Salford receives £750,000 from ACE for arts and culture

11 Jul 2023

A three-year programme of cultural activities will be launched in Salford after the city received funding from Arts Council England.

Following a successful bid for £750,000, Salford Culture and Place Partnership, led by Salford City Council, will work with cultural organisations, creative groups and residents across the city to bring "fun, entertaining and wellbeing focussed activities" to Salford's parks, gardens, high streets and neighbourhoods. 

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “This crucial funding, especially in this 13th year of austerity and with on-going financial challenges in local government, will now mean that plans for a programme of events, developed with partners and residents, can now be brought to fruition for everyone to experience."

Jen Cleary, Director for the North at Arts Council England, said: “I’m very pleased that we have awarded £749,600 through our National Lottery Projects Grants to support this ambitious creative programme in Salford.

“It is a fantastic opportunity to enable the city’s artists and creatives to share more of their work in public spaces such as parks and high streets for the benefit of local residents and visitors. 

“It’s an exciting time for Salford and I’m looking forward to experiencing some of the programme over the next three years.”  

Bradford City of Culture 2025 receives £20m cash boost

07 Jul 2023

Bradford City of Culture organisers say investment from DCMS, Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Fund will ensure everyone in the district can engage with the event.  

Arts Council of Northern Ireland adds to art collection

04 Jul 2023

Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) has published a catalogue of the latest acquisitions to be added to its contemporary art collection.

The collection is available for exhibition on a loan basis both within and outside Northern Ireland, as part of the Arts Council’s Art Lending Scheme.

The scheme is free and available to borrowing organisations interested in exhibiting any of the catalogue of works, which date back to 2003.

Currently consists of over 680 works, the collection spans a range of disciplines, including painting, sculpture, craft, print, photography and video, including 35 new pieces by 22 Northern Irish artists purchased in 2021 and 2022. 

“Many of the artists represented in the Arts Council’s contemporary art collection have major national and international reputations”, said Dr Suzanne Lyle, ACNI Head of Visual Arts.

They include the Turner Prize-winning Array Collective, silversmith Cara Murphy, whose work is held in the Goldsmiths Company Collection, painter Colin Davidson, who was selected in 2016 to paint the official portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II, two-time Turner Prize-nominee photographer Willie Doherty and BP Portrait Award winner painter Ian Cumberland.

“By offering the collection for public display, we are helping to showcase the work of our artists and to introduce the public to Northern Ireland’s wealth of creative talent,” Lyle said.

ACNI staff are available to help with the selection and curation of works for a range of public venues, she added.
 

Holyrood seeks cultural sector views on budget 'perfect storm'

03 Jul 2023

The Culture Committee of the Scottish Parliament is seeking the views of arts professionals on the impact of rising costs on the sector.

The call follows last year's pre-budget report for 2024-25 which said arts and culture organisations were facing a "perfect storm" of long-term budget pressures, reduced income generation and increased operating costs.  

The committee called on the Scottish Government's "refreshed" Culture Strategy Action Plan to provide a "clear and strategic sense" of how government plans to create a more sustainable future for arts and culture in Scotland.

Their report concluded that the current funding crisis "provides an opportunity to accelerate innovative solutions to the budgetary pressures within the sector". 

The committee is now inviting responses to what it sees as three key questions for Scotland's culture sector.

Firstly, how has the sector responded to the perfect storm outlined in the pre-budget report, and what is the impact of the 2023-24 Budget on the sector?

Secondly, what progress has been made in the last 12 months to accelerate innovate solutions and what could the Scottish Government implement to support the sector?

Finally, how can future budgetary decisions in the sector be informed by the Culture Strategy Action Plan?

The consultation is open for responses until 18 August 2023.

Manchester's Factory venue sells naming rights for £35m

21 Jun 2023

The new £210m Factory International venue in Manchester has been renamed Aviva Studios in a naming rights deal worth £35m.

The insurance company Aviva has secured the rights, with the new name also paying homage to the famous Granada Studios which previously stood on the city centre site.

The venue's much heralded original name was a reference to the Manchester record label Factory, home to bands such as New Order, Happy Mondays and A Certain Ratio.

