Wednesday, 31 July 2019
The Box is being renovated ahead of the UK City of Culture 2021 to add a moveable stage, theatre lighting and seating for up to 250 people. Coventry City Councillor Jim O'Boyle said the redevelopment would encourage more visits to an area that is "alive with creative talent".
Coventry performing arts venue to get major £750k upgrade (Coventry Observer)
Wednesday, 31 July 2019
A contractor leading the project has promised the redevelopment, initially budgeted at £4m, will be delivered on time and on budget. Stockton councillors have expressed concerns about the scheme's viability, but voted last month to grant it an extra £6.5m. The theatre's reopening has been delayed until November 2020.
Tuesday, 30 July 2019
Online arts magazines Shortcom and The Mumble were demanding cash for reviews of shows. The Edinburgh Fringe Society said the publishers' approach discriminated against performing arts companies and producers who were unable to pay for exposure.
Monday, 29 July 2019
Dawn Fidler and Jenna Sabine celebrated the opening of Monkton Arts in Ryde on Sunday. The pair had been displaying and selling local artists' work in their cafe and wanted bigger premises in the area, Fidler said. The new centre includes a gallery and two studios.
New arts centre opens its doors in Ryde (Island Echo)
Friday, 26 July 2019
In last week’s ArtsProfessional we published an article covering the DCMS Committee’s report on the UK’s First World War centenary programme.
We’d like to make clear that the comments made by the DCMS committee about project oversights and areas for improvement were specifically made regarding the DCMS’s role in the project in co-ordinating the UK-wide commemorations, and were not a criticism of... read more
Friday, 26 July 2019
Adrian Monahan said he has been suffering from a prolonged illness that meant he was "uanble to maintain the necessary energy" to run the Wightman Theatre. The venue opened four years ago and hosted musicals, dramas, concerts, poetry sessions and food fairs.
Final curtain as Shrewsbury theatre closes (Shropshire Star)
Wednesday, 24 July 2019
A contest is under way to find architects to design a 700-person auditorium for the central London venue. The project aims to transform the Grade I listed building "from a series of government offices into a pioneering working arts centre and a groundbreaking cultural ecosystem" by the end of 2024.
Contest launched for £50m Somerset House auditorium (Architects' Journal)
Tuesday, 23 July 2019
The Government has announced it will no longer fund 163 qualifications at level 3 or below, including 20 in music, media, art and design and the performing arts, from August 2020. They are considered to be "duplicate qualifications" that overlap with A levels, apprenticeships and T levels.
Tuesday, 23 July 2019
Milton Keynes Council plans to approve the application from Abbey Homes to build on the western boundary of local music venue The Stables. The stables says the application, which does not include a Deed of Easement, is a deliberate attempt by the developers to circumvent the previously-imposed noise conditions" that could threaten its future.
The Developers Are Back! (The Stables)
Monday, 22 July 2019
Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union have written a letter in support of former trustee Ahdaf Souief, who recently resigned from the British Museum's Board of Trustees over BP funding and repatriation. Union members said BP had been allowed to "propogate the myth that without it's existence we would not have access to the collections of our publicly funded museums and galleries",... read more
Friday, 19 July 2019
Margot James resigned after voting against her party to support an amendment that would prevent the next Prime Minister forcing through a no-deal Brexit. She had held the role for 18 months.
Margot James resigns as minister after voting against Government (Evening Standard)
Friday, 19 July 2019
James Huang Zheng, 41, is being detained in China after drunkenly hitting an 11-year-old boy during a dispute in an airport waiting area. Zheng, a star oboist, also sits on the international board of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Friday, 19 July 2019
Nearly 2 million people saw live music in the city in 2017, according to a report from UK Music commissioned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The report recommends establishing a local music board and a talent pipeline fund, and co-ordinating music education services to strengthen the sector.
Thursday, 18 July 2019
The Paris museum has taped over or taken down plaques dedicated to the philanthropist family, an activist group has claimed. The institution's President, Jean-Luc Martinez, said no gallery rooms are named after the Sacklers because there is a 20-year limit on donor name rights. The family's last contribution to the Louvre was in the 1990s.
Thursday, 18 July 2019
The ticket reseller is now unable to pay to appear at the top of global search rankings, Google has announced. The decision follows pressure from politicians and industry organisations including UK Music, whose Chief Executive Michael Dugher said the tech company should direct users to "legitimate primary ticket sales" sites instead.