In light of the huge challenges that so many arts and culture organisations have faced in recent years, Watershed’s Clare Reddington shares five ‘rules’ for turning your organisation round.
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The UK government has published a response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) recommendations on secondary ticketing, ruling out legislative changes for the time being.
The CMA called for stronger laws to tackle illegal ticket reselling in August 2021, publishing a comprehensive report on the secondary market.
The authority called for changes including a ban on platforms allowing resellers to sell more tickets than they are legally allowed to buy from the primary market, holding platforms accountable for incorrect information about tickets listed on their websites and a new licencing system for platforms that sell secondary tickets.
The UK government’s response, penned by MP Kevin Hollinrake, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State within the Department of Business and Trade, formally rejects the proposals.
“The government believes in the power of competitive markets to give consumers choice and flexibility,” Hollinrake’s response said.
“This applies to both the primary and secondary markets in event tickets. Consumers should have the ability to sell on tickets they no longer want or able to use and therefore need a market for resale.”
The government response cited the “massive disruption” to the event industry caused by the Covid-19 pandemic as hindering a detailed assessment of the impact of current trading standards and CMA enforcement work.
It also stressed the responsibility of buyers to make careful decisions when purchasing tickets from the secondary market.
The response said that it is “too soon” to establish whether futher legislation focused on the secondary ticket market is “the only way forward”, concluding that “to propose further legislation in the sector at this stage is not yet appropriate or justified by the available evidence”.
It added that improvements to other aspects of consumer law, published in response to the 2021 consultation, would be the government’s priority in the immediate future, “rather than changes to the secondary ticketing regime specifically”.
Academy Music Group (AMG) venues are taking a 25% cut from merchandise sales at live events, according to an investigation by The Guardian.
An undisclosed amount then goes to Universal Music Group (UMG), owners of the world’s three largest record labels, even if the artist in question is not signed to UMG.
In March, post-punk band Dry Cleaning hosted a pop-up merch store away from their gig at London’s O2 Forum, owned by AMG, to retain their profits.
“We probably sold the same number of units, but as we were able to retain 25% it worked out better for us financially,” Band Manager Helena Watmuff said.
Over 380 venues nationwide are included in the Featured Artists Coalition's (FAC) 100% Venues directory, a public database of venues that charge zero commission on artists' merchandise sales.
FAC CEO David Martin said these venues are making selling merchandise at gigs worthwile for artists: “[This creates] a fairer and more sustainable touring circuit, particularly for grassroots and emerging talent.”
Artistic portrayals of the Queen will be "minted" as NFTs following an exhibition on London's South Bank.
Ad Lib Gallery are seeking digital depictions of the monarch to display at The OXO Gallery and along platforms at Victoria Station for 'Art Save the Queen'.
Chosen works will be showcased on NFT marketplace OpenSea.
Submissions to the "unique creative challenge" should be made to adlib.online by May 2 and be no larger than 2 meg each.
A new research project and campaign aims to improve compliance with intellectual property rights.
IPO Chief Executive Tim Moss said the office will this year investigate "how society considers intellectual property" and hopefully build a new "social contract" that better protects creators' rights.
"We need to reassess the balance of return on investment and social return," Moss told attendees at a Westminster Media Forum on Friday (April 8).
Campaigns to prevent counterfeit and illegal downloads are planned.
Moss added: "It's a massive challenge but we really do need to change attitudes around IP."
Two owners of a London flute shop have been banned from trading for the rest of the decade.
Fred Patrick Onn and Andrew Thomson admitted to allowing Top Wind to sell over 20 musical instruments owned by third parties after the retailer went bust in July 2019.
An Insolvency Service investigation found proceeds worth more than £33,000 were not passed onto the owners.
Top Wind entered into liquidation in March 2020 after its accountant was jailed for malpractice.
The Insolveny Service's ruling determined Onn and Thomson cannot become involved with the promotion, formation or management of a company for nine years.
Inquiry offers little hope of a copyright regime change to ensure equitable remuneration for artists any time soon.
Visitor attractions are embracing innovative approaches to maximising sales and income. Debbie Richards explains the approach recently introduced at The Roman Baths, a leading heritage attraction.
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The industry body says 124 venues would save more than £4,000 each a year if they were offered the same discounts as pubs and bars.
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New research finds only 4% of bookings that included wheelchair access needs were made online, compared to 60% of all transactions.
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Venues need a better understanding of customer spending habits for purchases like pre-show meals and interval drinks. James McClure explains how a ticketing solution is providing a comprehensive view.
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Three years ago Bristol’s museum and gallery shops were running without a plan and losing money, but now they are on track to increase revenue by 60%. Zak Mensah tells the story.
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Many museums and galleries struggle to manage the costs of storing and conserving their collections. Emma Sumner introduces two innovative organisations that are making their collections pay their own way.
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Gallery and theatre shops can learn a lot from high-street retailers. Corin Birchall shares his tips.
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Since opening its museum shop two years ago, the Sir John Soane Museum has seen it go from strength to strength, developing a valuable new income stream. Xanthe Arvanitakis explains how.
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Ten years ago Belgrade Theatre Coventry had to find new sources of income. Joanna Reid tells how its production services subsidiary is now contributing £400,000 a year.
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Lucas Stewart reports on the difficulties involved in ‘Hidden Words, Hidden Worlds’, a British Council project in Burma seeking to develop ethnic minority language literature.
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How much has the arts marketing role changed in the last twenty years? Strikingly, says Sarah Chambers, who examines what is now required to market culture.
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David Alston recognises that Wales’ physical attractions pull in most tourists but believes that exciting and innovative cultural work is well worth discovering too.
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