Latest Opinion

Not just art, but social change
Backed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Visual Arts, a report published this week calls for urgent investment and sets out a clear roadmap to secure the future of the visual arts sector. Cat Eccles MP is chair of the Group…

Coney’s journey comes to a close
Even the best adventures must sometimes come to an end. Transitioning out of ACE’s National Portfolio led Coney to a difficult cro…

How to support democracy in times of political extremism
Watershed’s CEO Clare Reddington learned some important lessons from a potentially destabilising event at her venue last week. S…

Burnout in a world on fire: Navigating mental health as a freelance producer
As the demands on independent producers rise, concerns around their mental health and well-being increase too. Nassy Konan and The…

Systemic devaluing of arts in English state schools
For the second consecutive year, the Cultural Learning Alliance has published a ‘report card’ on what has been happening to Ex…

Outdoor arts: Key to increasing audience diversity
The latest ACE review of Equality, Diversion and Inclusion revealed the diversity of audiences is very low in comparison with the…

How will Trump’s policies impact funding for UK arts?
In light of President Trump’s funding decisions in the USA, Cause4’s Michelle Wright and Thomas Williams explore how cuts to U…

Consultation on copyright: Doing nothing is not an option
Scraping artists’ work is like automating shoplifting, says chair of DACS, Margaret Heffernan. She argues that current copyright l…

What the arts can learn from Toyota: Cultivating a culture of creative resilience
Amid funding cuts, operational challenges and shifting audience behaviours, David Reece explores how the arts can take inspiration…

Leading with purpose – and knowing when to move on
If the UK is to remain a global leader in the performing arts, leadership needs a rethink – not just in terms of who holds the rol…

The lessons we learned from Covid – then forgot
In the first of our series reflecting on the pandemic five years on, Splitpixel’s Lauren James is sad that some of the lessons l…

How devolution could revitalise the future of UK arts
The announcement last week of additional funding for the arts was very welcome news but, says Matthew Cleaver of Anvil Arts, more…

Outreach is essential to widening access to the arts
Taking shows into classrooms and community halls is vital to breaking down barriers and redressing the balance in arts provision,…

Soft power: The role of culture in a hyper-globalised world
The new Soft Power Council has been set up in response to a volatile world at a time when democracy is in peril. So, writes Meliss…

Making a difference in cultural policy
The Cultural Policy Unit is a new, independent think tank dedicated to formulating bold, imaginative and practical policy ideas in…

A riposte from the margins
In response to Nick Hytner’s recent dismissal of the concerns of a new generation of artists as ‘ill-informed’, Chrissie Til…

Should you stay on unsafe social media platforms?
Splitpixel’s Lauren James has been considering whether now is the time to leave an increasingly hostile and abusive social media…

Can arts charity workers have a voice?
Due to new Charity Commission guidance and increased demands from funders, charity trustees are facing new challenges, says Cause4…

What might a Trump presidency mean for the UK’s creative industries?
As the UK’s creative industries are an increasingly international part of the UK economy, Bernard Hay of the Creative Policy and…

Trump’s return: What Europe’s cultural sector learned from populist politics
With Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Robin Cantrill-Fenwick looks at what may lie ahead for arts leaders in the USA.

Decolonising dance: Broadening perspectives for tomorrow’s audiences
Dance needs decolonising for its long-term sustainability. But what does that mean? asks Sarah Shead, director and creative produc…
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