The Factory brand will not be completely lost, as the venue will be still be home to arts content providers Factory International – producers of the Manchester International Festival.

Manchester City Council – a major investor in the venue – will recieve the majority of the £35m, having approved capital budget increases on the understanding that some of this could be recouped through such deals.

Council Leader Bev Craig said: “Manchester people are very pragmatic. They know that in this modern world to pay for things you need money to be able to do that."

Some of the money from the Aviva deal will help fund plans for £10 tickets and skills training programmes at the futuristic OMA-designed venue.

Theatre and live music prices rise as inflation remains at 8.7%

21 Jun 2023

Increases in the cost of theatre and live music performances have contributed to record inflation rates for recreation and culture, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show.

Data published today by the ONS shows the UK's inflation rate stayed at 8.7% in May - the same rate as in April - and down from a peak of 11.1% last year.

The ONS said that while falling prices for motor fuel was one of a number of areas that contributed to downward pressure on inflation, this was counteracted by increases in others.

It cited rising prices for recreational and cultural goods and services as being among the "largest upward contributors".

The annual inflation rate for this category in the year up to May 2023 was 6.8%, up from 6.4% in April.  

It represents the highest level of inflation for recreational and cultural goods and services since the ONS began recording figures in their current format in January 2006. The last time it was higher was in August 1991 when annual price rises were recorded at 7.2%.

The ONS has attributed some of the rise to cultural services, where average charges for live music events and theatre admissions rose this year having fallen a year ago.

Bazalgette: Creative sector will weather AI job threat

Sir Peter Bazalgette speaking at an event
21 Jun 2023

The creative sector is 'still going to need people with ideas' and is better placed to deal with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence than other areas of the employment market, Peter Bazalgette has said.

Arts and humanities bear brunt of University of East Anglia cuts

The University of East Anglia campus
20 Jun 2023

Staff at University of East Anglia reveal that the majority of proposed academic cuts will be in arts and humanities.

King’s Birthday Honours recognises arts leaders

London Symphony Orchestra Managing Director Kathryn McDowell. She is facing the camera, smiling, wearing a blue suit jacket
20 Jun 2023

Arts and culture professionals feature heavily in King Charles’ first Birthday Honours list, reinforcing his acknowledged appreciation of the sector.

Coventry Trust collapse: Grassroots groups seek legacy role

Image from The Awakening, Coventry City of Culture event in 2021.
15 Jun 2023

Coventry MP details attempt to salvage City of Culture legacy and blasts 'shameful failures of governance' that led to the trust running it going into administration.

Performing arts college to open in Brighton

15 Jun 2023

A new performing arts college will open in Brighton in September with an initial intake of 85 students.

The Brighton Argus reports that BN1 Arts has been founded by music industry professional, West End performer and educator Mia Bird.

It will bring together music and performing arts under one roof by offering 16 to 18-year-olds level 3 extended diplomas in creative and performing arts, and level 3 extended diplomas in the creative music industry.

"Our mission is to offer young people the very best arts training in the UK,” Bird said.

“At BN1 Arts we deliver traditional tutoring in creative specialties while providing a unique insight into the current trends and demands of the professional performance industry."

The college also intends to act as a professional hub within the city, connecting individuals in the creative industries and establishing links with businesses.

AI and the future of arts fundraising

Chatbot icons
14 Jun 2023

Amid recent concerns about the safety of artificial intelligence, Ben Wilson looks at its potential as a resource for fundraising, and the ethical questions it throws up.

Government unveils Creative Industries Sector Vision

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
14 Jun 2023

An additional £77m will be invested by government to help grow the creative industries but theatres, museums and galleries miss out on financial support.

Bradford 2025 plans 'iconic' travelling performance space

13 Jun 2023

A temporary arts space named Beacon will form part of Bradford City of Culture 2025 plans, it has emerged.

Organisers are looking for architects to design a performance space made from sustainable materials, that can be dismantled and easily transported and re-installed at a number of sites. The project has a budget of around £500,000.

"The intention behind Beacon is for it to have sustainability at its heart, to celebrate Bradford’s cultural heritage and to reflect its diverse, cosmopolitan communities," competition documents issued by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of Bradford 2025 state. 

"The venue will facilitate and promote meaningful interchange between communities."

