Culture Select Committee calls for film industry support

15 Nov 2023

The Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee has written to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt ahead of next week’s Autumn Statement calling for targeted tax support and changes to regulations impacting the British film industry.

The letter says targeted tax support will ensure more visual effects work takes place across the UK, alongside the reform of the apprenticeship levy.

It adds there must be further consideration given to the planned new rules around connected party transactions and the definition of documentary programming.

The letter coincides with the publication of over 130 written evidence submissions to the Committee’s ongoing enquiry into British Film and High-End Television inquiry.

The Committee will start taking oral evidence in the new year.

CMS Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage commented: “The UK is a hugely important destination for film and high-end television production, but we can’t afford to rest on our laurels if we are to retain our competitive edge with the major players from around the world.”

“We hope that next week the Chancellor will show he’s a friend of British film and give the sector the certainty and stability it needs to retain the UK’s excellent standing on the world stage.”

Frazer extends government’s Creative Growth programme

14 Nov 2023

Six areas across England are to be awarded a share of £10.9m to scale up hundreds of creative industry businesses.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer announced the expansion of the government’s Creative Growth programme during the WeCreate conference at Manchester’s Aviva Studios yesterday (14 November).

The expansion doubles the areas covered by the programme. Creative businesses in Nottinghamshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Devon and Hertfordshire will now be eligible to access private investment and scale-up advice.

The amount of funding each area will receive is not set and depends on the individual area’s business needs and the number of businesses that apply for grants and support. 

Since launching in 2022, the Creative Growth programme has delivered £28.4m. It is estimated the programme’s expansion will take the total number of creative organisations supported by the scheme to 1,800.

The programme was developed to support government ambitions to grow the creative industries by £50bn by 2030.

Speaking in Manchester yesterday, Frazer said: "We’re already making progress towards the ambitious goals set out in our sector vision, unveiling millions in new funding to drive growth in our grassroots and scale ups and banging the drum for creative careers."

Exclusive: Creative and Cultural Skills to close

A young woman working behind the scenes in a theatre adjusting a light
14 Nov 2023

Loss of core Arts Council England funding a significant factor in the decision to close organisation established 18 years ago.

Music teacher training bursaries set to return

09 Nov 2023

The Department for Education has announced that trainee music teachers at secondary level will be entitled to a bursary of £10,000 from September 2024, after previously axing the support in 2020.

The tax-free sum, which is less than half that on offer for languages and STEM subjects, will be paid in equal monthly instalments over the duration of a trainee teacher's course.

It's hoped the bursary's reintroduction will significantly boost the number of music teachers. Last month, an Ofsted report on music teaching in schools found some schools were experiencing challenges recruiting music teachers at the key stage 3. In a few cases, music had been temporarily removed from the curriculum because of a shortage of specialists.

According to the National Foundation for Educational Research, just 31% of the target for music teacher recruitment will be met in 2023. 

UK Music’s Interim Chief Executive Tom Kiehl welcomed the return of the bursary for music but said: ”There is still far more to be done to fix the current shortage of music teachers.”

Chris Walters, National Organiser for Education, Health & Wellbeing at the Musicians’ Union, added: “We urge the government to revisit its own National Plan for Music Education and review the other barriers that stand in the way of the plan’s delivery, including straitened school budgets and mixed messaging to schools about the importance of the arts.”

Meanwhile, Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the ISM, noted: “Despite the good news for secondary teachers, there is no bursary at primary level, where a lack of courses remains a point of great concern." In over two-thirds of the primary schools, Ofsted found that non-specialist teachers taught music, with over half lacking the subject knowledge to teach the curriculum well. 

The government has announced that trainee Art & Design and English teachers will also be offered a £10,000 bursary for 2024/25.

UK needs a ‘creativity bank’

Culture Minister Lucy Frazer addresses an audience of creative industries professionals at Creative UK's annual conference at Southbank Centre
07 Nov 2023

The UK urgently needs an investment initiative for the cultural and creative industries, similar to those that exist for social enterprise, tech and the green economy, argues Caroline Norbury

Belfast Council votes to contest arts cuts

02 Nov 2023

Belfast City Council has voted in favour of a motion to support a campaign calling for a reversal of arts cuts in Northern Ireland. 

