Cross artform

A fund to support artists and musicians to tour internationally in an environmentally responsible way has reopened for a second round.

The International Touring and Environmental Responsibility Fund, run by Arts Council England and the Danish Arts Foundation, in partnership with Julie’s Bicycle and the Danish Embassy, aims to support performing arts professionals in England and Denmark to fully understand their touring footprint and "sustain a means of sharing art which supports transition to a global low carbon future".

In the first year of the programme, a pilot year, 20 artists and companies participated in a three-month online programme looking at the challenges posed by international touring, and finding ways to reduce the carbon and environmental impacts of their tours. In spring 2022, three projects were selected for further funding to test some of the new approaches.

For year two the programme is being expanded to include music alongside other performing arts. Applications for the second year of the programme can be made online and are open until 12pm on 20 January 2023. 

"By exploring new methods of international touring and collaboration, the programme will help the cultural sector play its part in addressing the urgent challenge of the climate crisis, while also sustaining the collaborative relationships that fuel developments in art creativity and culture around the world," Simon Mellor, Deputy Chief Executive at Arts Council England said. 

Plans for a major new creative centre in Northampton have been unveiled as part of efforts to create vibrant space for culture in the town.

The Northampton Chronicle reports that the £4.7m project will see a five-storey redundant heritage building in the centre of the town transformed into a space featuring a contemporary art gallery, affordable creative studios and public spaces.

Daniel Lister, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and Growth at West Northamptonshire Council, said: “We are delighted to be entering our second phase of work to deliver this ambitious project.

“Once open, it will offer a unique cultural hub in the heart of the Cultural Quarter, complementing the ongoing redevelopment of this part of town.

“We have all combined our vision to regenerate this central building and offer a space for artists and entrepreneurs across our county and beyond.”

The 2,000 square metre space, sited close to Royal & Derngate theatre and the newly refurbished Museum and Art Gallery, is due to open late next year or early 2024

A £120m celebration of British creativity attracted a total of 2.8 million visitors, newly published audience data shows.

As well as 2.8 million people visiting free live events for the Unboxed festival, 13.5 million accessed digital and broadcast content and 1.7 million took part in learning, volunteer and community participation activities, organisers claim.

The headline figure includes the television audience of a special edition of the BBC programme Countryfile broadcast last month, which featured a 15-minute segment of content created by Unboxed.

The figures fall significantly short of a “stretch target” of 66 million set by the festival’s chief creative officer, Martin Green, who recently left Unboxed to run next year’s Eurovision song contest in Liverpool.

The National Audit Office is currently conducting an official probe into the value for money provided by the government-funded festival - widely dubbed 'The Festival of Brexit' - following a critical report by the DCMS Select Committee which concluded that the investment was "an irresponsible use of public money".

Stuart Andrew, the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Civil Society, said the festival had “taken culture to the doorsteps of millions in communities right across the UK” and “inspired people who attended events, got involved online or watched on TV”.

Since February, 10 free Unboxed projects have opened across the UK. These include a decommissioned gas platform called See Monster in Weston-super-Mare and a trail through the solar system called Our Place in Space in Northern Ireland, Liverpool and Cambridge.

Subjects including art, drama and design technology are in danger of being withdrawn in many state school schools due to financial constraints.

The Observer reports that headteachers are being forced into cutting expensive and less popular lessons to address crippling deficits.

With the vast majority of English state schools expected to be in the red by the next school year, thousands of schools are planning to make teachers and teaching assistants redundant or cut their hours, it said. 

In addition, unions and headteachers say schools may be forced to scrap courses that have smaller uptake, as they are less economical to teach.

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Subjects we have always seen as culturally really important will increasingly become the preserve of private schools because state schools can’t afford to teach them.”

George McMillan, Executive Principal at Harris Academy schools in Greenwich and Ockendon in Essex, said: “For A-level we are already in a position where to make subjects work financially you need at least 100 students in each year group. Anything that isn’t popular enough can’t run.”