Collaboration

The British Museum is working with The National Archives to improve how it adminsters its records. The move follows an internal audit which found it was "not compliant" with the Public Records Act.

The act governs the Place of Deposit system, through which archive services are appointed to preserve and provide access to public records. This is carried out on behalf of the Public Record Office, part of The National Archives.

According to The National Archives, a Place of Deposit “needs to meet basic standards of preservation, access and professional care for the type of public record held, the size of the collection and its use”. The British Museum is recognised as a Place of Deposit for its archives and written records.

The museum said in its annual report for 2023/24 that an internal audit had found that it was not compliant with the Public Records Act.

Furthermore, a report in The Sunday Times said the museum had committed an offence or breached the legislation, an allegation the museum has roundly rebutted.

A British Museum spokesman said: “The British Museum holds a historic archive of national significance, with a dedicated team overseeing its day to day management.

“The museum’s archive was awarded provisional accreditation by The National Archives (TNA) under the Archive Service Accreditation Standard and is working closely with TNA to reach full accreditation.”

Liverpool's major arts organisations will take part in North West England's first festival celebrating neurodivergent talent, it has been announced.

The Brain Charity, which is organising the Neurodiversity Arts Festival taking place between 20 and 29 September 2024, said the festival aims to inform and educate the public about what neurodiversity means and improve accessibility for neurodivergent people in public spaces. 

Collaborative events will take place with Tate Liverpool, National Museums Liverpool, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Bluecoat arts centre.  

“We know that 15–20% of the population identify as neurodivergent,” Festival Organiser Chris Beaumont of The Brain Charity said. 

“We believe the Neurodiversity Arts Festival will not only shed light on the diverse experiences and talents within this community but also foster a deeper understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity across society to create lasting change.”  

English Cathedrals has launched a new partnership with a consultant arts curator to offer support and advice to any cathedral exploring opportunities to use the visual arts to attract new audiences.

Visual arts adviser Jacquiline Creswell will work with interested cathedrals to identify opportunities, curate and deliver projects, select artists and artworks, advise on procurement and, if appropriate, develop site-specific commissions.

The Dean of St Albans and Chair of the Association of English Cathedrals, the Very Reverend Jo Kelly-Moore, said: “Over the centuries the visual arts have always had a central role in our cathedrals’ telling of the good news of God’s love for the world. 

"In our ongoing commitment to the arts, this partnership allows us to celebrate our faith in new ways, open up fresh conversations, encourage spiritual development, engage with diverse communities and challenges all of us to consider who we are and our place in the world.

“This is an exciting development for us here at the Association of English Cathedrals and we hope it proves to be a rich resource to help support our cathedrals.”

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's (RPO) status as the Royal Albert Hall's (RAH) Associate Orchestra will be extended to 2029.

The partnership, formalised in 2019, was initially scheduled to run for five years.

RPO said that following the extension of Vasily Petrenko's contract as Music Director until 2030 and the appointment of Joe Hisaishi as the Orchestra’s Composer-in-Association, the continuation of the relationship will allow both organisations to build on their "shared mission to broaden artistic programmes and the audiences for orchestral music at the Hall". 

James Williams, Managing Director at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, said: “The sheer diversity of our concerts at the Royal Albert Hall enables us to present the joy of orchestral music to the broadest possible audience."

Matthew Todd, Director of Programming at the Royal Albert Hall, said: “With 750,000 people experiencing the thrill of listening to a live orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in 2023, our partnership will help us in our ambition to share orchestral music with as wide an audience as possible."