The motion asked government officials for “a reversal in cuts to the arts” and committed the council to signing an open letter from Equity Noerthern Ireland to Colum Boyle, Permanent Secretary of the Department for Communities.

MPs unanimously endorsed the motion, which recognised that Permanent Secretaries are “being forced to take, without a mandate, difficult decisions that should be taken by locally elected ministers and a devolved Executive and Assembly” and that “too often the council is forced to step in and financially support arts and cultural organisations who have lost funding from Stormont departments”.

A 10% reduction to Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s budget was proposed in April, which was later lowered to 5%. In its letter, Equity NI said that reduction in the decrease was of "no comfort", claiming that Arts Council NI funding has decreased, in real terms, by 30% over the last decade.

Around 130 Equity members and supporters held a rally at Belfast City Hall ahead of the vote on Wednesday night (1 November). Speaking at the protest, Equity president Lynda Rooke said: “12,500 people signed Equity's petition demanding more investment in the arts and no to further cuts, I echo this with the backing of 47,000 Equity members from across the four nations of the UK."

MU calls on government to save UK orchestras

02 Nov 2023

The General Secretary of the Musician’s Union (MU) has called on the Chancellor and Culture Secretary to take urgent action to save some of the UK’s best-known orchestras.

Naomi Pohl has written to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer asking for support for Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations Northern Ballet, English National Opera and Royal Opera House, as well as other organisations “struggling with real terms funding cuts that threaten musicians’ jobs and pay”.

In her letter, Pohl said: “The financial pressures include the lingering impact of the pandemic closure period, rising costs such as energy, travel and accommodation, plus at best static public funding. 

“For organisations like ENO and Royal Opera House that run listed buildings, the costs of doing so have risen sharply, and this is affecting their budgets for creative output.”

“While the Covid recovery loans were intended to keep organisations like these running through the height of the pandemic crisis and out the other side, many cannot afford to repay them now without making significant additional cuts to their budgets.”

The MU has requested the government to consider a range of actions, including writing off Covid recovery loans for the live performance sector and making the extension of orchestral and theatre tax relief permanent.

Labour challenge to Creative Scotland cuts rejected

26 Oct 2023

A bid by Scottish Labour to reverse the government’s decision to cut art funding by £6.6m has been rejected by MSPs.

The Labour motion calling for a reduction to Creative Scotland's budget to be reinstated with “immediate effect” failed after Culture Secretary Angus Robertson brought an amendment to the motion that passed with 65 votes for Yes and 52 for No.

Labour MSP Neil Bibby tabled a motion at Holyrood yesterday (25 October) that “condemns the Scottish government’s decision to break its promise to the sector not to cut Creative Scotland’s budget by 10%” and "calls, therefore, on the Scottish government to reverse the 10% budget cut to Creative Scotland with immediate effect".

Robertson's amendment removed the original motion's condemnation of the Scottish government and calls to reinstate arts funding this year, stating instead that "in common with other sectors, arts and culture organisations are experiencing significant pressure due to increases in the cost of living as a consequence of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the actions of the UK government".

It also welcomed Creative Scotland's use of its financial reserves to "ensure that funding for regularly funded organisations has been maintained in 2023/24" and "supports the Scottish government’s plan to double arts and culture funding by £100m over the next five years" adding that "the UK Government should match this stated ambition and at least double its investment in arts and culture over the same period".

Culture is essential infrastructure

Graphics of various artforms
26 Oct 2023

Imagine a world without culture. How would we orient and co-ordinate our actions? How would we generate new ideas? How would we know our lives are worth living? Arguably, the very act of imagining would be impossible without culture, contend Patrycja Kaszynska and James Purnell.

SNP leader pledges to double Scottish culture budget

Humza Yousaf speaking on stage
18 Oct 2023

The promise from SNP leader Humza Yousaf comes a week after cuts to Creative Scotland's funding went ahead despite the proposals being dropped earlier this year.

