Policy

DCMS Minister Caroline Dinenage says the much-vaunted measure runs the risk of giving false confidence to festivals: "I just wouldn't be prepared to do that."

Freelancers, young people, women and live performance art forms have been disprortionately affected by a year of lockdowns. Extended financial support may not be enough. 

A campaign to reduce proposed funding cuts has succeeded but organisations will still lose thousands of pounds.

The Government faces calls to ensure music education is part of the catch-up curriculum after up to 10% of schools stopped teaching it in 2020.

Another £300m for the Culture Recovery Fund, a wider safety net for the self-employed, and continued VAT and business rates cuts extend financial supports beyond the anticipated reopening dates.

As Oliver Dowden establishes a working group on "retain and explain", arts workers afraid of exclusion, censorship and funding cuts are speaking up.