Technical staff at ENO face contract cuts

Clive Mantle in ENO’s Iolanthe 2023
24 Oct 2023

Technicians at English National Opera are facing the prospect of significant reductions in their working hours and salaries as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures.

Council won't give up on ‘once in a lifetime’ theatre funding

24 Oct 2023

Somerset Council has pledged not to lose a £10m grant to redevelop the Octogan Theatre in Yeovil despite the project being put on hold due to rising costs.

Plans to turn the theatre into a ‘flagship arts venue’ were initially expected to cost £23m, with a grant from Arts Council England (ACE) providing £10m and the remainder due to come from external borrowing. But councillors paused the project to evaluate cheaper options for the site after the estimated cost rose to £30.7m.

However, changes to the plans to make them more affordable could mean the grant from ACE would be pulled, and the council would need to rebid for the money with an updated business plan. 

The deputy leader of Somerset Council, Liz Leyshon, said in a BBC report the original ACE grant was something “none of us have ever seen in our lifetime before” and promised that councillors would “not let that opportunity go”.

She also defended the authority’s handling of the matter, adding: "People in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Arts Council are well aware of challenges to big projects in other arts venues across the country, so they know, I'm sure, that we're being responsible here.

"It is our responsibility to come up with, through the options appraisal, an alternative business case that can achieve the same outcomes, but with a lesser pressure on the council's overall budget."

Funding for the original project included a £16.3m loan from the Public Works Loan Board at 1.5%. After councillors were told that the rate had increased to  5.6%, with repayments expected to reach £1m annually, the plan was deemed “unaffordable”.

Leyshon said the council faced “huge” budget challenges but upheld the council's commitment to arts funding. She said: "People of all ages must be able to have happy, healthy, fulfilling lives, and the opportunity to either perform or be in the audience is a part of that prevention agenda."
 

Former NPO announces sudden closure

23 Oct 2023

Creativity Works cites an unsuccessful funding application to Arts Council England as a factor in its sudden closure.

Outdoor arts festival gets £1m ACE funding boost

Global Streets project Discover Ukraine
23 Oct 2023

Global Streets brings free outdoor arts events to communities across England. 

ENO cuts: plans to reduce size of chorus emerge

The top of the Colosseum, ENO's London venue
18 Oct 2023

Planned cuts to English National Opera's chorus come in addition to proposals to axe 19 jobs from its orchestra in an attempt to balance the books.

Work on Portsmouth Guildhall renovation begins

18 Oct 2023

Work to transform the basement of Portsmouth Guildhall into a new creative space for young people to collaborate and perform in will begin on Monday (23 October) as part of a £1.3m project.

The work, supported by £500,000 of funding from Arts Council England and £550,000 from Portsmouth Council, will see the main basement area and associated rooms remodelled to provide space for young people aged between 11 and 25 to "meet and explore their creative potential".

The facility, called The Base, will open in late Spring 2024.

Andy Grays, CEO of The Guildhall Trust, said: “The transformation of the basement is an exciting phase of the Renaissance of Portsmouth Guildhall. 

"The Base will allow us to provide a much more suitable environment for some of our existing work with young people, such as Urban Vocal Group, and importantly provide a new, supportive and much needed facility within our community that will help young people to flourish and feel safe.”

SNP leader pledges to double Scottish culture budget

Humza Yousaf speaking on stage
18 Oct 2023

The promise from SNP leader Humza Yousaf comes a week after cuts to Creative Scotland's funding went ahead despite the proposals being dropped earlier this year.

Live Art Development Agency re-enters National Portfolio

16 Oct 2023

Arts Council England to reinstate regular funding after recognising “a significant process of organisational development in the past six months” at the charity.

Ireland increases Arts Council funding to €134m

16 Oct 2023

Ireland’s Arts Council will receive €134m in government funding in 2024, an increase of €4m.

The allocation was confirmed as part of the Irish government’s budget for next year, published last week.

The €134m represents Ireland’s largest ever annual allocation to the Arts Council. In 2021, its budget was increased from €80m to €130m, the level at which it has remained since.

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, also announced a €1m increase for Culture Ireland and a new €1.9m pilot for regional arts venues, which will provide building and equipment needs, artists workspaces, and adapting facilities to reduce energy needs.

