Arts funding

The Jewish Museum in London has closed its current site in Camden as part of plans to sell the building and reopen in a new location.

Trustees of the museum, which receives £224,000 a year from Arts Council England (ACE) as part of the National Portfolio for 2023-26 announced the plans in early June. 

It hopes to reopen in a larger new home within the next five years.

Nick Viner, chair of trustees, told the BBC: "It's been an incredibly tough decision, but the museum has always found it difficult to be financially sustainable even though it's had some huge success with exhibitions.

"We are planning to do several temporary displays in London and beyond all whilst we think about how we can engage communities online with our collections."

Jerwood Charity operations will become part of Jerwood Foundation and the boards are set to merge, the foundation has announced.

The foundation endowed Jerwood Charity with a fund of £25m in 1999. Following a period of review, the new merger will see Rupert Tyler appointed as Chairman, while Lara Wardle, Executive Director of Jerwood Foundation, will lead and manage the organisation. 

Kate Danielson, a consultant for both Jerwood Foundation and Jerwood Charity, is leading a strategic review to make the merger as seamless as possible and to ensure the charity is best prepared to continue its public offering.

 “Our vision is for a streamlined Jerwood organisation, which is relevant and receptive to the contemporary funding landscape,” Wardle said.

“We will continue to support, nurture and reward excellence and dedication in the arts in the UK and maintain our commitment to early-career artists, ensuring John Jerwood’s original philanthropic vision is honoured.”

Sam Jackson, Controller of BBC Radio 3, has insisted disbanding the BBC Singers is not on the broadcaster’s agenda.

In his first interview since becoming Controller in April, Jackson told The Times that the BBC does not intend to renege on its u-turn on plans to close down the professional choir.

“We are exploring some really exciting plans for the BBC Singers. We’re working on on-air plans for them right into next year. The BBC Singers have a long-term future,” Jackson said.

His comments follow claims from the Musician’s Union late last month that alternative funding models were being considered for the choir.

Speaking to the Times, Jackson confirmed discussions are confidential, but “happening at pace”.

“They are very meaningful, and I wouldn’t simply be sitting here saying that to you now if there wasn’t a lot of substance,” he added.

When asked if a new funding model could mean BBC Singers does more commercial work, Jackson replied: “there could be elements of that, but it can’t be anything that reduces the distinctiveness of who they are and what they do.”

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) is investing £2.25m of National Lottery funding in a series of arts projects across the country.

Funded projects will support the development and creation of year round arts activities and events through literature, drama, visual arts, music and community programming.

In total, 72 arts organisations have been offered funding of between £7,789 and £67,559, with eight organisations receiving over £50,000, including Open House Festival, which lost its regular funding from the arts council earlier this year.

This round of National Lottery Project Funding sees five organisations receive awards for the first time.

New grantees include Amandan Ensemble, which makes devised theatre specialising in Clown and Bouffon practice, and An tSnáthaid Mhór, an island-wide arts organisation producing original Irish language children's content through print, Braille, broadcast, digital and performance.

“Thanks to money raised for good causes, over the last three decades the National Lottery has made an important contribution to the social, economic and cultural growth of Northern Ireland,” ACNI Chief Executive Roisin McDonough said.

“This vital source of funding allows the Arts Council to support our core infrastructure of artists and organisations, as we strive forwards in our ambition to make the arts accessible to all.”

Libraries across England generate at least £3.4bn in value a year to the economy through the services they provide, a study has found.

The Guardian reports that researchers at the University of East Anglia discovered that the services a typical branch provides in a year are worth £1m.

The study found the overall value of libraries, through supporting children’s literacy, digital inclusion and health, could equate to six times their running costs.

The project was funded by library services in the east of England and received a £30,000 contribution from Arts Council England (ACE).

“The evidence is clear: investing in libraries brings huge returns for local communities and the public purse,” Isobel Hunter, Chief Executive of Libraries Connected, the charity that commissioned the report, said.

Luke Burton, Director for Libraries at ACE said he hopes the UEA report can help make the case to potential partners and funders to support libraries.