Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Creative Scotland funding package sees small shift from Edinburgh and Glasgow
The share of core funding for arts and culture organisations in Edinburgh and Glasgow is set to fall slightly, following previous accusations of funding bias towards Scotland’s t…

Welsh Culture Minister refutes claims of ‘crisis’ in the country’s arts sector
The Welsh government’s culture committee has said it has “significant concerns” about whether Wales’ Culture Minister Jack Sargeant “appreciates the extent of the pressur…

Scottish multi-year grants: Cultural organisations receive big funding boost
A total of 251 cultural organisations in Scotland will be funded for the next three years through Creative Scotland’s multi-year funding programme, with many seeing big increases i…

Cardiff University to axe 400 academic staff and close its music course
Cardiff University has announced plans to cut 400 academic staff jobs and close a number of courses entirely, including music. The cuts, which have been described as a “betrayal�…

Creative Scotland orders review of Youth Music Initiative
The Scottish government’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI) will be subject to an independent review to find out whether it meets the needs of young people, the culture sector and wid…

Welsh government urged to introduce ‘preventative’ spending for culture
Welsh government budgets should include a “preventative” category of spending that recognises the value of culture in improving physical and mental wellbeing, a committee report ha…
Chair of Northern Ireland’s arts council ‘set for departure’
The current chair of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland will not be reappointed when his term ends next week, according to a report in the Belfast-based Irish News. Liam Hannaway…

Chair named for Creative Scotland review
Scottish Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has confirmed that Dame Sue Bruce will chair a review of Creative Scotland to assess how the country’s culture sector is being supported….

Michael Sheen to lead new national theatre for Wales
A new national theatre for Wales will be established by actor Michael Sheen following the closure of National Theatre of Wales last month. Sheen said he intends to be artistic dire…
Future of Northern Ireland theatre ‘under review’
The future of a theatre based on a university campus in Northern Ireland is being considered amid concerns about maintenance costs. Based on Ulster University’s campus in Coleraine…

Welsh arts workers facing ‘unsustainable pressure’
The Welsh performing arts sector has reached a “critical tipping point” as ongoing funding cuts place “unsustainable pressure” on staff, according to a new report. A sector…
Edinburgh festival director calls for funding increase
The director of Edinburgh International Festival says the event is in need of a rise in public and philanthropic investment. Speaking to the Guardian, Nicola Benedetti, who became…
Pilot scheme to encourage ‘risk taking’ music promoters launches
A new funding programme designed to mitigate the financial risk associated with promoting grassroots music events has launched in Cardiff. Delivered by Cardiff Music City project,…
Artists awarded £1.2m by Arts Council Northern Ireland
204 artists from across Northern Ireland are set to benefit from a total of £1.2m in funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Project Funding for Individual Artists (PF…
Paisley Museum redevelopment costs increase by a quarter
Renfrewshire Council has added £12.5m to its budget for the redevelopment of Paisley Museum, taking the total to more than £65m. A council report said the project had suffered de…

National Theatre Wales ‘ceases to exist’ as company adopts new model after grant cut
National Theatre Wales (NTW) will no longer exist in its current form following the loss of its core funding from Arts Council Wales (ACW) in 2023, the organisation has said. Speak…
University of Glasgow unveils virtual museum
The University of Glasgow is launching a virtual museum dedicated to scientist Lord Kelvin. The opening concludes celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Kelvin’s birth and form…
Cardiff’s National Museum hit by ‘major flooding’ – again
The National Museum in Cardiff has been hit by flooding again due to recent heavy rain, a hearing of the Welsh Senedd’s culture committee has been told. It was revealed in December…

Citizens Theatre gets further £8m from Holyrood to complete delayed renovation
The Scottish government has stepped in to plug an £8m funding shortfall at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre. The council-owned theatre in the Gorbals area of the city has been closed fo…
Glasgow council votes in favour of arena music levy
Glasgow council has passed a motion to impose a levy on gigs at the city’s biggest concert venue to support struggling small venues. A motion from the Greens was put before council…
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