DCMS pledges action on gender pay gap

28 Nov 2022

DCMS has said it will take action to address gender pay gap after report finds the difference between the middle earning man and middle earning woman in the department rose to 9.3%.

Why better data is vital for future-proofing the cultural sector

Light projection
23 Nov 2022

Why do we struggle to convey the cultural sector’s significant impact? There’s no easy answer but an obvious solution lies in harnessing quantitative and qualitative data, argues Ben Walmsley.

Controversial PwC contract has 'commercial exploitation' clause

18 Nov 2022

Under terms of audience data contract issued by Arts Council England, permission could be granted for information collected by PricewaterhouseCoopers to be 'commercially exploited' by the consultancy firm in the future.

Slow train coming? EDI in music higher education

Graphic of musical instrument
15 Nov 2022

A new report into equality, diversity and inclusion in music is published this week. Its authors Anna Bull, Diljeet Bhachu and Amy Blier-Carruthers argue to tackle the inequalities it reveals, EDI must be embedded into the discipline.

UK at risk of ‘serious loss of writing talent’, union warns

15 Nov 2022

Rising energy and food costs are severely impacting the viability of writing as a career, a new survey has found.

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) surveyed more than 250 writers, among whom 55% cited the cost of living as “impacting on their ability to sustain a writing career, severely impacting livelihoods and the cultural industries which depend upon their skills”.

Writers across TV, film, theatre, audio, books and videogames responded to the survey, with 67% stating that they had to rely on savings in order to manage day-to-day expenditure and 37% saying they were forced to rely on their partners’ earnings.

More than 70% of those surveyed had earned £18,000 or less for their writing work in the last financial year.

Over 80% described themselves as freelance writers, highlighting the precarious nature of self-employment for the screenwriters, playwrights, authors, audio dramatists and videogames writers represented by the union.

“The UK faces a [serious] loss of writing talent and this risks pulling the rug from under our world-beating cultural industries, which contribute over £100bn to our economy and enjoy an enviable global profile,” said Ellie Peers, WGGB General Secretary.

“We will be working with our industry partners to address the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on writers, we will continue to campaign and lobby and we will defend our members against poor practice wherever we find it.” 

Problems reported by survey respondents including having less time to work as a writer or apply for funding and development schemes, an industry-wide dearth of opportunity, real wages failing to keep pace with inflation, late payments, shrinking production budgets and reduced audience sizes. 

Many also expressed anxiety about how the cost-of-living crisis would affect the creative industries, fearing that shrinking demand might force organisations to close.
 

Indie music labels’ market share to increase for fifth year

15 Nov 2022

The share of the UK recorded music market controlled by independent record labels is on track to grow for the fifth consecutive year.

In the first 10 months of 2022, music released by independent labels made up 28.6% of the market, an increase from 26.9% in the whole of last year and a 30% increase from five years ago, according to new analysis from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

“It’s a sign of just how vibrant and diverse the UK music industry is that independent labels are set to increase their share of the market for a fifth successive year in 2022,” said Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI, BRIT Awards & Mercury Prize.

Indie market share has increased across sales and streams year-on-year, particularly in the albums market. Indie labels accounted for 40.5% of sales in October, including vinyl LP and CD formats, compared with a 32.2% share in the same month last year.

The increase in 2022 is partially driven by specific high-profile releases, including new albums from Arctic Monkeys and Wet Leg, both represented by Domino Recordings.

But nearly 60 independent albums have reached the Top 10 in the year to date, including releases by Craig David, Kylie Minogue and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. 

Taylor said the growth “is built on a rich tapestry of talent, from singer-songwriters and rock groups to pop stars and rappers, all supported by a network of hundreds of indie labels who are creating further diversity in the market and giving artists real choice in how to release their music.”

ACE hands audience data contract to consultancy firm PwC

10 Nov 2022

Arts Council England drops arts and culture research specialists The Audience Agency from sector support role, handing new contract for data insights to global consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Survey aims to identify key priorities for creative freelancers

10 Nov 2022

A new survey has been launched as part of efforts to improve conditions for creative freelancers.

