Key dates for the arts sector in 2026
The year ahead will bring a raft of events that have significant implications for the arts and culture sector. Here, we take a loo…
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Prospect members vote to accept British Library pay deal
Workers at the British Library belonging to trade union Prospect have voted 78% in favour of an improved pay deal offer. Prospect…
ACE warns any action on Square Chapel will involve ‘cost and risk’
Arts Council England (ACE) has said whatever course of action it decides to take over the future of a West Yorkshire cultural venu…
British Library staff ‘feel huge disconnect’ from leadership
Union representatives picketing the British Library say the legacy of the organisation’s 2023 cyber-attack has disproportionatel…
Equity to hold vote on industrial action over AI
The performers’ union Equity has today (4 December) opened a ballot asking members working in film and TV to vote on support for i…
Actors’ union puts demands on the table ahead of talks with theatre bodies
Actor’s union Equity is demanding a guaranteed minimum weekly salary of £1,000 per week for the lowest paid in the West End. The…
British Library facing further strikes after leader’s resignation
British Library workers will strike once more, after rejecting a revised pay offer late last month. More than 300 members of the P…
British Library workers reject revised pay offer
British Library staff have rejected a revised pay offer from the institution, according to the Public and Commercial Services unio…
Theatre needs CIISA more than ever
The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) was set up to uphold and improve standards of behaviour across the…
Musicians’ Union alleges Northern Ballet deal risks ‘gagging’ freelancers
Members of the Northern Ballet Sinfonia have raised concerns about a new contract with Northern Ballet, which may include a confid…
Tate staff vote for strike action after rejecting ‘insulting’ pay rise
Workers at the Tate family of galleries have voted for a week of strike action in a dispute over pay and terms and conditions. 98%…
Actors’ union ‘not looking’ to refresh legal team for appeal against High Court finding
Equity is not currently looking to update its legal team, the actors’ union has revealed, as it prepares to appeal a court ruling…
Equity wins right to fight Spotlight ruling at Court of Appeal
Actors’ union Equity has been granted the right to dispute a High Court ruling that found against it in a challenge it put to cast…
Union calls for ‘clear path’ from ACE on reopening of former NPO
The future of a West Yorkshire cultural venue that recently exited Arts Council England’s (ACE) National Portfolio needs to be d…
Broadway musicians’ strike averted with ‘tentative agreement’
Broadway musicians have reached a “tentative agreement” on a new contract, averting a strike scheduled for today (23 October). Mem…
Equity says Manchester Pride liquidation is ‘hugely concerning’ for those owed money
The performers’ union Equity held a meeting yesterday (22 October) for performers and creatives affected by Manchester Pride’s…
Philharmonia refutes musicians’ claims of ‘daylight robbery’ in row over BBC fees
The Philharmonia has pushed back against complaints from musicians over recent contract changes that allow it to retain media fees…
British Library staff to strike in their hundreds over pay
British Library staff are to stage a walkout between 27 October and 9 November, in a dispute over the offer of a below-inflation p…
Tate staff consulted on strike as union accuses leadership of permitting ‘endemic low pay’
Tate galleries across London, Liverpool and St Ives are at risk of industrial action for the first time since 2020, as the Public…
Backstage body asks workers to ‘challenge’ bullying
Updated guidance on workplace bullying in the theatre sector calls for those witnessing poor behaviour to “politely challenge” the…
Arts workers contribute to spike in whistleblowing statistics
The number of whistleblowing complaints submitted to the Charity Commission (CC) by workers in arts, culture, heritage and science…
Council votes to withhold museum’s funding in support of striking workers
The Labour leader of Wakefield Council has said she hopes that the trustees of a local museum will be “embarrassed” into negot…
Council considers funding for museum mired in pay row
A local authority will debate plans to review its financial support for a museum currently embroiled in a dispute with its staff o…
Spotlight boss admits Equity row ‘biggest dismay’ of his leadership
Spotlight leader Matt Hood has told Arts Professional a legal battle against actors’ union Equity represents the “most disappointi…