While specific locations for Beacon have not been finalised yet, organisers are looking at parks in the heart of communities, where residential areas butt up against perimeter of the green space.

Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025, said: "It’s crucial that our year as City of Culture reaches every corner of Bradford district and Beacon will be just one of the ways we do that. 

"This new peripatetic venue will be an incredible space for people to get together, to show off the creativity of our district as well as taking spectacular events and performances to a wider Bradford audience."

Wandsworth bids for London Borough of Culture

13 Jun 2023

Wandsworth is the first borough to publicly declare its intention to become London Borough of Culture 2025.

The south London borough launched its campaign to become London’s fifth Borough of Culture at the end of last week with a call to local communities to help develop a proposal for the competition.

According to a statement released by the council, if named Borough of Culture, Wandsworth will “showcase this rich cultural heritage, diversity, and creative spirit of the borough through an exciting array of artistic events, community engagements, and innovative projects”.

“We’re delighted to be going for Borough of Culture 2025 - it signals real confidence in a changing, modern Wandsworth. We can’t wait to show London and the world what our wonderful borough has to offer,” Council leader Simon Hogg said.
 
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who launched the competition in 2017, recently announced a further two iteriations of the cultural programme in 2025 and 2027.

Each host is provided funding towards a year-long programme which celebrates local culture and heritage. Current hosts Croydon launched their programme of events in March.

Boroughs applying for the 2025 edition must submit their final bid in December this year, with a winner set to be chosen in early 2024.

Westminster Council awards £320k to local arts projects

12 Jun 2023

Westminster City Council has shared £320,000 across 39 local arts organisations through the council’s Community Grants programme.

The fund offers organisations up to £10,000 to deliver initiatives which improve residents’ access to arts and culture.

Recipients include Paddington Arts, which received funding to work with young people to create live performance for festivals in Queens Park, Westbourne and Paddington.

English National Opera (ENO) is benefiting from funding to stage ‘operettas’ on walking tours in August as part of the council’s annual Inside Out Festival.

The festival, which is focused around transporting artwork from galleries, libraries, theatres, and film to the outdoors, also features open air music performances at the National Gallery’s Summer on the Square this year and reached 250,000 residents in 2021.

“It was great to see the high number of bids we received for this funding, and the range of projects which will now be on offer to residents in Westminster,” Councillor Tim Roca, Cabinet Member for Young People, Learning and Leisure said.

“I am looking forward to the Inside Out festival this summer, to showcase some of these brilliant projects and get our residents and visitors excited about art and culture in the city.”

Using data to inform content strategy

Graph showing data analytics
12 Jun 2023

Data and insights are at the heart of good business decisions but finding the time can be a challenge. Curiosity and incremental learning could be the answer, says Zosia Poulter.

Edinburgh Fringe: Cruise ship accommodation plan emerges

Old Leith Harbour at Dusk, Edinburgh, Scotland.
07 Jun 2023

A cruise ship with capacity for 1,300 people will dock in Leith during the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of efforts to address a shortage of accomodation in the city during festival season.

Scottish arts funder accused of 'big city bias'

06 Jun 2023

Scotland's arts funding body has been accused of bias toward the country's major cities.

New figures for 2022/23 show that Creative Scotland spent the equivalent of £50.85 per person on arts projects in Edinburgh and an average of £39.75 per resident of Glasgow.

Dundee – Scotland's fourth biggest city by population – received £24 per person.

However, across the Kingdom of Fife – one of Scotland's largest council areas by population – just £3.15 per person was spent.

Fife Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said that “big city bias” needs to be addressed.

He said: “The differences in spending are stark. Some variation between different parts of the country is to be expected, but if you live outside of Scotland’s biggest cities you will rightly be feeling short-changed."

He added that spending by both Creative Scotland and the tourist body Event Scotland should be reviewed.

A Creative Scotland spokesperson said: “The reach of the work through Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland extends across the whole country, and our funding routes are devised to help people from all parts of society to bring their ideas to life."

ACE reopens Capital Investment Programme

empty theatre auditorium
06 Jun 2023

Total of £20m available to help cultural organisations safeguard their physical and digital infrastructure for the future.

Pages

Subscribe to Cross artform