The human impact of avoiding controversy

A photo of violinists playing in an orchestra
20 Feb 2020

Reflecting on being wrongfully dismissed by the Royal Academy of Music, Dr Francesca Carpos says the sector must create a culture where controversial issues can be discussed without fear of unfair retribution.

I shouldn’t have been ‘cancelled’ for my vulgar jokes

A photo of a punk performance by Jayne County
20 Feb 2020

Yes, my crude social media posts may have caused offence – but we can't only allow speech we find agreeable, says Manick Govinda.

Institutions must show leadership on freedom of expression

20 Feb 2020

It’s often easier to steer clear of challenging issues – but we will all lose out if we censor material we find difficult, argues Julia Farrington.

‘Socially closed’ arts sector may be contributing to UK’s divisions

A photo of two men drumming at an anti-Brexit protest
20 Feb 2020

The liberal, left-leaning values of cultural workers leads to “a divergence in worldviews between those tasked with representing the nation to itself, and those who inhabit it”, reports Adele Redmond.

My vision for a radical artist-led hotel

A photo of a man sleeping in a hammock
13 Feb 2020

We need bold new cultural infrastructures to tackle entrenched inequality in the arts, says Amahra Spence. Can a new project combine business nous with social justice?

Birmingham must embrace its Heavy Metal heritage

A photo of rows of T shirts with Heavy Metal logos
13 Feb 2020

Regeneration is all very well – but it is only through celebrating its authentic working class culture that the city can discover a beating heart and soul, says Lisa Meyer.

Creative wellbeing for the Windrush generation

A close up photo of a persons' hands resting on a pink handbag
13 Feb 2020

Pauline Bailey looks back on a project that developed social confidence and artistic expression among Birmingham's BAME elders.

Please don’t turn our libraries into trendy arts hubs

A photo of three men playing in a band
30 Jan 2020

ACE is right to focus on libraries in its new strategy, says Hassan Vawda – but it must put communities at the heart of its plans to revive them.

When the best response is an angry one

A photo of a lion roaring
30 Jan 2020

We should pay attention to what makes people angry - it points the way to growth and real change, says Hayley Williams-Hindle.

Want justice for arts freelancers? Just ask a pirate

A photo of people dressed as pirates playing brass instruments
30 Jan 2020

Looking for role models who are fleet of foot, democratic, and full of creative flair? Look no further than the Golden Age Pirates, says Sarah Shead.

Can libraries deliver culture for all? ACE’s new strategy unveiled

A photo of a man dressed as a First World War Soldier
27 Jan 2020

Children, young people and libraries are central to the funder’s ambitions to enable everyone to benefit from creative and cultural opportunities.

Three reasons why ACE’s new strategy won’t cut it

A photo of a crowd at a concert
23 Jan 2020

As Arts Council England prepares to publish its next ten-year strategy, thought leaders suggest a radical alternative.

Angry, powerless and invisible: cultural sector migrants speak out

A photo of groups of people sitting in a room
16 Jan 2020

The sector must be held accountable to those suffering under the ‘hostile environment’ immigration regime. Migrants in Culture is taking on the challenge, explain Alessandra Cianetti and Diana Damian Martin.

Warning over misuse of creative apprenticeships

A photo of a man behind a camera
10 Jan 2020

Using apprenticeships to take on graduates employers would hire anyway is putting diversity at risk, an expert has cautioned.

Quotas alone won't achieve gender equality

A photo of three women singing
09 Jan 2020

Setting targets helps, but wider strategies are needed to dispel the sense of novelty value that still surrounds female musicians. We need to normalise their presence on stage and behind the scenes, writes Kate Lowes.

ACE treads carefully with ‘intrusive’ new social class metric

17 Dec 2019

Arts Council England will begin collecting data on the socio-economic background of its NPO workforce next year, but will need to overcome perceptions that doing so is “alien, intimate and intrusive”.

Female artists’ work three times more likely to be undervalued than men’s

17 Dec 2019

New research “confirms many fears that female artists are making less money, regardless of talent”. So what’s the solution?

AP's end of year quiz

13 Dec 2019

Arts numpty? Or sector swot? Test your team's knowledge with ArtsProfessional's light-hearted look at the year's news... 

How the Fringe is forcing out working class voices

12 Dec 2019

Edinburgh Fringe is full of people making obscene amounts of money on the backs of artists who are bringing everyone to the city in the first place, says Kevin P. Gilday. It’s an inequality that is undermining the lofty ideals on which the fringe was formed.

New national agency to study ageing and creativity

11 Dec 2019

A three-year project will research ways to support later-life creativity and creative technology solutions for an ageing population.

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