Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Timelines, deadlines and what Arts Council England is looking for in its 2023 portfolio.
At 80 pages, Arts Council England's guidance for organisations interested in being part of its next National Portfolio is a dense read, and that's before you tackle the briefings on its new Investment Principles Support Organisations, pay policy, access support and governance - an astonishing 398 pages altogether.
Let us break it down for you.
Am I eligible?
ACE wants new National Portfolio... read more
Tuesday, 25 January 2022
The summer exams must go, former education secretaries say, as a new commission reports the need for students to develop creativity.
Photo:
Marko Milivojevic
Former education secretaries want GCSEs scrapped, as official figures show scant changes to the decline in arts entries.
Interim findings of the Times Education Commission, released Wednesday (January 26), suggest the UK's education system must do more to develop students' creativity.
More than... read more
Thursday, 20 January 2022
A new metric for measuring the merit of "low value" courses like creative arts aims to change perceptions of what a quality education looks like.
"Contribution to culture" should count towards assessing the value of undergraduate degrees, universities say.
A new metric developed by Universities UK includes the likelihood that graduates will work in the creative and cultural sector as a marker of their contribution to social responsibility.... read more
Wednesday, 19 January 2022
The broadcaster downplays speculation about drastic changes amid concerns arts programming, creative work opportunities, and the philharmonic orchestras will suffer.
Photo:
Jake Johnstone / DCMS
Plans to freeze the BBC licence fee for two years have been met with alarm in the sector.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries confirmed the suspension on Monday (17 December), advising the fee will then rise in line with inflation until the current charter comes up for renewal in December 2027.
Prior... read more
Monday, 24 January 2022
Two thirds say they need to delay or cancel work as skilled workers are slow to return to the industry.
Photo:
Tom Andrews
A "pronounced" shortage of skilled workers is putting summer events at risk.
Two thirds of companies (69%) say they will need to delay or cancel work, with three quarters of employers doubtful enough capable staff will be available as the busy season approaches.
The survey by entertainment... read more
Wednesday, 19 January 2022
England's Plan B measures "expire" next week, Johnson says. Is this finally a return to normal?
All of England's Plan B Covid restrictions will be removed next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced.
From Wednesday (January 26), legal requirements to work from home and present vaccine passports at large events end, along with mandatory mask wearing in public spaces such as theatres... read more
Tuesday, 18 January 2022
A bumper budget has been passed for 2022 - but the UK won't see hardly a penny.
Photo:
Center for Europe Studies
British arts organisations are missing out on a €100m increase in this year's budget for Creative Europe.
The UK removed itself from the European Commission scheme at the end of 2020, though organisations participated through to last summer as 'third countries', not leading on projects.
As a full... read more
Monday, 17 January 2022
There’s better guidance in the UK, study suggests, but work remains to remove structural barriers across Europe.
Photo:
Sarah Melchiori
European cultural industries lack the knowledge and experience needed to improve access for disabled artists and audiences, new research indicates.
Commissioned by the British Council, the Time to Act report - the first cross-border study into disabled peoples’ cultural participation - found a “... read more
Thursday, 13 January 2022
The Culture Secretary has asked the Arts Council to collect the data and consider NPOs' "track record" when they apply for funding.
Photo:
Amon Carter Museum
Funded arts organisations will have to report on the socioeconomic diversity of their audiences from 2023.
Arts Council England (ACE) confirmed this week it expects "clear and measurable targets to be in place as part of funding agreements" for its next National Portfolio.
But it hasn't said how it... read more
Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Professionals have voiced "real concerns" over the proposal, saying it would harm pupils more than it helps them.
Photo:
Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency
A warning that music teaching may need to be suspended to cope with rising staff absences has sparked widespread alarm.
Head teachers, industry bodies and politicians have strongly opposed Ofqual Chair Ian Bauckham's "depressing" suggestion, made on a Department for Education forum for school... read more
Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Support for cutting the isolation period down to five days could alleviate pressure on productions but may not be enough to bring audiences back.
Ministers are eager to cut the isolation period for positive Covid cases from seven days to five, a potential lifesaver for productions.
Cancellations have continued this week, with West End shows Bring It On and Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) announcing Plan B restrictions have made their runs "... read more
Wednesday, 12 January 2022
One quarter of grants are intended for cultural projects, new data finds, as MPs launch an inquiry into cultural placemaking.
Photo:
Bernard Mills
More than £429m of Levelling Up money - one quarter of the fund - is going toward culture.
Data obtained by culture-led regeneration experts Five10Twelve from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities shows a significant cut of the first round of investments is designated as "cultural... read more