Thursday, 28 March 2024
English Heritage and the Trussell Trust have announced a new initiative to provide free days out for people who access food banks.  Following a successful pilot scheme last summer, people on the lowest incomes will be able to receive a voucher for a free visit to their local English Heritage site alongside their emergency food parcel. More than 100 food bank centres in the Trussell Trust network... read more
Wednesday, 27 March 2024
A UK-wide campaign designed to highlight the impact culture and heritage organisations make within their communities in the run-up to the next general election will launch in May. Established by the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation, the 'Culture Makes…' campaign intends to make the case for culture and as a human right "which urgently needs investment". More than 40 organisations including... read more
Wednesday, 27 March 2024
The inaugural arts-focused campaign run by match-funding platform Big Give has raised £2.8m. Operating in partnership with New Philanthropy for Arts & Culture (NPAC), the campaign ran for a week before closing on Tuesday (26 March). A total of 239 arts organisations were selected to take part in the campaign. Big Give and NPAC have said they focused on ensuring that funds and support are... read more
Wednesday, 27 March 2024
Creative Scotland has deferred decision-making for its Open Fund for Individuals by up to four weeks while conducting an internal review to identify areas for improvement in its awarding process. The move follows public and political fallout after its decision to award £85,000 to a controversial film featuring actors in “non-simulated” sex scenes.  Scottish Parliament has launched a separate... read more
Tuesday, 26 March 2024
The British Museum is suing a former curator of Greek and Roman Art, alleging that they stole or damaged more than 2,000, mainly unregistered, artefacts from its collection.  The museum’s lawyer, Daniel Burgess, said Higgs, who was fired in 2023, “abused his position of trust” and took the items, including ancient gems and gold jewellery, over a 10-year period, according to the Associated Press.... read more
Tuesday, 26 March 2024
Several arts leaders representing Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisations have faced criticism after The Guardian revealed they hold membership to the exclusive, all-male Garrick Club. Alex Beard, the Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, which receives ACE’s largest individual investment of over £22m per year, has been named a member, as has the Chair at English National... read more
Tuesday, 26 March 2024
A non-profit arts organisation is launching a commercial contemporary gallery next month in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, with support from Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council. Stryx Gallery will be a new venture from Stryx, a female-led arts residency, studios and exhibition space in Digbeth. The organisation's co-directors, Anna Katarzyna Domejko and Karolina Korupczynska, say... read more
Monday, 25 March 2024
A library in Somerset with a specialist performing arts section offering music and drama resources to the public faces closure as the local council looks to save money. Yeovil Library has more than 40,000 items in its collection, including manuscripts, musicals and plays, and is described as a “unique asset” by Performing Arts Library Outreach Officer Natalie Snelson.  "We're really lucky to have... read more
Monday, 25 March 2024
A new multi-purpose arts venue in Worcester has been given the green light by council planners. The BBC reports that Worcester City Council’s planning committee unanimously granted permission for the full redesign and internal refurbishment of the Scala and Corn Exchange buildings to create three multi-use spaces. The Stage will host live performances, comedy and gigs, The Screen will host films... read more
Monday, 25 March 2024
English Heritage is trialling the use of visible body-worn cameras on its staff at four locations in an attempt to discourage antisocial behaviour and crime. Used at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, Tilbury Fort in Essex, Kenwood House in north London and Marble Hill in south London, English Heritage says that footage is being recorded "on the basis of our legitimate interest in deterring and... read more
Thursday, 21 March 2024
St John’s Cambridge is to abolish its mixed-voice choir, with the redundancy of it Director of Music, Graham Walker, the college has announced. The choir, St John's Voices will close at the end of this academic year in June 2024. The Master of the college Heather Hancock, a former civil servant, has taken the decision following the inclusion of girl choristers and female altos in the main college... read more
Thursday, 21 March 2024
The UK music licensing company PPL is marking its 90th anniversary with the launch of an annual £1m strategy to “give back to music”. PPL Giving will seek to fund initiatives that promote equality of opportunity in the music industry while covering a broad geographic spread and reaching a wide range of music genres. The first 26 recipients of funding includes the British Association for... read more
Thursday, 21 March 2024
TR2, the workshop base for Theatre Royal Plymouth, is struggling to find staff to construct sets because of a skills shortage. The Head of TR2 Brendan Cusack told the BBC that the Covid pandemic had taken its toll, with people with the right skills moving to other jobs post-lockdown such as in film, TV or the building trade. "When lockdown happened a lot of people went over to other areas," he... read more
Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Research from Creative Access has found class discrimination remains an issue in creative workspaces. Almost three-quarters (74%) of 392 employees in the creative industries and Creative Access members, agreed it is harder for working-class people to land a role in the creative industries, while 70% of respondents said class affects how you’re seen by your peers. The research also found there is... read more
Wednesday, 20 March 2024
The Association of Independent Music (AIM) is partnering with Tileyard North, a Wakefield-based creative space, to support the North of England’s independent music sector. The partnership will see AIM hold a permanent space at Tileyard North. The association is planning a series of activities in collaboration with the venue, while AIM members will have access to discounted rates at Tileyard’s... read more

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