The Redesigning Freelancing survey has been launched by creative industries network Creative UK working in partnership with nine combined local authorities in England.

Creative UK hopes to gather information that will help it address issues such as the economic uncertainty that comes with freelancing.

Caroline Norbury, CEO of Creative UK said that current difficulties “means we risk losing the next generation of creative freelancers – particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds”.

She added: “It is our collective responsibility to ensure more is done to protect our freelancers, integrate them with organisations in order to build better partnerships, and make sure there is a fair and equal playing field.

“This survey will help us to identify the key priorities that need action now.”

The survey can be completed here.  

Academics urge greater support for creative practitioners

09 Nov 2022

Policymakers should 'learn lessons from the pandemic' and intervene in four key areas to better support creative practitioners, researchers have said.

Researchers explore role of culture in addressing health inequality

09 Nov 2022

Researchers at the University of Manchester are exploring how creativity, culture and heritage can address social inequalities. 

The research project ‘Organisations of Hope: Building a Creative Consortium for Health Equity in Greater Manchester’ aims to build a ‘creative health coalition’ across the region.

Led by Principal Investigator Dr Simon Parry, it will work with organisations and individuals that represent ‘communities, cultural organisations, charities, health and care providers and local government’.

The initial research, which has been awarded up to £250,000 of funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, will focus on mental health and dementia.

The project is part of the second phase of a £26m programme exploring the role of community assets such as parks and galleries in improving health outcomes.

Birkbeck proposes cuts to creative teaching

03 Nov 2022

Birkbeck, University of London plans to cut 140 roles this academic year, including up to 11 staff in the department of English, theatre and creative writing.

Birkbeck, which offers classes almost exclusively in the evenings, says the proposals, if approved, could lead to the loss of up to 140 posts. A spokesperson for the university said that many of these are already vacant or will become so over the academic year.

Alongside cuts to English, theatre and creative writing, up to seven roles in film, media and cultural studies will be affected.

Birkbeck has said it needs to make the cuts to fill a multi-million pound deficit caused by a fall in student numbers, but the union has vowed to fight the proposals, saying they are "a disaster for students and the university".

Last week Birkbeck's local University and College Union (UCU) said overwhelmingly voted for a motion of no confidence in the senior leadership team and to move towards an industrial dispute. 

UCU Birkbeck branch president Mike Berlin said: "We will not allow hard working staff to lose their jobs because of mistakes by senior management. 

"Birbeck's cuts, which do not include any plans for recovery and growth, are a recipe for managed decline. Birkbeck has a proud history of reaching students who otherwise would not enter higher education. 

"Sacking 140 staff, including up to one in four teaching staff, threatens to trash that history. The cuts would severely harm student learning and jeopardise the university's commitment to social mobility and lifelong learning. 

"We urge management to rethink its knee jerk job cuts and instead work with us to look at how we can attract more students. If the university refuses to do so we will have no option other than to begin taking steps for an industrial ballot."

Arts workers least likely to be able to remortgage

03 Nov 2022

A survey on mortgages has found arts and culture employees are the least likely to be able to switch their current mortgage deal.

Price comparison service Uswitch.com conducted a mortgage statistics report in light of rising interest rates in the UK, surveying adults with mortgages working across 12 industries.

Arts and culture workers were the least likely to be able to change their current deal, with 91% saying they were unable to do so, despite being up-to-date with their mortgage payments.

In comparison, almost half (49%) of those working in the legal sector were able to switch deals.

According to mortgage expert at Uswitch.com Claire Flynn, anyone nearing the end of a current mortgage deal could consider looking at remortgaging options in order to pay lower rates of interest.

“If you’re on a variable-rate at the moment, switching to a fixed-rate deal means your repayments will remain the same for the duration of the deal and won’t be affected by interest rate changes,” she added.

Almost three-quarters (74%) of arts workers said they were unable to switch because their current deal hadn’t ended, which would mean larger repayments for the 24% who said they were not on a fixed-rate deal if interest rates rise. Low wages were found to be preventing a further 17% of arts and culture workers from remortgaging.

