Latest Opinion
The creative industries need skills not certificates
The UK’s creative sector is heralded as a global success, but it is failing to equip the next generation with the skills needed for the future, writes Alison Lowe of the University of East London.
Should Airey clear out the current ACE leadership?
Veteran cultural critic Robert Hewison thinks that’s what has to be done in his analysis of Arts Council England’s response to…
Classical music never built a grassroots scene
Thea Paraskevaides of Classical Unlocked is curating the classical showcase at SXSW London this week following its success last ye…
The ballet touring model is broken
Responding to ACE’s latest report on the state of touring, Paul James, chief executive of Birmingham Royal Ballet, argues the cr…
A call for creative tax reliefs for choirs
Luke Hall, CEO of the Charity Tax Group, and Ben Saffell, interim CEO of Making Music, are urging parliament to act now to deliver…
Why we need punk philanthropy
Arts consultant John Knell’s keynote speech on the Paradox of Precarity at the Business of the Arts Summit last week was very wa…
Passion is not a business plan
Passion alone won’t sustain the cultural sector, says Cath Hume of the Arts Marketing Association – but better communication, trus…
Arts Professional’s silver jubilee
This week marks 25 years since Arts Professional first hit the newsstands as a weekly print publication. Editor Ruth Hogarth refle…
Regional theatres must lead – not wait to be rescued
Daniel Buckroyd of Lichfield Garrick Theatre believes a thriving theatre ecology depends on smaller regional theatres which, becau…
What France’s Aillagon law can teach the UK
The time is now ripe for a new tax policy to incentivise cultural growth and rebalance regional inequalities, argues arts consulta…
A basic income for artists in Scotland: Unanswered questions
The argument for a Universal Basic Income for Artists could risk diverting public funds and political energy away from the wider p…
The arm’s length principle under the spotlight
Neil Puffett looks at ACE’s independence and accountability, questioning whether ‘concrete safeguards’ are in place to ensur…
Rethinking the Model, part 2: The economics are inverted
In this second part of Rethinking the Model, David Reece examines why cultural organisations are working harder and capturing less…
We need to invest in failure
If we want a new generation of creative talent, we need to allow young people to take risks and learn from failure, argues Profess…
Adult arts education matters more than ever
Jeremy Monblat of Morley College London explores the important role adult education plays in sustaining creative skills, careers a…
We need to build digital capacity at the top of our organisations
When leadership is unsure about digital, it can have unintended ripple effects of extra responsibility and operational challenges…
Creative careers begin in primary school
The future creative workforce is shaped long before young people choose their careers. Connecting early music education to visible…
Tackling gender inequalities in music
When the Misogyny in Music report was published two years ago, it made several recommendations about music higher education. Anna…
The talent pipeline is drying up, action is urgently needed
An initiative bringing together education providers, cultural organisations and businesses might hold answers to the challen…
A tale of two artists in search of funding
The arts sector needs to treat navigating funding opportunities as a professional competency, argues Tope Osho, founder of FundMyA…
How digital creative placemaking can support wider social benefit
Digital culture is about to take a significant step forward. From next month, ACE will recognise Digital Arts as its tenth support…
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