Trusts and foundations are preparing to build stronger connections with a changed world and a changed public. Moira Sinclair reflects on this brief window of opportunity for a more equal future – and why the alternative is too grim.
Since the lockdown took hold we have seen extraordinary community mobilisation; a communal affirmation for and explosion of music, art, poetry, storytelling; and phenomenal collaborations. Our public services have demonstrated their value and ability to flex, and there has been an explosive acceleration in the use of digital technology. The air is cleaner and local is more valued.
Inequalities exposedBut Covid-19 has also exposed existing inequalities in our society vividly and... more
04 Jun 2020
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As more and more freelancers refuse to accept unfair agreements and start calling out bad practice by employers, there’s a legal, social and moral case for the whole sector to face up to the issues they’re confronting, says Sarah Shead.
03 Jun 2020
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For artists and performers to be supported in the years ahead, de-institutionalisation and the decentralisation of arts funding is a priority. Universal basic income isn’t the whole answer, says Susan Jones.
03 Jun 2020
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Proposals for radical change would ordinarily be met with derision by most orchestra boardrooms, says Julian Forbes. But current circumstances make it essential to think long and hard about how well their product is aligned with a market, and how it can become more competitive.
03 Jun 2020
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In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic it may become harder still for talented people to break into the media, but the New Creatives Network is still creating opportunities for young artists to do just that. Eleanor Adams tells the story.
27 May 2020
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Change needs public and political buy-in and art is the most effective way to communicate a complex concept to a population. It’s the key to unlocking a safer world, says David Buckland.
27 May 2020
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Covid-19 may have stimulated the Big Society, but it will see the arts sector fundamentally change, says Michelle Wright.
27 May 2020
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Even if their art is immaterial and temporary, artists aren’t always able to decommodify it as they see fit. Emily Wigoder considers the evidence.
27 May 2020
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For many years ‘music for theatre’ wasn’t even recognised in the Olivier or Evening Standard awards, but the tide is turning. Paul Clark sees the increasing confidence and ambition of sound and music, even in ‘well-made plays’.
27 May 2020
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As the benefits of arts participation aren’t always tangible or easily quantified, how can our obsession with data be compatible with achieving inclusion, asks Emma Harvey.
26 May 2020
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Preparing for the post-lockdown, post-Covid world? Read about what everyone else is doing - and beg, borrow and share great ideas with others facing the same challenges as you.
20 May 2020
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How can we preserve the entrepreneurial spirit that has characterised the sector’s response to the pandemic, and which of the new ways of being should form part of a new compact with our audiences and communities? Hilary Carty looks at the challenges ahead.
20 May 2020
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Innovative solutions to emerging problems are showing how much can be achieved right now, but getting operationally ready for the next stage is the new challenge facing the arts. It’s important to recognise it’s a shared challenge writes Paul Fadden.
20 May 2020
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The time has come for conservatoires to recognise their role within the wider sector and to embrace the challenges presented by modern times. Tom Foster offers six proposals for setting the ball rolling.
20 May 2020
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The energy, invention and will to survive shown by young companies will replenish and rekindle our industry says James Phillips, but unless the industry finds a way of nurturing them, a career in theatre will only be available to the children of the wealthy.
19 May 2020
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How can an organisation that depends on face-to-face interaction with its audience sustain its work during the Covid-19 lockdown? Pat Moores asked Adel Al-Salloum how the The Spark Arts for Children is planning to face the future.