Scottish artists making a better world

Artists preparing banners for their campaign
17 Oct 2023

Artist activists in Scotland are arming themselves - with squeegees - in a battle to change the hearts and minds of their politicians, as Moira Jeffrey reports.

Northern Ballet orchestra cuts highlighted at Labour conference

13 Oct 2023

The Musicians Union (MU) has used the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool to draw attention to proposals to cut Northern Ballet’s live orchestra from some performances on tour.

During a speech on the main conference stage, MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl raised the issue of the Leeds-based dance company entering into talks to replace its Sinfonia with pre-recorded music to save money.

Pohl said that her organisation was “really worried now about our member's jobs” and cited “standstill arts funding for the past decade” as the reason behind Northern Ballet’s financial plight. 

She also brought up the subject at a rally of Labour-affiliated trade unions. Pohl said: "They [the Northern Ballet Sinfonia] used to have 20 weeks of work a year. Now, they're looking at three or four weeks of work a year. 

“They're going to food banks to survive. This is an absolutely outrageous situation, and it's been caused by a Tory government underfunding the arts for at least a decade.” 

In a statement last week, Northern Ballet said that due to rising costs, it had “become clear that we can no longer continue with our traditional touring model” and need to “explore different options if we are to continue to bring world-class narrative ballets to audiences throughout the country.” 

The dance company’s largest funder, Arts Council England, said it “highly valued” Northern Ballet but added, “In the current economic climate, the sector faces difficult decisions; we have tried to reduce pressure by being clear with organisations that we will be flexible, recognising they may need to reduce activity to help balance their books." 

The MU says that the Northern Ballet Sinfonia's campaign was also discussed in meetings with MPs at the conference, along with pay cuts at the Royal Opera House, measures to make touring in the EU easier, and protecting freelancers from sexual harassment at work.

Debbonaire unveils National Culture Infrastructure Plan

Thangam Debbonaire speaking at the Labour Party conference
12 Oct 2023

Shadow Culture Secretary also reiterates importance of creative curriculum and commits to action on visa waiver system for artists.

Labour: A new deal for arts funding?

Image of Culture Secretary Debbonaire playing the cello
11 Oct 2023

As the Labour Party convenes in Liverpool this week for its annual conference, Eliza Easton calls for fresh thinking from the new Shadow Culture Secretary and her team.

Minister makes ‘gold-plated’ pledge to restore arts funding

Scottish Culture Secretary Angus Robertson
11 Oct 2023

The Scottish Culture Secretary has assured MSPs that Creative Scotland's budget will be restored next year after re-imposing a £6.6m cut on the organisation.

New approach to city metrics

Image of Lisbon
04 Oct 2023

A new index offers expert insights into the cultural resources of more than 500 cities worldwide, making it the only creative city index with global reach, writes David Adam

Bristol artists label funding delay ‘cruel and disrespectful’

Lotte Nørgaard, Co-founder of Dragonbird Theatre with child.
02 Oct 2023

Arts organisations and Equity members in Bristol claim they are struggling financially after the city council paused its cultural grant scheme.

Scottish government criticised over 'betrayal of culture sector'

The debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament
28 Sep 2023

A cut to the funding Creative Scotland receives from the Scottish government is going ahead, despite the proposals being dropped earlier this year.

Theatre productions paused amid fears of tax law changes

A performance of a pantomime. A man dressed as a pirate lies on the floor with a woman in a tutu dancing beside him
28 Sep 2023

Government says it wants to make changes to legislation around cultural tax reliefs to "provide clarity to the industry," but there are concerns the move could be damaging to the theatre industry.

North of England 'creative corridor' prototype to launch

Yorkshire Sculpture Park in West Bretton, Wakefield, is an art gallery with both open-air and indoor exhibition spaces
19 Sep 2023

Concept previously backed by Labour will see clusters of creative and cultural activity across the North of England linked up to create a powerful 'economic force'.

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