'Creators Council' mooted to help workforce and assist recovery

13 May 2021

A parliamentary report into writers' experience of Covid-19 says "a clear line of communication between the Government and the creative workforce" would address gaps in support - and save an £11bn industry from a cliff edge.

Finding the words to write the climate

Still from murmuration of a hand over some drawn flowers
11 May 2021

Poet and climate writer, Linda France shares how she is creating spaces for connection, discussion and personal reflection, encouraging us to respond to the climate emergency and see ourselves as part of the solution.

£7m endowment to 'secure the future' of RSC’s education work

A man performing in a school gym surrounded by school children
03 Dec 2020

The largest Paul Hamlyn Foundation grant since 2006 will provide a sustainable basis for the theatre’s ongoing work, plus money to evaluate its long-term impact.

Ethnic representation in children's literature reaches new, low high

18 Nov 2020

Ambitions to increase the number of creators of colour have been raised amid improvements in the incidence and portrayal of Black, Asian and ethnic minority characters.

Fears grow that ‘risk aversion’ will undermine new work

open book with a pencil on top plus a mug and a laptop all displayed on a desk
14 May 2020

New guidelines have been drawn up to protect playwrights whose future work is under threat, existing work is being streamed free, and who are under pressure to accept digital work for low rates.

£330k emergency fund for authors affected by Covid-19

20 Mar 2020

The slush fund is the latest urgent funding measure to support imperilled freelancers.

Creators alarmed by Government’s U-turn on copyright laws

27 Jan 2020

On the eve of Brexit, musicians and authors are calling for equivalent legislation to safeguard their intellectual property rights.

Young people ‘overwhelmingly positive’ about creative writing

01 Mar 2019

An evaluation of a three-year scheme finds writing programmes should prioritise writing for pleasure, rather than trying to improve technical accuracy.

Back reading to tackle loneliness epidemic, Government urged

Photo of books
09 Nov 2018

A new report calls for £200m investment and a national reading movement to improve the UK’s mental health, wellbeing and social mobility.

Reading up on dementia

Photo of three people holding books
01 Nov 2018

In Wales, people living with dementia, and their carers, are being offered fiction as well as self-help books to help them manage the condition, explains Debbie Hicks.

Arts Council England considers new funding stream for fiction

Woman reading
09 Jan 2018

The national funder is concerned by low income for writers and a lack of diversity in the sector, and has pledged more support for authors, publishers and independent bookshops.

Bristol and Manchester named UNESCO Creative Cities

Photo of Wallace and Gromit
03 Nov 2017

The cities join a 180-strong network, which already features ten UK cities including Bradford and Glasgow.

How I reacted to… a change in the funding climate

Photo of performance poetry
30 Oct 2017

When project funding slowed after the financial crash, Jaybird Live Literature was unable to put on the technically complex poetry shows it was known for. Julia Bird explains how it adapted its work to stay in business.

Damning review of Welsh literature agency slammed by Arts Council

Photo of child reading
14 Jul 2017

Literature Wales was stunned by the review, which recommended stripping the body of its main responsibilities and handing them over to the government-sponsored Books Council.

A perfect match

Photo of Upswing
02 Jul 2017

When her circus arts company was invited to perform in a library, Camille Bensoussan feared there would be endless health and safety meetings.

How to… help writers break through

Two men sitting at a table
21 Apr 2017

What should people working in the arts do to support writers in their early years? Steve Dearden, co-founder of the The Writing Squad, offers his thoughts.

Library funding misses the point, authors claim

Books on a shelf
24 Mar 2017

Arts Council England funding for projects to tackle disadvantage is accused of being “window dressing” in the context of local authority cuts and library closures. 

Protecting creative efforts

Photo of man on laptop in cafe
22 Mar 2017

How can we make sure that authors are paid fairly in times of technological change? Luke Alcott discusses the steps that are being taken to protect their rights.

When the clocks turned back

Photo of two young people filming
05 Jan 2017

A storytelling project that invited young people to challenge the traditional role of libraries culminated in midnight performances viewed by online audiences worldwide. Ju Row Farr describes the fun.

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