“The sectors overseen by my department have great impact across society and they have shown extraordinary resilience in the face of, first, the Covid-19 crisis, and then increases in the cost of living,” Martin said.

“It has been a priority throughout my term as Minister to ensure that we can respond to these, and other, challenges in a robust and sustainable manner.”

Chair of Ireland’s Arts Council, Professor Kevin Rafter, said Ireland’s increase in public investment in the arts in recent years is “hugely welcomed”.

“When I was appointed Chair in 2019, the Arts Council’s budget was €75m and following today’s budget it will be €134m next year,” Rafter said.

“While the figure for 2024 is at the lower end of what had been sought to address increased costs in the arts sector, it is still a positive acknowledgement of the work of artists, arts workers and arts organisations throughout the country.”

Warrington arts festival receives £840k in grants

16 Oct 2023

An arts charity in the North West of England will receive a funding boost of more than £800k after successfully applying to Arts Council England’s (ACE) Place Partnership Fund.

ACE has awarded Culture Warrington a £600,000 grant to create a two-year programme focused on developing the Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival (WCAF).

Culture Warrington, which oversees Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, Pyramid Arts Centre and Parr Hall, will also get match funding from Warrington Borough Council and Warrington Business Improvement District of £240,000. 

Describing the grants as “game-changing”, Culture Warrington said it plans to use the money to renew its focus on “accessible large-scale, outdoor and family-friendly events” across three new project areas – community engagement, artist development and children and young people.

The programme will see the creation of four new jobs before the end of the year ahead of the festival in the spring. The enhanced WCAF will also incorporate a Fringe Festival, artist training opportunities and a young producers’ project.

Leah Biddle, Director of WCAF, said: “Our established festival has continued to grow and evolve each year, and this investment will ensure we can create a transformational change within Warrington’s cultural sector.

“We have responded to feedback to create a new children and young people’s programme, enhancing existing activity and developing unique opportunities to explore pathways into the creative industries.”

Russ Bowden, Leader of Warrington Borough Council, added: “High-quality cultural events are an essential part of Warrington’s offer, as they play a crucial role in making our area an attractive and vibrant destination to visit, as well as bringing social and health and wellbeing benefits."

ENO Director resigns over planned orchestral cuts

Martyn Brabbins
16 Oct 2023

Music Director Martyn Brabbins cites “a plan of managed decline” as reason for resignation, but the company says it is “confident it can maintain a substantial level of operatic work”.

ENO 'planning orchestra cuts', union claims

Exterior of English National Opera
13 Oct 2023

The Musicians' Union says its members have been informed that English National Opera wants to axe 19 jobs from its orchestra and employ its remaining musicians on part-time contracts.

Northern Ballet orchestra cuts highlighted at Labour conference

13 Oct 2023

The Musicians Union (MU) has used the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool to draw attention to proposals to cut Northern Ballet’s live orchestra from some performances on tour.

During a speech on the main conference stage, MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl raised the issue of the Leeds-based dance company entering into talks to replace its Sinfonia with pre-recorded music to save money.

Pohl said that her organisation was “really worried now about our member's jobs” and cited “standstill arts funding for the past decade” as the reason behind Northern Ballet’s financial plight. 

She also brought up the subject at a rally of Labour-affiliated trade unions. Pohl said: "They [the Northern Ballet Sinfonia] used to have 20 weeks of work a year. Now, they're looking at three or four weeks of work a year. 

“They're going to food banks to survive. This is an absolutely outrageous situation, and it's been caused by a Tory government underfunding the arts for at least a decade.” 

In a statement last week, Northern Ballet said that due to rising costs, it had “become clear that we can no longer continue with our traditional touring model” and need to “explore different options if we are to continue to bring world-class narrative ballets to audiences throughout the country.” 

The dance company’s largest funder, Arts Council England, said it “highly valued” Northern Ballet but added, “In the current economic climate, the sector faces difficult decisions; we have tried to reduce pressure by being clear with organisations that we will be flexible, recognising they may need to reduce activity to help balance their books." 

The MU says that the Northern Ballet Sinfonia's campaign was also discussed in meetings with MPs at the conference, along with pay cuts at the Royal Opera House, measures to make touring in the EU easier, and protecting freelancers from sexual harassment at work.

