Tuesday, 12 December 2023
An independent review into thefts at The British Museum has made a series of recommendations on risk management, auditing, governance and security, as well as introducing a comprehensive register of all eight million items in its collections.
The proposals insist the museum should “have a policy which defines what comprises its collection” and that it “should identify the unregistered or... read more
British Museum curbs directors’ powers after theft scandal (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/12/12/british-museum-review-directors-theft-scandal/)
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Wrexham Council will discuss establishing a charitable company to support a 2029 City of Culture bid following feedback on its 2025 bid.
The city lost out to Bradford for the 2025 title which had established a trust to lead the bid process throughout.
A report by Wrexham Council said the move would mean a “robust governance structure” would be in place for delivery which could support continued... read more
Wrexham City of Culture 2029 bid to be discussed (Leaders Live)
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
A theatrical ensemble for young people with experience with the care system has launched in Scotland.
WAC Pro aims to support professional development within the arts and provide young artists with creative skills. Participants will create 10 new pieces, consisting of five theatre productions and five films, with the support of industry professionals.
Funded by The National Lottery through... read more
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
The Independent Society of Musicians (ISM) has labelled secondary music teacher recruitment as “not good enough” after the Department for Education revealed that it only reached 27% of its target.
The target for trainee music teachers has only been reached once in the last 10 years (in 2020/21). Before this year, the previous low was 64% in 2022/23, when 301 teachers were recruited against a... read more
Monday, 11 December 2023
Bolton Octagon has raised £80,000 after comedian Peter Kay performed three fundraising shows at the venue on Sunday (10 December).
Kay, who hails from Bolton, was a member of the Octagon's youth theatre and worked in the box office for around four months in the 1990s - before being "let go".
Kay thanked the audiences of the 390-seat venue for “coming and supporting a very worthy cause."
Octagon... read more
Monday, 11 December 2023
An appeal to save a Coventry arts venue at risk of closure has received the support of big-name artists who have donated their work to the cause.
The founders of Commonground, an accessible venue that hosts live music and exhibitions, say they need to raise £12,000 to keep the doors open until the new year. The building's current running costs are met by their savings, personal loans and... read more
Save Commonground (crowdfunder)
Thursday, 07 December 2023
The Musicians' Union has written to Education Secretary Gillian Keegan calling for urgent financial support for music education hubs.
An open letter from the union highlights the potential impact of increased employer pension contributions on the finances of hubs, stating that it could lead to "extreme financial difficulties" for the organisations that run hubs.
It says that, in turn, this could... read more
Thursday, 07 December 2023
A 450-seat theatre in a village in Hampshire has been told it must cease performances after it emerged it does not have planning consent from the local council.
The absence of planning permission for Titchfield Festival Theatre’s (TFT) Arden stage, which is currently hosting a pantomime, only emerged after concerns were raised about insufficient parking.
Producing over 30 community productions a... read more
Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Senior civil servants have defended their handling of an employment dispute that resulted in a payout of over £325k to the former Director General of Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales - and legal costs of £420k.
On 30 November, the Senedd’s Public Accounts Committee heard from Andrew Slade, the Welsh Government’s Director General for Economy, Skills and Natural Resources, who described the costs as... read more
Senedd scrutinises £620,000 employment dispute at Amgueddfa Cymru (Museums Association)
Bullying row at Museum Wales cost taxpayer more than £60k (South Wales Argus)
Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Plans to improve facilities at Norwich Theatre Playhouse are back on the table after they were previously shelved due to the Covid pandemic.
The Eastern Daily Press reports that the Norfolk venue wants to upgrade its backstage facilities and create more indoor space.
Stephen Crocker, Chief Executive and Creative Director of Norwich Theatre said: “The project is being drawn up at the moment, and... read more
Wednesday, 06 December 2023
An arts centre housing a Welsh language theatre company has opened in Bangor following a £4.5m redevelopment.
Located in a renovated Grade II listed church, Nyth includes rehearsal and performance spaces, an underground cellar studio and smaller creative spaces for artist residencies. It will be the base for the Welsh language participatory theatre company Frân Wen.
The project received an... read more
Nyth opens its doors (Frân Wen)
Tuesday, 05 December 2023
A campaign group hoping to reopen a theatre in Somerset says it has been given backing from the local community.
The BBC reports that Let's Buy The Amulet campaign recently carried out a survey to gauge public opinion on purchasing the Shepton Mallet venues, revealing that the response was "overwhelmingly positive".
The building was used as a theatre after being built in 1974 but went into... read more
Tuesday, 05 December 2023
A music venue in Bath that has hosted some of the biggest names in UK music has closed with immediate effect.
The Music Venue Trust said that the city's Moles venue has filed for insolvency, stating that the rise in costs and overheads and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis have made it impossible to continue.
Since opening its doors in 1978, the 220-capacity venue has hosted acts including... read more
Monday, 04 December 2023
Creative UK has unveiled a bullying and harassment resource designed to help improve and professionalise behaviours across the creative industries.
‘It’s NOT OK’ is a free-to-use e-learning module that aims to inform workers in the arts sector about prevalent behavioural issues and offer guidance on how to seek help.
The project follows a series of industry roundtables with the Department of... read more
Monday, 04 December 2023
Festival organisers are struggling to book big names in the UK as they are no longer an appealing destination for headline acts, it has been claimed.
The Observer reports the situation has arisen due to rising costs, increased competition and Brexit. Organisers say US acts, in particular, are proving challenging to tempt over as their financial expectations in a dynamic pricing landscape exceed... read more