raise scholarship and support funds for student members of the Israel Defense Forces' military reserve force.

Less than five hours before the event was due to start, the Apollo's owners, Nimax Theatres, posted on X/Twitter that the theatre was closed "with no events".

Nimax Theatres told Jewish News: “The event on Sunday, 4 February, was cancelled on the advice of Nimax’s security company, which advised that the risk was too high to proceed. The safety of the staff, attendees and building is always paramount.”

Alan Aziz, Chief Executive of the Israel Institute of Technology Technion, the event's organiser, claimed the theatre had "struggled" to find enough crew members to work that evening.

He alleged those staff members who had opted to work the extra shift were sent "threatening emails and told the management that they no longer wanted to work” after their contact information was distributed to someone outside the theatre. 

He said: “The Apollo were very understanding and apologised. They did everything possible to try to make it work.” 

The event went ahead at another undisclosed venue, with Murray posting on X: “Wonderful event to a capacity audience in London. Shame on the Apollo Theatre for bowing to the mob. But London’s Jews will not be intimidated, and neither will I.”

Beforehand, he said: "We have arrived at a point where theatres in London no longer feel safe to support free speech - or at least not when the subject is Jews or Israel."

The activist group Culture Workers Against Genocide was due to hold a protest outside the theatre during the event. They wrote on Instagram: "Tonight’s protest outside the Apollo Theatre is called off following a successful pressure campaign by a coalition of independent artists, workers and members of Culture Workers Against Genocide.

"We applaud @nimaxtheatres quick and decisive action to cancel the event."

Government youth fund distributes £3m to arts projects

A permanence by young people at KBSK in Bodmin
08 Feb 2024

Arts-centric youth organisations will receive more than £3m from the government's £90m Youth Investment Fund, with the money going to some of the country's most underserved areas.

Frazer orders full-scale review of ACE

07 Feb 2024

The decision follows completion of an initial assessment into the role and functions of Arts Council England that could have resulted in no further action being taken.

Attendance at Manchester International Festival tops 300,000

07 Feb 2024

Last summer’s Manchester International Festival (MIF23) attracted more than 325,000 visitors to the city, according to a new report.

The report, by Manchester City Council’s Economy and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee, found the amount of money spent by attendees at the ninth edition of the biennial festival totaled £39.2m.

Almost half (47%) of visits to MIF23 were by first-timers to the festivals, compared with 36% in 2019 and 40% in 2021.

A total of 428 volunteers contributed 9,000 volunteer hours during the 18-day event. Meanwhile, 178 artists benefited from a development opportunity at MIF23, and more than 1,164 children were involved in creative activities.

The council’s report also found more than 300,000 visitors have passed through the doors of Manchester’s Aviva Studios since it opened last summer, with almost a third (32%) from Manchester.

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Manchester City Council Deputy Leader, said 2023 "was without doubt a stand-out year for culture in Manchester and MIF23 had a big part to play in this".

"From visitor spend and audience numbers, to volunteer hours and the number of amazing opportunities for local artists, residents and young people to get involved, together with a world-class programme of new work to see and enjoy, the festival delivers on every front. 

"And now with the opening of Aviva Studios, the country's landmark new building for the arts, it's very clear that Manchester is the cultural place to be."

Financial pressure taking 'physical and mental' toll on museum leaders

A mannequin in armour sitting on a fake horse at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds
07 Feb 2024

Study finds declining public investment levels have resulted in museum trusts using reserves to plug gaps, running the risk of contravening their legal obligations as charities.

PPL reports record high payments to performers

07 Feb 2024

Collective management organisation PPL paid out £279.6m to 165,000 performers and recording rights holders in 2023.

This marks an increase of £34.9m (14.3%) on the previous year and is the highest annual total ever paid out in PPL’s 90-year history.

The £279.6m includes a payment of £7.7m by VPL, PPL’s sister company, which licences music videos when they are played in public or broadcast on TV. The £7.7m was a £1.6m increase on the previous year.

PPL cited the continued recovery from the Covid pandemic, as more businesses re-opened in the UK and globally, as a key factor in achieving the record total.

Its members receiving payouts range from independent and major record companies, to grassroots artists, session musicians and globally renowned artists. 

“We understand these payments are critical for many and we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver them consistently and on time,” said PPL CEO Peter Leathem.

“As neighbouring rights continue to develop around the world, we see a huge opportunity ahead to grow our market share and maximise revenues for performers and recording rights holders.”

Improved redundancy offer for backstage ENO workers

The London Coliseum, the current home of English National Opera
06 Feb 2024

Backstage workers at English National Opera receive revised redundancy offer, which trade union Bectu is encouraging them to accept.

Pages

Subscribe to News