Cross artform

Recently departed Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden says he is not "standing in the way of change" by threatening to strip funding from organisations deemed "too woke".

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Dowden said organisations "have to demonstrate why they justify the funding" by rejecting aggressive campaigning on issues like decolonising museums.

"When I make interventions in this area, I genuinely ask myself... am I just standing in the way of change in a reactionary way?

"I genuinely do not believe that is the case."

Dowden also appeared to take a shot at DCMS Permanent Secretary Sarah Healey, saying public servants working from home needed to "get off their Pelotons and back to their desks".

Healey was recently quoted as saying she preferred working from home because she could spend more time on her exercise bike.

The first ever Digital Culture Awards will celebrate and showcase digital innovation over the course of the pandemic.

Arts Council England has launched the awards, and is seeking applications for "the best in digital transformation, digital engagement and use of technology".

There are eight categories: social media, content production, content distribution, income generation, digital inclusion, use of data, organisational digital transformation, and emerging digital leader.  

Entries close at 10am November 8, with a shortlist decided thereafter.

Public voting to decide the winners will open mid-December before a virtual awards ceremony on January 20, 2022.

A study comparing the cultural performance of different nations has named The Netherlands the most artistic country in Europe, beating the UK into second. 

The study, conducted by Design Bundles, scored nations on five factors: number of museums, arts institutions and arts students, government spending on culture and total cultural export.

The UK scored highly for its popular museums and total cultural exports but had the lowest score for government funding, which compared spending on culture against GDP.

Latvia, the nation with the highest concentration of arts institutions, placed third and Estonia, the nation with the highest government spending against GDP, fourth.

"Countries such as Italy and France, which have their own amazing artistic heritage, are outranked by nations such as Latvia and Estonia, which have committed more resources comparatively to art funding and education,” a Design Bundles spokesperson explained."

A recovery funding programme for Northern Irish creatives has been opened by Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) and the Department for Communities.

ACNI Chief Executive Roisin McDonough said the £5m Creative Individuals Recovery Programme (CIRP) is designed to help creatives continue developing important skills.

It can help pay to create new work, hire facilities or equipment, improve professional skills or attend industry events.

Grants of up to £2,000 are available, with applications closing October 6.

“CIRP funding can help our creative individuals to positively contribute, as they did before the pandemic, to the significant cultural value of Northern Ireland as a great place to work, live and invest,“ McDonough said.

Radio 4 is launching three new arts programmes and extending its regular cultural coverage.

John Wilson will host This Cultural Life, a new programme featuring in-depth interviews with arts practitioners.

Radio 4 Controller Mohit Bakaya said This Cultural Life "will do for the arts what the Life Scientific has done for science - giving us deep insights into what makes our leading creative minds tick".

A new music show, Add To Playlist, will begin in October and November, and a film show, Screenshot, will replace The Film Programme. They will broadcast alternate weeks at the 7.15pm Friday slot.

Arts and cultural magazine programme Front Row will become 15 minutes longer.

Bakaya commented:"The arts matter. At all times, but especially during periods of uncertainty and change, culture provides an important lens that helps deepen our understanding of the world around us.

"However, the way we are consuming and experiencing the arts and culture is evolving. I’d like our arts programming to be even more ambitious, and intellectually curious."