Little has changed in the ten years since John Holden first shone a spotlight on the damaging disconnect between the arts sector and the public at large. Could the mass realisation of personal creativity provide a way forward?
Almost a decade ago, I wrote a pamphlet called Culture and Class for Counterpoint, at that time the British Council’s think-tank. Judging by recent articles in AP, the publication of the Panic! Report, and Arts Council England’s (ACE) Creative Case initiative, it looks like the issue of class has at last risen up the agenda.
If culture is to help break down class divisions and inequalities, rather than reinforce them, then culture itself must be created by and for everyone
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21 Feb 2019
Feature
Circus was created to fill a gap left by ‘serious’ theatre. Now a new generation of performers is rejecting bureaucratisation to rediscover the artform's anarchic roots, writes John Ellingsworth.
21 Feb 2019
Case study
Support for new parents in the arts sector is often lacking. Rachel Harper explains how a new show has introduced a range of measures to create a less stressful, more inclusive working environment.
21 Feb 2019
Case study
The port town of Felixstowe proved an ideal setting for exploring less cerebral ways of engaging with contemporary art, writes Natalie Pace.
14 Feb 2019
Feature
Tackling the climate crisis will require rapid and unprecedented change. Chiara Badiali asks whether the sector has what it takes to meet the challenge.
14 Feb 2019
Case study
The Lyric Hammersmith keeps 180,000 bees on its roof as part of its continuing commitment to going green. Sian Alexander tells the story.
14 Feb 2019
Case study
Without creative thinking, society will sleepwalk into a climate disaster. The arts have a crucial role to play in inspiring, challenging and provoking us into action, says Judith Knight.
14 Feb 2019
Case study
Megg Nicol and Alan Rickett explain how a musical has helped raise awareness of the importance of trees among London primary school pupils.
14 Feb 2019
Feature
Very few theatres were built with today's sustainability standards in mind. The sector needs to face up to the financial and environmental costs of running old buildings, warns Tom Stickland.
07 Feb 2019
Feature
When Ron Evans started thinking about how to make post-show talks more appealing and accessible, he found audiences hungry for new ways of engaging with the arts.
07 Feb 2019
Feature
Theatrical productions typically give priority either to the playwright’s text or the director's interpretation. Eve Leigh challenges theatre to move on from these hierarchical models and open up new space for more trusting and collaborative work.
07 Feb 2019
Case study
Once forced to migrate through lack of opportunities, artists in the Scottish Highlands are now coming together to experiment and collaborate in the region's first creative hub, writes Audrey Carlin.
07 Feb 2019
Case study
A project bringing together theatre-makers from Hull Truck Theatre and Freetown in Sierra Leone has overcome logistical and cultural barriers to develop new insight. Alina Cretu talks to Amanda Huxtable and Adam Pownall.
31 Jan 2019
Feature
The over-hyping of projects, initiatives and schemes really grates at a time when creative education in schools is being systematically sidelined. We need to realise what we are losing before it's too late, says Pauline Tambling.
31 Jan 2019
Feature
Action learning, part of the Boosting Resilience programme, is highly valued by participants and facilitators. But what is it exactly, and what benefits does it offer?
31 Jan 2019
Case study
Settling scores, creating stories and taking risks - Gary Lagden saw many parallels between the worlds of theatre and rugby. But would these communities themselves agree?