Visiting Arts avoids closure through merger with Farnham Maltings

11 Dec 2019

Farnham Maltings will gain expertise in creating connections in hard-to-reach regions while Visiting Arts secures a future for programmes it was struggling to resource.

Thinking ahead on touring costs

A photo of people standing on a tall metal structure on a stage
28 Nov 2019

Arts organisations that schedule European tour dates could be faced with a bigger National Insurance bill if there’s no Brexit deal. Don’t get caught out – be prepared, says Nick Bustin.

Cost of The Factory could rise beyond £130m

Photo of The Factory under construction
13 Nov 2019

As Manchester City Council races to get the venue finished for 2021, only a third of construction packages have been awarded.

Olympic Park cultural quarter already £14m over budget

An artist's drawing of the planned Stratford Waterfront development
01 Nov 2019

Auditors warned that urgent action was needed to avert overspending and delays to the project before planning permission for four key buildings was granted in June. LLDC says it is still in the process of addressing these concerns.

IR35 – don’t get caught out

A photo of forms, a  pen, a computer mouse and a mug
31 Oct 2019

Larger organisations in the cultural sector will soon be responsible for ensuring their contractors are paying the right amount of tax, and the arts professionals who supply their services must be ready for the change, says Nick Bustin.

Smaller museums ‘reticent’ about tax relief scheme

A photo of the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield
24 Oct 2019

About half of institutions surveyed in Yorkshire and Humber were not claiming or planning to make a claim through the Government initiative.

A sticking plaster policy

14 Oct 2019

Before praising the Culture Secretary for “responding so positively” to the financial crisis facing the cultural sector, Arts Council England would do well to take a step back and review its own evidence, says Liz Hill.

Who’s missing out on tax relief?

24 Sep 2019

While the number of tax reliefs available to the creative industries has grown, some sectors are missing out by being slow to take advantage of potential savings. Louise Veragoo explains who might be eligible for this free cash.

Scotland consults on tourist tax

A photograph of colourful houses on a street in Edinburgh
19 Sep 2019

There are calls for the government to consider exempting all Scottish residents from the proposed levy, which would be collected by accommodation providers.

Labour could bring in tourist tax, says Tom Watson

A photo of Tom Watson sitting on stage next to a woman
12 Sep 2019

The Shadow Culture Secretary said “a crude skills and salary approach to migration simply won’t work for the creative economy”.

Strike begins at Science Museum Group

A photo of staff on strike holding placards outside the Science Museum in London
30 Aug 2019

The Prospect union says staff have experienced a 13% real terms pay cut since 2010.

Investment in the arts is no soft option

A photo of Edinburgh at night
23 Aug 2019

With a budget fast approaching, Arts Council England’s Chief Executive Darren Henley calls on the new Government to back up its warm words for the arts with financial support.

Tax relief for arts and culture grows by one fifth

Photo of English National Ballet
16 Aug 2019

More money was refunded to both large and small organisations last year – but freelancers are missing out. 

Fundraising Regulator: voluntary levy is ‘not optional’

Photo of fundraisers
14 Aug 2019

The authority says charities that don’t pay “need to reflect on the fact that they are not contributing to the costs of fundraising regulation”.

Mayor steps in to plug V&A East funding gap

An artist's drawing of the planned V&A East museum
12 Jul 2019

The GLA has agreed to underwrite a budget shortfall of up to £12m, which is expected despite a £9m a year boost in funding from DCMS.

The feelgood factor: making flagship programmes work

A photo of an Asian women with a suitcase, a Black service man and two white women on their phones sitting on a bench in a station
27 Jun 2019

Artistic excellence and effective governance are key to the success of major public cultural programmes, writes Nigel Hinds.

We need to work harder on donor diversity

Photo of people socialising
20 Jun 2019

For too long arts organisations have limited their individual giving efforts to white British donors. Michelle Wright urges an approach that prioritises donor diversity.

Boosting your financial credibility

Photo of a chart and a graph
06 Jun 2019

Alison O'Neill shares her thoughts on how small arts organisations can acquire the financial expertise that grant-making bodies are looking for.

Grassroots venues face discrimination on business rates, says UK Music

Close up photo of a microphone
24 May 2019

The industry body says 124 venues would save more than £4,000 each a year if they were offered the same discounts as pubs and bars.

A simpler way to do tax

Photo of two Macbooks on a desk with notes on paper
15 May 2019

The government's ‘Making Tax Digital’ initiative makes sense for HMRC, but it's also a chance for arts organisations to save time and money, says Mahmood Reza.

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