Frazer interview: Trigger warnings + ACE plans

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer
12 Mar 2024

Culture Secretary doubles down on previous comments around trigger warnings and speaks about forthcoming review of Arts Council England during interview with Arts Professional.

Spring Budget: Higher culture tax reliefs made permanent in ‘game-changing’ move

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt
06 Mar 2024

Jeremy Hunt's Spring Budget 2024 has unveiled a range of tax relief support and project funding for the cultural sector.

Call for Chancellor to support theatre sector

Palladium stage
29 Feb 2024

Ahead of next week's Spring Budget, Claire Walker, Co-Chief Executive of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre, is calling on the Chancellor for renewed investment to sustain the UK's world-leading theatre sector.

Will the restoration of Stormont benefit the arts in Northern Ireland?

Production shot from Agreement by Owen McCafferty
20 Feb 2024

With the return of devolved government to Northern Ireland, Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of Arts Council Northern Ireland, reflects on what it might mean for the arts and cultural sector. 

We are all philanthropists

Graphic showing aerial view of people holding hands in concentric circles
01 Feb 2024

The Secretary of State for Culture, Lucy Frazer, has called for an attitude shift towards philanthropy to boost arts funding. But that view, writes Caroline McCormick, fails to recognise the huge contribution of the 99%.

ACE and National Archives extend collaboration for a further three years

18 Mar 2024

Arts Council England and The National Archives have signed a new collaboration agreement for the three-year period up to 2027. 

The bodies said the agreement outlines how they will build on their previous work together to ensure a comprehensive cultural offer for the public.

As partners, the organisations said they "aim to act strategically and practically to help communities across England engage with culture and ensure that our sectors’ collections and activities are accessible to everyone". 

Darren Henley, Chief Executive at ACE, said: “The Arts Council has many values in common with The National Archives and we have shared sector audiences particularly in museums and libraries which are fully embedded in our Let’s Create strategy. 

"We have already produced joint initiatives such as the Standard Charge and will continue to explore how we can support the sector strategically and practically through the challenges it faces. "

Jeff James, Chief Executive and Keeper at The National Archives, said: "Through this agreement, we will be able to tackle shared challenges across our sectors and make the most of opportunities to advocate, share knowledge and secure funding for arts and culture.”

Former Chair of Science Museum to lead review of ACE

Arts Council England sign
18 Mar 2024

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer says forthcoming review will help 'ensure that Arts Council England is driving creative excellence in the arts by funding ambitious projects of the highest quality'.

Community culture in Bradford gets £1m boost

14 Mar 2024

Scores of community-led arts, culture and heritage initiatives in Bradford will get combined funding of £1m, it has been announced.

As part of a programme funded by Arts Council England and Bradford Council, Creative People and Places organisation The Leap will share the money between around 140 new projects run by individuals and groups across Bradford and Keighley.

The BBC reports that each project will get between £250 and £10,000 to spend on creative schemes and events.

Shabz Musaji, from The Leap, said: "We want to inspire the next level of young people as well as all other groups to come forward to engage with The Leap," he said.

"We're looking forward to promoting arts and culture, because there are a lot of beneficiaries to this. We have projects that address mental health; we have projects that address heritage. These are really good things to talk about and to celebrate."

Creative Scotland withdraws 'sex project' funding

14 Mar 2024

Creative Scotland has withdrawn funding for a project featuring participants engaging in "non-simulated" sex and "hardcore" acts.

The funding body had previously agreed to award £85,000 for the development of the Rein project, a 45-minute film by director Leonie Rae Gasson that was initially presented as “an exploration of dyke sexuality”.

But concerns were raised after the project's website advertised for people to take part in "non-simulated" sex, including "hardcore" acts for a fee of £270 per day.

A statement issued by Creative Scotland today (14 March) said the latest phase of the project "represents a breach of the conditions of funding award, as the nature of the project has changed". 

