Sunday, 19 July 2020
The Nuffield Theatre wasn't a victim of the virus, says Will Gompertz. It went bust because Arts Council England decided to withdraw all its funding at very short notice in the middle of the lockdown.
Could a new method for calculating streaming royalties for musicians lead to a more level playing field - or is that too much to hope for, asks Will Pritchard.
Economic and intrinsic value in the arts are hard to unpick, and distinctions between social, economic and cultural policy are more diffuse than ever, says Adam Behr.
Moving from live to online performance isn't about mapping old practices onto new technologies. Kamala Sankaram offers a detailed account of the challenges - and how they can be overcome.
Is social distancing a death knell for arts venues? Oliver Wainwright thinks there's too much acceptance of the problem and too little imagination in terms of how it could be done differently.
Rachel Griffiths imagines a future where publicly funded theatres, museums and art galleries become part of broad community alliances tackling common areas of concern.
Wednesday, 15 July 2020
"There is a serious need for more robust and critical scholarship in the field of arts and health". Stephen Clift questions current frameworks and practices.
Monday, 13 July 2020
Venues that can’t welcome performers or audiences until a vaccine arrives could accommodate classes - and receive a rent in exchange, suggests Justin Davidson.
The fear remains that the Government's “rescue” package will prop up the institutions that have strong muscle memory in economic terms, leaving individuals, smaller venues and organisations even more exposed to impossible sustainability issues, says Stella Kanu.
The lockdown has been a heavy blow in terms of mental health. Arts and health projects cannot put all that right, but they can help people cope and recover, says François Matarasso.
Friday, 10 July 2020
For over 30 years an independent professional touring company has been contributing to the economy - never once with direct arts funding. Can they survive the challenges ahead? Elli Mackenzie is staying positive.
Wednesday, 08 July 2020
The most radical element of America's New Deal was that the artist, no less than the manual worker, was entitled to employment at the public expense. Sydney Thornbury urges the Prime Minister to follow suit.
Tuesday, 07 July 2020
The announcement of a £1.57m bailout for the cultural sector can only be good news, but to use it to maintain its inequalities and dangerously narrow view of culture would be mistake. Oli Mould raises some concerns.
When news of redundancies at Theatre Royal Plymouth hit, Laura Horton channelled her own anguish into gathering stories about what the theatre meant to artists and audiences.
Monday, 06 July 2020
As homeless people have moved from the streets to hotels, arts projects have been engaging with new participants who had not engaged with them before. Matt Peacock highlights some lessons we can learn from the Covid crisis.
Artists more than most have reason to look to Roosevelt’s New Deal as a template for survival and revival. Annabel Turpin and Gavin Barlow explain why.
Hope for the arts in the United States is in the hands of private money, with its philanthropic environment promoted by tax breaks. Does the UK's hybrid model of arts funding offer a brighter future? Leslie Ramos considers the evidence.
Monday, 29 June 2020
Joe Hallgarten offers five ideas that could help those passionate about cultural education to plan their next moves.
Theatre is refusing to be dimmed in Wales. Nick Davies looks behind the headlines to see what's going on in the sector - and what could soon be lost.
"The museum we closed will not be the same as the one we will open". Madeleine Grynsztejn sees four fundamental shifts in how museums meet and lead the challenges ahead.