Creative Lives leader retires after 20 years as ‘tireless champion’ for everyday creativity
ROBIN SIMPSON will depart from Creative Lives in May 2026, having led the UK-wide organisation advocating for community and volunt…
Posts
Gallery takes over London streets with pop-up exhibition space
Contemporary art space ST.ART is hoping to turn London’s streets into a “moving gallery” with the release of a portable exhibition…
Leading through change
As the cultural sector reckons with burnout, political fragmentation and shifting needs, what does it mean to lead with care? Expl…
Reimagining cultural life as living networks
The measurement systems governing cultural life were never neutral; they arose from policy shifts that defined whose knowledge and…
The first cut is the deepest
With conference season in full swing, CEO of Punch Records, Ammo Talwar calls on policymakers to recognise culture as infrastructu…
Giants, rivers and dancing queens: Thoughts on participation
Ahead of Inside Out Dorset 2025, a biennial festival of free international outdoor arts, its co-artistic director Bill Gee reflect…
Hackney Empire appoints CEO with no immediate plans to recruit creative director
CHRIS SUDWORTH is to join Hackney Empire this coming January as chief executive. It comes after KEITH KHAN exited as creative dire…
Labour promises to ‘build creative futures’ with £88m youth investment
The government has vowed to “build creative futures” for children with an £88m investment in after-school access to music, sports…
Refreshed Bradford Arts Centre to welcome visitors from October
The rebranded Bradford Arts Centre is to open in its “transformed” Grade II-listed home this October. Formerly Kala Sangam, th…
Arts-rich curriculum vital for children with additional needs
Engaging young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) requires a broad and arts-inclusive curriculum, the c…
Theatre company ‘secures future’ through charity merger
Hertfordshire-based theatre company Trestle has announced plans to merge with a local community charity this summer in a move that…
Citizens for culture
Emma Harvey of Trinity Community Arts and LaToyah McAllister-Jones of St Pauls Carnival – both based in Bristol – have teamed up w…
Group art activities ‘ease depression and anxiety’ in older adults
Taking part in group art activities can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety among older adults, according to a…
Co-creation of cultural projects boosts socio-economic inclusion, DCMS study finds
Co-creation and participatory practices are one of the most effective ways to engage audiences from lower socio-economic backgroun…
From setback to strategic renewal: How Havering is rewriting the rules
Mathew Russell and David Shearing are directors of Havering London. When their bid for London Borough of Culture was unsuccessful,…
A museum honouring the history of migration
Despite a world-class museum sector and a complex history of migration, Britain does not have a permanent museum exploring the mov…
Art as superpower: How Hastings harnesses creativity to build resilient communities
Perched on the English Channel, Hastings attracts considerable migration. But, as Dee Haughney shares, the work of a trailblazing…
Publicly funded arts: Equity, collective thinking and societal transformation
How can we promote fairness, spark collective imagination and work towards a more just and resilient future together? asks Rachel…
Legislative theatre and the civil society covenant
Katy Rubin, director of The People Act, considers how to bring government and citizens together into creative collaboration for ef…
Creative voices, activist voices: Stories of creative communities
To what extent can finding a creative voice unlock your wider civic activist voice? Dr Katy Pilcher and Fun Palaces’ Amie Taylor h…
Tackling isolation: Know your neighbourhood
Can creativity have an impact on the rising issue of loneliness and isolation? And if so, asks Jessica Plant of Creative Lives, ho…
Fundraising: Finding connection, creating empathy
When it comes to bid writing, many grant givers demand predicted impact. But for Lucie Davies and Alex Mayer, there is profound va…
Can creative practice catalyse policy change?
UP Projects aims to combine artistic excellence with social value. But, asks Emma Underhill, can it also influence…
Let’s talk about excellence: A view from social arts practice
A key question for the new government has to be how to create the conditions for artists of all backgrounds to flourish, argues Pa…
