Friday, 03 April 2020
Creative practitioners are being told “you have the power to change the world” but responses to its creative brief will be rewarded with profile and exposure, not cash.
The United Nations (UN) has put out a call for artists to translate critical public health messages around Covid-19 into work that will engage and inform people in communities and cultures across the world.
“You have the power to change the world”, artists have been told, and “the UN needs your help to stop the spread of coronavirus.” It is asking creatives to submit “a range of creative... read more
Friday, 27 March 2020
As stopgap measures grow in number, some arts workers will still fall through the cracks.
Photo:
aisletwentytwo
Freelancers will receive equal pay protections to employees, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.
The Government will pay the lesser of £2500 a month or 80% of average earnings over the past three years to self-employed people whose incomes have been decimated by the coronavirus lockdown. The... read more
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Friday, 20 March 2020
New research showing a 92% drop in ticket sales and revenue in a single day suggests income will continue to plummet.
Photo:
Mario Fliegner
Venue closures due to the coronavirus outbreak could cost more than £1m per day, analysis by ArtsProfessional suggests.
Sector organisations are surveying their members, seeking to understand the scale of loss expected. Consultancy TRG Arts and arts data specialist Purple Seven found advance ticket... read more
Thursday, 12 March 2020
The death of a student, significant mental health issues and a "clear and worrying picture" of conflict are behind plans to close Drama Centre London.
Photo:
John Sutton
Drama Centre London (DCL), part of Central St Martins (CSM) college, is to close following an investigation into the death of a student and concerns about the conservatoire’s “course culture and student welfare”.
Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees in Acting are among five courses at the school that... read more
Monday, 02 March 2020
The UK will not seek to stay in the programme next year or commit to funding any alternatives to the chagrin of the Scottish Government.
Photo:
Finlay McWalter
Scotland’s Culture Secretary has called the UK’s Government’s decision to exclude itself from future participation in Creative Europe “inconceivable”.
DCMS has confirmed the UK will not try to stay in the scheme as it negotiates a post-Brexit trading relationship with the European Union (EU). A... read more
Friday, 28 February 2020
‘We Hear You’ gives the sector a confidential space to raise important issues without judgement.
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ArtsProfessional has launched a new service that gives arts workers a confidential and judgement-free space to share their concerns about the sector.
The move follows AP’s recent Freedom of Expression survey, in which four out of five respondents thought that arts professionals who share... read more
Thursday, 20 February 2020
ArtsProfessional’s Freedom of Expression survey reveals gagging orders, bullying and a culture of fear are causing arts and cultural workers to stay silent.
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A culture of self-censorship and fear of backlash from funders, colleagues and the public is convincing arts and cultural workers to stay silent on important issues, according to new research from ArtsProfessional.
AP’s Freedom of Expression survey has uncovered pressures on arts workers’ ability... read more
Friday, 07 February 2020
DCMS is being told to revise its budget and local authorities plan to cut back on arts and culture services.
Photo:
Subcity WestEnd Festival
DCMS has been told to revise its spending ahead of next month’s Budget, presenting a new threat to the arts and culture it funds.
All Government departments must identify projects that can be culled to free up cash for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s key objectives – extra funding for the NHS,... read more
Friday, 17 January 2020
ArtsProfessional’s Freedom of Expression survey reveals widespread fears of being labelled pro-Brexit and evidence of Brexit views affecting artistic and funding decisions.
Photo:
Sarah McGiven
Arts workers are too scared to share potentially unpopular opinions about Brexit, with many in the sector considering a pro-Brexit stance akin to “career suicide”.
And some have even faced threats or sanctions for expressing their views.
Early analysis of responses to ArtsProfessional’s recent... read more
Thursday, 02 April 2020
£11m for Scotland, £7m for Wales and £1m for Northern Ireland as their arts councils announce plans to support organisations and creative workers.
Outline plans for supporting the arts sector through the Covid-19 crisis are now in place across the UK.
New programmes worth £11m will protect out-of-pocket artists and "keep funding flowing," Creative Scotland says.
Following Arts Council England's £160m emergency response package, announced last... read more
Tuesday, 31 March 2020
Thousands of arts, culture and heritage charities improve communities, wellbeing and isolation – "functions that are particularly important during this crisis".
Photo:
Cambridge Community Arts
Charities under duress during the coronavirus crisis face a £4bn financial "black hole," a parliamentary committee has heard.
Karl Wilding, CEO of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), told the DCMS Committee on Tuesday the charities sector was likely to lose £4bn in the next... read more
Monday, 30 March 2020
As cultural venues sit empty, a national audit finds the UK's museums in dire condition.
Photo:
David Dixon
Major British museums in need of "genuinely urgent or critical repairs" are papering over the cracks due to a lack of funding, a government watchdog says.
A report from the National Audit Office (NAO) indicates the Government would need to almost double the maintenance funding it's provided over... read more