As the Covid aftermath continues to unfold, David Reece explores how audience behaviour has changed and what that means for the way the performing arts shape future success.
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While audiences are most comfortable returning to outdoor events, organising a festival that can flex around ever-changing restrictions is still no mean feat. Penny Mills and Jonathan Goodacre have been looking at what’s working.
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Despite all the difficulties of the past year, Jake Bartle and Emily Coleman are confident that this year’s festival will be a celebration of artistic achievement.
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Performing arts sector remains at threat from future global shocks unless action on resilience planning is taken by both central and local government, report finds.
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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 said. "Film and TV in this country now is absolutely massive. A lot of people went across to those areas and transferred into the building trade too.
"Finding the right level skill in carpentry and steel fabrication, even before starting to think about scenic art and prop making, is now quite tricky."
Survey finds pandemic continues to impact female workers, with numbers in the workforce falling and opportunities diminishing.
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Research conducted by Music Venues Trust finds 125 grassroots music venues across the UK have been lost in the last eight months.
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Role created by government to help the cultural sector recover from the impact of Covid pandemic is axed three-and-a-half years after its inception.
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Fewer international tourists since the pandemic identified as one of the reasons why visitor levels for leading museums and galleries are yet to fully recover.
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A new report from King’s College London and the World Cities Culture Forum looks at the role of cultural policy in shaping urban futures. Jonathan Gross, one of the researchers, shares its key findings.
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As Chair of the Centre for Cultural Value’s advisory group, Adah Parris reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing cultural practitioners and leaders keen to build a positive legacy.
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Lord Neil Mendoza to stay in role for further six months to support delivery of Culture Secretary’s priorities, but DCMS declines to comment on future of position.
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Businesses in the arts and entertainment industry have seen one of the biggest rises in sick leave across the UK, research has found.
The Sick Leave Report 2023, conducted by HR firm Access People HR, analysed sickness rates from more than 2,000 businesses, finding that the average company in the arts reported 39 days lost to sick leave in 2022. This compares with an average of 24 in 2021, 28 in 2020 and 20 in 2019.
In total, the sector experienced 66.7% more days lost in the last year due to short and long-term illness. The industries that charted the highest rise in the past year were water supply, sewerage and waste management (135% rise) and accommodation and food service activities (146%).
The firm said the rise in sickness rates in the arts and entertainment industry could be a sign that attitudes have changed following the pandemic, including concerns around spreading contagious diseases to the public.
It also pointed out that there is labour shortage in the sector, with arts officers, producers, dancers, musicians and artists all on the government's list of shortage occupations.
Administrators to conduct own investigation into the charity's spending after hearing concerns about its use of public money.
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Rural arts organisations in Northern Ireland are being invited to apply for funding as part of a programme to increase access to and participation in the arts.
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland's Rural Engagement Arts Programme (REAP) was launched last year.
The £1.5million inititiative is now on its second funding round, with grants from £500 to £10,000 available.
The focus of the scheme is to tackle isolation and loneliness through the arts. It was conceived as a post-pandemic recovery programme aimed at rural communities that were particularly hard hit by Covid-19.
Projects already funded through REAP include Glenlough Community Choir in rural North East Antrim, and Portstewart-based Big Telly Theatre Company, which created a touring, interactive piece of 'hybrid street theatre'.
Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said REAP will "increase opportunities for people living in rural communities to engage and participate in meaningful arts activities, enriching their lives for the better. I would encourage organisations to apply.”
Dependence on volunteers is found to be highest in organisations with lower turnover, although issues of attracting volunteers from varied backgrounds appear widespread.
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In the competitive field of fundraising, digital gift giving has been experiencing a boom, as Stephanie Clark explains.
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The government’s emergency support package helped funded organisations stay afloat, attract new audiences and continue to support employees and freelancers.
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Report into partnership activities undertaken by the national museums raises questions about the capacity for and value of post-pandemic digital provision.
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In response to Covid, Phil Douglas developed a training offshoot that was not only a financial lifeline but an essential resource for raising LGTBQIA+ awareness.
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