ACE extends Creative People and Places programme

12 Oct 2023

Arts Council England (ACE) has extended its 2022-25 Creative People and Places (CPP) for one year in response to "challenges facing organisations following the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising cost of living". 

The current programme's end date is now 31 March 2026, with a knock-on for the subsequent investment round, which will run across 2026-29 rather than 2025-28.

ACE said it wanted to remain “flexible and responsive” to the sector's needs and hoped that the extension would provide "security and stability" to existing CPP projects and "further time for developing plans" for those interested in applying to the next round.

Current CPPs must apply for the extension year in early 2024 when applications open. They can apply for their current level of funding level, pro-rata.

The CPP programme is funded by the National Lottery and distributes £38m to selected locations across England. Funded projects are part of ACE’s National Portfolio.

Applications for the next round of funding in 2026-29 will open in Autumn 2024, with organisations in 142 previously announced locations eligible to apply. 

Bradford distributes £3m in cultural grants

11 Oct 2023

£3m of cultural grants will be distributed to 21 organisations in Bradford ahead of the city’s tenure as City of Culture in 2025. 

The Cultural Capital Fund (CCF) investment programme was announced in June to improve access and facilities for residents and visitors for the duration of Bradford 2025, drive footfall and create new jobs in the local arts and culture sector.

Financed by Bradford District Council, the CCF offered a two-level grant scheme based on sector needs identified during the City of Culture bid process. Cultural organisations could apply for either grants of up to £5,000 or a minimum of £50,000. 

More than twenty successful recipients have been announced including Ilkley Playhouse and Mind The Gap theatre company, which both receive £10,000. 

The Mustafa Mount Art & Culture Centre will get £300,000 toward its refurbishment and development of a permanent gallery, while the African Caribbean Achievement Project will receive £280,000 to renovate its community centre.

Dan Bates, Executive Director at Bradford 2025, said there had been an “overwhelming response” to the grant fund, with applications far exceeding the available funding. 

 “The Cultural Capital Fund is a great example of our ambition to increase investment in the cultural infrastructure within the Bradford district, giving residents and visitors alike greater opportunity to experience the arts, culture and creativity during 2025 and beyond,” said Bates.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, said: "As stated in Bradford Council’s 10-year strategy - Culture is Our Plan - we’re striving to ensure arts, culture and heritage activities can be accessed and are inclusive for everyone across the district; something that this grant aims to do. 

“These projects provide a real legacy for Bradford and its communities.”
 

ENO: Compulsory dissolution dropped

English National Opera auditorium
11 Oct 2023

Latest English National Opera accounts yet to be submitted, resulting in move to have it closed down by government agency overseeing UK companies.

Fenland council launches small grant scheme

11 Oct 2023

Fenland District Council has launched a grant scheme to support arts, culture and heritage activities across the region.

The programme offers up to £2,000 funding to local creatives and community arts organisations.

Successful projects must demonstrate that they benefit communities or artists in the district and meet one of the four criteria of the Fenland Creativity and Culture Strategy - “building new relationships, reaching more people, improving the quality of your work and supporting artistic ambition”.

The scheme is backed by the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Arts Council England.

Hazel Edwards, South-East Area Director, Arts Council England, said: "We're thrilled to see the Fenland Culture Fund gearing up to welcome its first applications and to have supported the small grants programme with £25,000 of our own Strategic Investment Funding.

"Fenland is one of Arts Council England's 54 Priority Places from across the country, where we are working extremely hard with local authorities and partnerships to increase access to creativity and culture.”

Minister makes ‘gold-plated’ pledge to restore arts funding

Scottish Culture Secretary Angus Robertson
11 Oct 2023

The Scottish Culture Secretary has assured MSPs that Creative Scotland's budget will be restored next year after re-imposing a £6.6m cut on the organisation.

Calls for increased sector investment in Northern Ireland

flag of Northern Ireland
10 Oct 2023

Northern Ireland’s Culture, Arts & Heritage Strategy Taskforce says a cross-government approach to investing in the sectors is needed ahead of development of 10-year strategy.

Entire board departs NPO arts producer

Exterior of The Sharp Project, Manchester.
09 Oct 2023

Arts Council England says it has been “made aware" of changes to the board at SICK! Productions.

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