Revised ACE guidance urges 'personal views clarity'

A hand on a glowing laptop
28 Feb 2024

Arts Council England updates its reputational risk guidance for National Portfolio Organisations following concerns that original guidance could curtail freedom of expression.

Do you have an employee Health and Wellbeing policy?

28 Feb 2024

Leading a team producing a demanding festival in a challenging environment, Catherine Groom thinks developing and formalising a health and wellbeing policy is essential.

DCMS rules out broadcast-style equitable remuneration for music

27 Feb 2024

Following an IPO-commissioned report, DCMS Minister Julia Lopez says government will not enforce equitable remuneration for music streaming and will instead convene a music industry working group to consider the matter.

Loss of 'lifeline' theatre tax relief will mean fewer productions

The cast of Guys & Dolls at The Bridge Theatre
27 Feb 2024

A new survey conducted by SOLT & UK Theatre has found that a higher rate of Theatre Tax relief drove the employment of nearly 15,000 people in the last financial year.

Peers urge Treasury to speed up admin for touring musicians

Single man traveller with a roller bag and instrument case in modern airport stock phot
21 Feb 2024

Peers have raised concerns that singers and musicians touring in the European Economic Area frequently do not receive necessary paperwork in time.

Badenoch blocks grant for NI rap trio over political views

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, pictured at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023.
12 Feb 2024

A spokesperson for Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said it was “hardly surprising” it had overturned Kneecap's funding award as the Northern Irish group is "opposed to the United Kingdom".

Government youth fund distributes £3m to arts projects

A permanence by young people at KBSK in Bodmin
08 Feb 2024

Arts-centric youth organisations will receive more than £3m from the government's £90m Youth Investment Fund, with the money going to some of the country's most underserved areas.

Frazer orders full-scale review of ACE

07 Feb 2024

The decision follows completion of an initial assessment into the role and functions of Arts Council England that could have resulted in no further action being taken.

UK Music criticises funding withdrawal for post-16 music

06 Feb 2024

UK Music is calling on Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to halt “damaging” plans to withdraw funding for post-16 music qualifications.

Government has proposed reforms that would defund the current suite of vocational Level 3 qualifications for music by 2026.

Level 3 qualifications in music are aimed at giving 16- to 19-year-olds skills and knowledge to progress to other training, study and employment options in a range of music production and performance disciplines. UK Music says the qualification has left students well-prepared for the often non-linear career progression in the creative industries. 

In a letter to Keegan, UK Music’s Interim Chief Executive Tom Kiehl says the move would leave approximately 30,000 young people a year without a viable alternative.

“Our primary concern relates to the planned defunding of the current suite of vocational Level 3 qualifications for music by 2026. There are not enough alternative options to fill the void that this creates,” Kiehl wrote.

“In the absence of a T-Level for Music, defunding for existing qualifications places a massive administrative burden on many in the music education sector, with qualifications having to be rewritten as Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs) and approved by Department for Education. 

“While the introduction of AAQs is not new, its requirement for 'assessment by examination' poses a great challenge for educators to implement the necessary course changes within the timeframe available. Moreover, this approach to learning risks diminishing accessibility to a subject that has traditionally empowered learners from diverse learning styles and backgrounds.”

Kiehl's letter continues: “We therefore ask for an immediate pause in the defunding of all music qualifications that are due to be effectively ‘turned off’ by 2026 and ask for a meeting with you and a representative group of impacted music education providers to find a way forward.

“As an industry, we acknowledge that our success depends on a diverse and accessible range of education and skills options at various levels. Vocational Level 3 qualifications are crucial for the music talent pipeline and are often overlooked.”

Independent Scotland could introduce tax exemption for artists

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson
05 Feb 2024

The Scottish National Party has published a paper proposing benefits to the country's cultural and creative sectors if it leaves the UK.

New lottery operator unable to meet pledged targets

Blue National Lottery sign, showing its crossed fingers logo, in front of shop entrance.
05 Feb 2024

New lottery operator Allwyn has admitted that it will not meet its original pledge on donations to good causes at the start of its decade-long licence.

Melvyn Bragg: Arts industry 'needs radical overhaul'

Melvyn Bragg, speaking in the House of Lords
01 Feb 2024

Labour peer describes UK arts provision as 'dangerously patchy' and calls for 'industrial revolution for the arts'.

Fourth round of Cultural Development Fund opens

30 Jan 2024

A pot of £15.2m will be available for cultural organisations across England in the latest round of funding under the government's Cultural Development Fund, it has been announced.

So far, 20 projects have received a combined total of £76.8m from the fund since 2019, with arts centres, community venues and heritage buildings among the beneficiaries.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said this year’s round will be the first time since 2019 that projects in London are eligible to apply to the fund.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson said the further funding will extend government's work to level up access to arts and culture in a bid to ensure that everyone has high quality opportunities on their doorstep.   

“I encourage applicants to put forward ambitious proposals which will make a real difference to the lives of even more people across the country, and help to preserve the UK’s position on the world stage as a cultural and creative powerhouse,” he said.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England which is delivering the fund on behalf of DCMS, said the money will bring the transformative power of creativity and culture to more people in more places, across the country. 

"By investing in the infrastructure that cultural organisations need, we can help them make an even bigger impact on the places where they're based, benefiting the communities they work with," he said. 

Speaking separately at an event last Wednesday (24 January), Parkinson said the government's Cultural Education Plan will be published shortly.

"The development of a Cultural Education Plan represents an important opportunity for the range of people and organisations who have a stake and an interest in cultural education to work together and to work with us in government in a practical and tangible way to respond to that, and to improve the lives of children and young people," he said in a speech at the Association of British Orchestra's annual conference.

"The Cultural Education Plan, which we will publish very soon, aims to highlight the importance of high quality cultural education, promote the social value of it, to support career progression pathways, to address skills gaps and to tackle disparities in opportunity."

Frazer: Philanthropy 'key to widening arts access'

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer at the National Gallery
29 Jan 2024

Culture Secretary says the denigration of corporate sponsorship and donations needs to end if arts and culture institutions are to get the financial support they need.

Arts Council Wales chief urges 'national debate’ on value of arts

WNO's La Traviata featuring David Junghoon Kim as Alfredo
24 Jan 2024

Comments follow the Senedd's decision to reduce Arts Council Wales' annual funding by 10.5%.

How to boost arts audiences

Image of people from above, generated by DALL-E
22 Jan 2024

The figures for attendance at arts events in the UK have been stable since 2005*, writes Agnieszka Wlazeł, despite a variety of audience development initiatives over the years. 

Does ACE’s latest intervention go far enough?

Sean Bates and Joseph Taylor in The Great Gatsby
17 Jan 2024

More can be done to help struggling arts organisations, says Arts Professional's Neil Puffett.

Cultural policy begins at home

Image of a dartboard
15 Jan 2024

It’s January - a new year, a time when we dare to be optimistic about the state of things, maybe even wish for change, writes Lauren James.

Providing evidence for cultural policymaking

Person checking a film shot on a monitor
10 Jan 2024

The Creative PEC works closely with industry, government and the third sector to build evidence to support the development of better policy, writes Bernard Hay.

Debbonaire: More money for arts 'my first priority'

A screen shot of Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire in a Zoom call. She has short dark hair and wears a red jacket with matching glasses
10 Jan 2024

Shadow Culture Secretary pledges to explore opportunities for additional investment in the arts, describing proposed cuts to local authority culture budgets as 'heartbreaking'.

Pages

Subscribe to Policy