Creative recovery?

Children playing in Abasto Streets, Buenos Aires.
20 Jul 2023

A new report from King’s College London and the World Cities Culture Forum looks at the role of cultural policy in shaping urban futures. Jonathan Gross, one of the researchers, shares its key findings.

Artists in London reliant on income from outside sector

Artist Grayson Perry, a former ACME tenant, in his studio at Carpenters Road 1994-5.
13 Jul 2023

Survey of artists with affordable rent studios in London finds only one in three make a living from work within the industry.

Quarter of music and theatre venues fear closure

Exterior of Lighthouse Poole Centre for Arts
13 Jul 2023

Experts warn entertainment venues are at risk as bills and energy costs continue to soar, leaving them 'clinging on' to survive.

Cultural encounters of the empathic kind

My Leeds 2023 Neighbourhood Hosts programme. People stood on a balcony waving and smiling.
12 Jul 2023

Driven by funder requirements and sector expectations, evaluation can feel top-down. Stephen Welsh argues for a more people-centred approach which is empathetic, inclusive and unassuming.

Libraries 'worth at least £3.4bn' to economy

11 Jul 2023

Libraries across England generate at least £3.4bn in value a year to the economy through the services they provide, a study has found.

The Guardian reports that researchers at the University of East Anglia discovered that the services a typical branch provides in a year are worth £1m.

The study found the overall value of libraries, through supporting children’s literacy, digital inclusion and health, could equate to six times their running costs.

The project was funded by library services in the east of England and received a £30,000 contribution from Arts Council England (ACE).

“The evidence is clear: investing in libraries brings huge returns for local communities and the public purse,” Isobel Hunter, Chief Executive of Libraries Connected, the charity that commissioned the report, said.

Luke Burton, Director for Libraries at ACE said he hopes the UEA report can help make the case to potential partners and funders to support libraries.

APPG inquiry recommends action on decline of arts education

Schoolchildren and teacher sitting around table in art/design class. They are wearing blue and yellow aprons.
05 Jul 2023

Government must urgently address a crisis in training, recruitment and retention of art and design teachers, according to an inquiry commissioned by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Art, Craft and Design.

Research explores impact of indie stores selling Black music

04 Jul 2023

A major new project is set to explore the cultural impact of independent record stores that specialised in Black music from 1950 onwards.

The project is spearheaded by Midlands-based national organisation 2Funky Arts, which will work with Sound/Image Research Centre at the University of Greenwich in London and Brighter Sound in Manchester.

The Record Store & Black Music: A UK History project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and will link in with Black History Month 2024.

The project highlights the importance of early indie music stores in the UK for the Windrush generation and Black diaspora resisting systemic racism.

The project will use oral histories, as well as film, audio and photographic memories to explore how these stores served as incubators for new music and cultural ecosystems that shaped society’s relationship with Black music.

The research team is seeking personal stories from record store customers, owners and artists that illuminate Black, African and Caribbean experiences. Anyone with relevant film, audio or photographic memories is also invited to share.

These materials will be compiled to create an educational resource, a publication, a website and a podcast series.

“2Funky Arts has been planning The Record Store for around four years, in conjunction with DJ Simon ‘Schooly’ Phillips, who will work on our heritage documentary,” said Vijay Mistry, the project’s Director.

“We are thrilled to have received funding for such a culturally significant project. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to research this fascinating history and will be working with volunteers and practitioners from across the country, to present oral histories in inspiring formats.”

Freelance theatre workforce ‘under siege’

A young man taking part in theatre rehearsals
22 Jun 2023

Study finds freelance workers in theatre are underpaid and facing financial uncertainity across all career stages and regions, with some forced to live hand-to-mouth and considering careers outside the sector.

AHRC-funded research to examine UK museum closures

21 Jun 2023

A new research project examining museum closures in the UK has recieved £1m funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

The project will look at museum closures and the dispersal of collections within the UK museum sector.

Titled Museum Closure in the UK 2000-2025, the two-year project will be based at Birkbeck, University of London and King’s College London.

Research will begin in October and be led by Fiona Candlin, professor of museology at Birkbeck.

The research team said: “We will investigate the afterlife of collections, find out if museum exhibits are scrapped, sold, stored, or re-used, and examine ‘outreach’ and temporary museums. 

“A knowledge base will be designed to model and store the collected data, and visualisations and analyses of the data will be developed. Above all, we aim at critically reassessing notions of permanence and loss within the museums sector.”

Spotlight on new NPOs: Unlimited

21 Jun 2023

Over the past two years, Unlimited has undergone massive change. From a programme to an independent organisation and now an NPO, it’s on a mission to challenge the sector. Jo Verrent reports on that journey.

