Shadow Culture Secretary says Arts Council England would be 'central to a decade of national renewal' under a Labour government.
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Co-Founder of Freedom in the Arts, Rosie Kay, thinks the arts in the UK have strayed into a culture of intolerance, which has led to cancellation and a climate of self-censorship that has to be addressed.
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There has been a massive decline in arts for young people over the last 15 years. So much so that Joe Hallgarten thinks we need a dedicated national organisation to repair the damage. The current review of ACE might provide an opportunity.
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With the return of devolved government to Northern Ireland, Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of Arts Council Northern Ireland, reflects on what it might mean for the arts and cultural sector.
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As Anna Kime begins working with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, she explores how integrated data and evaluation can aid decision making and ensure the UK’s cultural and creative sectors continue to be world-leading.
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Lucy Frazer, has called for an attitude shift towards philanthropy to boost arts funding. But that view, writes Caroline McCormick, fails to recognise the huge contribution of the 99%.
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First meeting of group tasked with achieving cross-industry consensus on how much musicians make from streaming begins with call for action to 'ensure the UK remains a competitive marketplace for music-making'.
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Voters across England go to the polls next week (2 May) to elect many thousands of new councillors and 10 metro mayors – one of them being the Mayor of London. Phoebe Gardiner outlines what mayoral hopefuls need to understand about the capital’s culture.
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An MP has spoken in Parliament about concerns over a shortage of "essential" studio and exhibition spaces for artists in Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable.
Andrew Selous, South West Bedfordshire MP, told Ministers: “Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable and many other parts of my constituency are blessed with an abundance of artists, painters, sculptors and others, but they have very few places where they can create their work and even fewer places in which to exhibit. They need more studio space and more workspaces.
"Providing such spaces should be essential – it aids economic activity, increases footfall and increases wellbeing.”
Julia Lopez, Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries, replied: "The Government are committed to encouraging local authorities and property owners to make spaces available for cultural activities.
"Arts Council England is already supporting artists’ spaces through funding and brokering partnerships.
“As I say, we support creative industries primarily through Arts Council England, which has initiatives that look at workspaces. I encourage organisations in his constituency and community to make applications for grants, because there are specific funds available.
MPs and music industry bodies criticise government's rejection of recommendations aimed at making the music industry safer for women.
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Calls for a Freelance Commissioner and Cultural Touring Agreement are among the proposals outlined in the manifesto, which covers skills and education, freelancing, investment, innovation, intellectual property and global power.
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Arts leaders and politicians in Ireland have criticised Arts and Media Minister Catherine Martin for taking over four months to appoint a Chair to the Arts Council.
Her department recently confirmed that there are currently 17 vacancies on boards of national cultural institutions across Ireland, including the role of Chair at the Arts Council - An Chomhairle Ealaíon - which has been empty since Kevin Rafter's departure, announced on 1 December last year.
The Fianna Fáil TD (a member of the lower house of the Irish Parliament) told the Irish Mail on Sunday: "This delay is most regrettable. It creates the impression that arts and culture are some sort of decorous side issue to be left on the political sideline to be waved at. This is a substantial budget which needs to be supervised appropriately."
"The arts play a key role in building wellbeing in communities, in tourism and in job creation. It is not politically wise or responsible to leave the sector without leadership," added the Cavan-Monaghan TD.
Niamh Smyth, head of the Oireachtas Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, said that cultural bodies and arts organisations “are becoming gravely concerned over the long delay in appointing a new chair”.
Sinn Féin senator Fintan Warfield previously raised the issue last month, saying: “It is now March 2024, and there is no chairperson of the Arts Council, a state agency with a budget of €130m."
A report from King’s College London looks at potential policy solutions to combat precarity in freelance cultural work. Sana Kim, one of the researchers, shares its key findings.
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Senior figures from arts and culture organisations say government-ordered review of Arts Council England requires sector input to be meaningful.
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A blog post by a former government adviser has called for a cap on the number of students studying creative subjects. Orian Brook thinks the figures used to justify this argument misrepresent creative graduates’ earning power and contribution.
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As Museum Wales contends with a £4.5m deficit, it has introduced a rage of cost-saving measures, including the loss of at least 90 jobs.
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Several art groups are among 28 community projects to share in more than £480,000 of government funding as part of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme.
Administered by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Community, the fund, established six years ago, supports community-led arts, educational, and sporting events across England that highlight the legacy of the Windrush generation.
Funded organisations include Sudden Productions, which will provide a platform for the Windrush Generation and their descendants to share their experiences through a stage production and drama workshops, and Island Movements, which will create a 30-minute ballet telling the story of a Caribbean family whose parents came over on the Windrush.
The Brixton Project, which promotes community cohesion through a carnival of art, theatre and music, will also receive a grant, as will Voyage, a project bringing young people and community elders together to produce a book and exhibition.
The full list of recipients includes Northampton Theatres Trust, BLACK* artists on the move, Oxygen Arts CIC, Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museums, the London Borough of Newham, and Oxford City Council.
Leading economist says limiting numbers of students allowed to study creative subjects at university would allow government to invest significantly more, making remaining provision 'outstanding'.
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Independent Society of Musicians warns that Arts Council England's last-minute decision leaves staff and freelancers "in the dark" about their future employment.
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Select Committee says government must ‘plug the gaps' in outdated copyright and intellectual property regulations’ to help future-proof creators rights.
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