Digital

The Royal Opera House has announced a new online subscription service offering works from its archives, behind the scenes features, and talks for a monthly or annual fee.

The move to offer a permanent streaming service follows a programme of nine live-streamed concerts and 38 productions from its archives which ran during the pandemic. 

The organisation said subscribers, who will be asked to pay £9.99 a month or £99 a year, will have access to an extensive catalogue of full-length performances spanning two decades.

There will also be more than 85 behind-the-scenes features, trailers, talks and insights. Brand-new titles will be made available monthly, along with behind-the-scenes content. 

During the pandemic, content in the Royal Opera House's #OurHouseToYourHouse programme was viewed more than 15 million times in 183 countries, broadcast in partnership with the BBC, Sky Arts, Marquee TV and Netflix. 

A new network for creative businesses in South London has launched to boost growth and innovation in the area.

The Creative Industries Network is a partnership between Kingston University and Business, Innovation and Growth South London.

It will offer a range of services to businesses, including mentoring, peer-to-peer learning and access to creative business opportunities.

A workshop series will tackle topics such as digital transformation, business resilience, bid writing, and skills and talent development.

The new initiative is led by Professor Maria Chatzichristodoulou, Associate Dean of Research, Business & Innovation at Kingston University.

She said: “We are building a dynamic network of businesses, practitioners and researchers from across the creative sector in South London.

“We aim to bring the sector together to address common challenges, and share opportunities and best practice.”

The network, which covers Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Sutton, is open to organisations operating within the performing arts, visual arts, music, museums and heritage, crafts, design, literature, film, TV and arts and culture management.

An online launch event is planned for 3 October.

Wales Millennium Centre has released details of its purpose-built extended reality arts venue, which is scheduled to open on 27 August.

Bocs, which is Welsh for box, is the first space of its kind in a Welsh arts centre. It will present a programme of 360° films and projections as well as extended reality (XR) experiences, including augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality.

Alongside an event programme, a series of talks and workshops will be hosted in a new XR studio, providing opportunities for artists, educators and young creators to gain hands-on experience and explore ways to make an impact through immersive media.

David Massey, Senior Producer (Digital Experiences) at Wales Millennium Centre, said Bocs will “showcase and celebrate the best of immersive storytelling in Wales and across the world, intersecting technology, visual art, theatre and music”.

“Immersive experiences are a great way to bring audiences together, challenge ideas and transport you to new worlds.”

“We hope Bocs will inspire new audiences and intrigue the next generation of story makers, introducing more people to the immense possibilities of this exciting medium.”

The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed not to refer the music streaming market to full investigation after a market study found that it is working well for consumers.

The office launched its study into the streaming market and the power of labels six months ago, following a DCMS Committee report that called for fundamental reforms.

The study aimed to investigate the streaming market “from creator to consumer” and to consider whether the dominance of major labels is stifling competition or leading to instances of “excessive power”.

“Our initial analysis shows that the outcomes for artists are not driven by issues to do with competition, such as sustained excessive profits,” said Sarah Cardell, Interim Chief Executive of the CMA. 

“We are now keen to hear views on our initial findings which will help guide our thinking and inform our final report.”

The Musicians' Union and The Ivors Academy have expressed disappointment at the CMA's decision. They say major labels' dominace, the supression of the value of music publishing and stagnant pricing remain issues in music streaming.

“The CMA's release highlights what it sees as positive impacts of music streaming, but we feel they have failed to recognise the very serious problems posed to creators," MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl added.

“In the long term, this could diminish the diversity of British music available to consumers as musicians are forced to seek other ways to make a living.”

“We had particularly hoped that the CMA would deliver for songwriters who are currently receiving a small share of streaming revenue.”

The CMA will share its findings with DCMS, the IPO and the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation to help support their research into whether artists’ rights can be strengthened in the music streaming market.

A final decision is due to be taken by the CMA early next year.