Making the case for the creative industries

Sir Peter Bazalgette, co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council.
21 Jun 2023

Following the publication of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, Peter Bazalgette, who advised on its content, speaks to Arts Professional’s Neil Puffett about the impact it will have.

Creativity, culture and capital

A graphic showing two wheelchair users dancing
20 Jun 2023

Two years on from the launch of an international initiative exploring the creative economy for sustainable development, Fran Sanderson reflects on how impact capital can be a vital tool to support positive growth.

Heading in the right direction

Graphic of lightbulb with coloured lines emanating from it
14 Jun 2023

Christopher Smith welcomes the government’s Creative Industries Sector Vision published this week, saying it is a recognition of the value of the UK’s creative industries.

Bristol has highest concentration of music artists in UK

07 Jun 2023

Bristol has a higher concentration of music artists than any other city in the UK, according to a new survey based on studio use.

Research by the music studio platform Pirate used its own booking data to examine the number of bands, DJs and recording artists using its studios relative to overall population.

Bristol came out on top across 16 UK cities and Dublin, with Bradford having the lowest density of artists among the featured cities.

The other top five cities for density were: Norwich, Brighton and Hove, Nottingham, and Liverpool.

Despite a thriving music scene, London was in the bottom five, which Pirate said was "likely due to the higher cost of living in the capital".

Rebecca Mason-Evans, who runs the talent initiative Pirate Residency, said: "Analysing the distribution of artists across the UK underscores the importance of supportive environments for nurturing talent outside of traditional music centres."

Building trust in policing

On duty police engaging with a public art event
07 Jun 2023

Police collaboration in arts and culture projects improves their engagement with communities, building trust and confidence, as Jacqueline Hodgson and Rachel Lewis argue in their new report.

What kind of ancestor do you want to be?

Adah Parris on stage addressing an audience
05 Jun 2023

As Chair of the Centre for Cultural Value’s advisory group, Adah Parris reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing cultural practitioners and leaders keen to build a positive legacy.

University develops guidance on trans-inclusive practice for museums

30 May 2023

The Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG) at the University of Leicester is developing guidance on trans-inclusive practice in museums, galleries and heritage organisations.

To ensure that the advice is as useful as possible across the sector, RCMG is asking cultural organisations to complete a confidential survey detailing the challenges they are experiencing and any issues they would like the guidance to cover.

The work aims to help organisations advance their commitments to greater equality and inclusion by offering clear advise and support.

“Although more and more museums, galleries and heritage organisations are keen to develop their trans-inclusive practice – to work with communities to improve representation, to welcome trans visitors and support trans colleagues – recent months have seen increasing uncertainty and sometimes anxiety about how to take this forward,” said Richard Sandell, Co-Director of the RCMG.

“The guidance we are developing will support organisations to be ambitious and confident in their work to advance trans-inclusion and equality.”

The guidance will be developed with legal scholars from the University of Edinburgh and is set to be issued this summer.

It will include an ethical framework to guide work that seeks to advance equality for trans staff and visitors as well as guiding organisations in how to foster approaches that increase public understanding and support for trans inclusion.

Research grant set to illuminate Portsmouth’s past

30 May 2023

Researchers will delve into Portsmouth’s heritage, culture and collections with funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for nine PhD studentships.

Portsmouth City Council was awarded the fully-funded PhD studentships as part of the AHRC’s Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships programme.  

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth, along with other Higher Education institutions, will work with the city’s museums and archive team to design and co-supervise research projects based on the city’s historic collections, heritage and culture.

“This is a real coup for the city as the programme typically supports national organisations – it shows the strength and depth of our heritage and collections,” said Counsellor Steve Pitt, the Leader of Portsmouth City Council with responsibility for culture.

“This programme will help us uncover new perspectives on the city’s past and help us to share our story and heritage in new and exciting ways.”

Professor Anne Murphy, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Portsmouth, said the researchers’ discoveries “will open up Portsmouth’s amazing heritage and culture to new perspectives and audiences in and beyond the city”.

The council is inviting expressions of interest from Higher Education institutions who would like to collaborate on research proposals, with the first projects projected to begin in October 2024.
 

Universal Credit system 'punitive' towards creatives

Silhouette of an artist as they stand in front of a canvas painting
30 May 2023

Research calls for Universal Credit system to be overhauled after finding creatives are unable to pay for essentials.

Immersive experience sector a 'house of cards' industry

25 May 2023

Report suggests live immersive creative practice is overly dependent on its creators to fund, promote and develop work in the sector.

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