"The central role that ‘non-simulated’ (i.e real) sex acts now play in the project, marks a significant change to the nature of the work presented in the original application which was assessed for funding," the statement said. 

"Following a review of the application, assessment, and contractual agreement regarding the project Rein, Creative Scotland has made the decision to withdraw support for this project and will be seeking recovery of funding paid in respect of this award to date."

Earlier this week Scotland's Culture Secretary Angus Robertson told the Scottish parliament that Rein should not have received public money and that he “shared the concerns that have been raised”.

Vault Festival closes after funding for new venue falls through

14 Mar 2024

London's Vault Festival of theatre and performance has announced its closure after funding for its new venue fell through.

Shropshire yoga centre gets ACE grant

13 Mar 2024

A yoga centre in Shropshire has been awarded a £22,000 Arts Council England grant for a community project that will combine creativity and wellbeing.

Jenna Blair Yoga in Shrewsbury will deliver a series of workshops aimed at community engagement that will target those who wouldn’t usually have access to the yoga studio’s facilities.

The Creative Awakening project hopes to engage with refugees, people experiencing physical and mental health challenges, young carers and the homeless. 

Blair said she was “blown away” to have been awarded the grant, which follows a recent £10,000 National Lottery award.

She continued: “I am hugely passionate about the power that both creative practices and yoga can have on our lives – the two are so connected and help us to find opportunities for self-expression, relaxation and mindfulness, as well as being invaluable in supporting our wellbeing.”

Blair added that the ACE funding would enable the studio “to offer a breadth of enriching creative experiences that support people’s wellbeing, as well as helping to develop new skills”.

Workshops will also be delivered in partnership with local mental health charity Shropshire Mind and the national brain injuries charity Headway. They will take place in Shrewsbury and be open to people across Shropshire.

Radical intervention required

Panel discussion at Creative UK summit
13 Mar 2024

The cultural sector welcomed last week’s Spring Budget but, as Lara Carmona writes, not being able to leverage public investment at the scale needed is like having your best player benched indefinitely.

Charity challenges legality of Birmingham library closures

12 Mar 2024

The Library Campaign says Birmingham City Council’s plan to close 25 of its local libraries as part of far-reaching budget cuts would breach the Public Libraries and Museums Act.

Oldham Coliseum announces pop-up theatre plans

The interior of the Roundabout pop-up theatre
11 Mar 2024

Details of an artistic programme to be staged at mobile venue from next month coincide with push by opposition politicians on Oldham Council for the theatre company to return to its former home.

Wandsworth named London Borough of Culture 2025

Schoolchildren from Wandsworth celebrating the announcement
11 Mar 2024

Borough says the award will help 'supercharge its already vibrant, diverse sector made up of world class institutions and grassroots talent'.

Debbonaire: Labour will make creativity central to curriculum

Thangam Debbonaire speaking at the Big Creative UK Summit
08 Mar 2024

Shadow Culture Secretary says she is working with Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson on plans to "tear down barriers to opportunity" in arts, culture and the creative industries.

Birmingham and Nottingham rubberstamp culture cuts

The exterior of Nottingham Playhouse
07 Mar 2024

Concerns raised over the 'short-sighted' nature of cuts as drastic reductions to funding for cultural organisations in Nottingham and Birmingham are confirmed.

Six theatres share £510,000 of eco-project funds

Storyhouse, Chester
06 Mar 2024

Funds to improve environmental sustainability have been awarded as part of the Theatre Improvement Scheme.

National Alliance for Cultural Services launches

04 Mar 2024

A new organisation, made up of a range of local government bodies, is calling for a fresh approach to sustain culture services in light of ongoing funding pressures.

Welsh National Opera criticises 'reckless' ACE cuts

Performance of In Parenthesis by Welsh National Opera
04 Mar 2024

Open letter from the company's Music Director says cuts have left it with a budget that is "not even sufficient for a small regional theatre".

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