Policy & Government
When you wish upon an ACE review
The Hodge review of Arts Council England resembles a Christmas wish list, but who stands to get their presents? asks Robin Cantrill-Fenwick, chief executive at Baker Richards a…
Let’s Create: The high watermark for inclusion in the arts?
After eight years in post, Andrew Miller is stepping down as a National Council member of Arts Council England and as chair of its Disability Advisory Committee. Here he reflects o…
Reviewing Creative Scotland: No easy feat
Former director of creative industries at Creative Scotland, Clive Gillman, believes there’s much to commend about a review into the funding body, but suggests there was always a…
What it means to be human: Why the arts and humanities are more important than ever
On behalf of the Midlands Arts and Humanities Futures Network¹, Professor Rachel Moseley argues for the importance of a co-ordinated approach across the education sector to secure…
Does the curriculum review allow teachers to step off the policy pendulum?
The recently published curriculum review has elicited a range of reactions and reflections. But primary school teacher and education consultant Joe Hallgarten thinks the response f…
Investing in creativity: A ‘smart’ solution for local regeneration
Ahead of the Autumn Budget, it is more important than ever to find cross-sector solutions to fortify the UK’s creative economy, says Jo Platt, Labour and Co-operative Party MP fo…
The squeeze: Freelancers in a polycrisis economy
Although freelance work is a term used widely in the sector and in government debates, it is not recognised in policy terms which, according to Dr Heidi Ashton from the University…
The class ceiling inquiry
A new study into working-class access to creative careers in Greater Manchester will seek to provide local solutions rather than looking to Whitehall. But, as Lucy Tomlinson has be…
Making culture count: Why better data matters
Data is vital to demonstrate culture’s impact, yet narrow, fragmented evidence continues to obscure its true value. Stephen Dobson and Liz Harrop of the Centre for Cultural Value…
Should England introduce a tourist tax?
A well-designed tourist tax can be a powerful tool for cultural sustainability creating a revenue stream to support improvements to a place, as well as boosting economic resilience…
Curriculum and Assessment Review: An opportunity not to be missed
Ministers have long argued that background should not be a barrier to opportunity in life. That case can be powerfully made in terms of access to the arts, argues the RSC’s Jacqu…
The first cut is the deepest
With conference season in full swing, CEO of Punch Records, Ammo Talwar calls on policymakers to recognise culture as infrastructure with high growth potential and to invest, long-…
Industrial strategy, property and the creative industries
Addressing the Creative Industries Propery Summit in London last week, Professor Christopher Smith, executive chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, called on the two s…
Mapping cultural infrastructure: A quickstart guide
Jason Jones-Hall of Five10Twelve navigates a path through a data-led approach to mapping local cultural provision.
The governmental geometry of culture: Who has a seat at the table?
During his international study of the impact of Covid, Anthony Sargent was struck by the differences in where the arts and culture sector is placed in the policymaking structures o…
Artists’ lives: Ecologies for resilience
Resilience has been an arts policy mantra since 2010 but, as new research from Susan Jones reveals, Arts Council England’s concentration on sustaining arts organisations has come…
We must nurture apprenticeships – here’s how
A new report from the University of the Arts London and Birmingham City University suggests apprenticeships could be a game changer for the creative industries. Its authors are Pro…
Change, decay, promise: 50 years of local government cultural services
Dr Clive Gray of the University of Warwick assesses how local government cultural services in the UK have transformed over the last fifty years.
Indicators of cultural vitality: Hope not harm
How can practitioners and policymakers measure the cultural vitality of their communities? A new project from the Centre for Cultural Value aims to deepen that understanding, as Ro…
The elephant in the corridor
When it comes to culture and the creative industries, any new government strategy provokes new questions. The latest Creative Industries Sector Plan is no exception, writes Jason J…