USwitch’s research also found mortgage holders working in arts and culture spend on average 35% of their monthly wage on mortgage payments, which ranked sixth out of the twelve sectors studied.

But arts and culture employees were one of the least likely to say they find it difficult to pay their mortgage, with 38% saying they somewhat struggle to afford their payments. Only workers in the manufacturing and utilities and education industries reported a lower percentage, at 36%.

The HR sector reported the highest percentage, with 76% of workers struggling with their payments.

Sustainable theatre production: case studies

26 Oct 2022

A multiple case study is promoting new ways for theatre to make sustainable productions. Roberta Mock and Siobhan Bauer report on three companies putting the Theatre Green Book into practice.

Portfolio precarity

Technology and financial growth concept market analysis business growth 3d rendering
26 Oct 2022

What are the everyday experiences of arts and cultural organisations in generating and diversifying income in times of austerity? Daniel Ashton shares his research findings.

Art galleries ‘prime target’ for criminal activity

24 Oct 2022

Britain’s art galleries are a prime target for criminals, according to research by specialist heritage insurer Ecclesiastical.

According to a poll of 100 galleries, more than four in five (84%) experienced a crime in the last 12 months, with verbal abuse (26%), anti-social behaviour (24%), criminal damage (23%) and theft (23%) the most frequent crimes reported.

The results suggest crime in galleries has increased since Ecclesiastical’s last study in 2021, when 81% of galleries reported crimes.

Four in five galleries (82%) said they are more concerned about crime since the cost-of-living crisis, with almost three quarters (72%) expecting a further increase in crime over the next year.

Galleries reported being proactive about crime prevention. Nearly all (97%) have introduced new measures to protect the organisation and deter criminals during the past 12 months, including CCTV, alarms, security guards and patrols, and additional cyber security.
 
Despite investing in security, 77% of gallery workers said their organisations need to do more to prevent crime.

“There are a number of measures galleries can take to better secure property and assets, which would ideally be a combination of both physical and electronic protection,” said Faith Kitchen, Customer Segment Director at Ecclesiastical.

“Reviewing perimeter security arrangements, ensuring entry points are well lit and secured can often offer a good first line of defence against unwanted visitors, while CCTV can act as a visual deterrent for those not wanting to be caught on camera.”

Few creatives find freelancing economically viable

freelance arts worker memorise lines
24 Oct 2022

New study suggests almost all performing arts freelancers in and around London have relied on work or income from elsewhere at some point in their careers.

Cultural industries set to progress net zero targets

A woman dressed in parachute material
20 Oct 2022

New report says the creative industries are well-placed to lead the UK's efforts towards net zero but calls for more government support and research investment.

Creativity in a time of climate emergency

A woman dressed in parachute material
20 Oct 2022

Just a few weeks before the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, no one credible needs convincing of the climate crisis, but the energy crisis is what’s keeping people awake, says Alison Tickell.

Economic value of culture research gets £3m boost

visitors at a museum exhibition
19 Oct 2022

Funding for further research announced after scoping study finds “significant opportunities” in developing measures to calculate the value of sector and inform future investment.

Review to explore benefits of creative health initiatives

18 Oct 2022

A series of online roundtable discussions will be held over the coming year as part of a new Creative Health Review designed to highlight the potential for creative health to tackle pressing issues in health and social care.

The National Centre for Creative Health and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing, which are holding the review jointly, hope the findings will aid policymakers in addressing problems including health inequalities and the additional challenges posed by the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The roundtables, which will be open to a public audience, will present “evidence and examples of the powerful influence creative health can have on our health and wellbeing, and how it can be used across key policy areas”.

The information shared will be compiled by 16 commissioners tasked with developing a set of recommendations designed to guide policymakers in informing and encouraging the development of a cross-governmental strategy on creative health.

Themes earmarked for exploration during the series of roundtables include mental health and wellbeing across the life course, health inequalities, social care, end-of-life care, education and training, cost-effectiveness, evidencing value for money and funding models, and leadership and strategy.
 

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