Reframing relationships with local authorities
At a time of increasing pressure on budgets for both arts organisations and local authorities, Gavin Barlow of The Albany explores…
Posts
Heritage concerns overruled as Gloucestershire museum extension approved
A small museum in south Gloucestershire has been given permission by councillors for an extension, despite the local authority’s…
Quarter of councils fear bankruptcy
One in four councils in England are likely to have to apply for emergency government bailout agreements to stave off bankruptcy in…
Nandy backs creative corridors vision as blueprint launches
Government has backed efforts to establish ‘creative corridors’ across the UK following the publication of a “groundbreaking” blue…
Ensuring bread for all and roses too
At £1bn a year, local government is still the major funder of public culture. But local authorities are facing difficult decision…
Coventry Council urged to drop £60m cultural revamp of Ikea building
Plans to turn a five-storey former IKEA building in Coventry city centre into a cultural venue should be dropped due to the cost o…
Museums issue £20m funding plea ahead of budget
The most at-risk local authority museum services need £20m to continue operating, the body that represents them has warned. Ahead…
Edinburgh culture director announces departure
JOAN PARR will leave her post as director for culture and wellbeing at Edinburgh City Council (ECC) in January after three years o…
Somerset venues considered for £5m grant
Four cultural venues in Somerset are under consideration to receive a share of a £5m government grant. In March, the government…
London night czar to quit
Amy Lamé, who has been London’s night czar since 2016, is to stand down from her role at the end of October. Lamé said it had…
East London theatre closes due to RAAC
The Kenneth More Theatre in Ilford has closed until at least 2025 after potentially dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concre…
Councils warn of further potential arts cuts
Despite significant cuts in recent years, local government remains the largest single biggest funder of culture, spending around &…
Council launches £500,000 arts fund after budget u-turn
Suffolk County Council has opened a £500,000 Culture Project Fund after announcing plans to cut its core arts funding comple…
Is your community ready to fill the local authority funding gap?
Cuts in local authority spending are having serious impacts on communities. But, as David Alcock argues, they could throw up a onc…
Theatre at risk of closure amid council funding dispute
The operators of Beck Theatre in Hayes have said the venue's future is uncertain due to a breakdown in contract negotiations w…
Bromley Council accepts bid for theatre
Bromley Council has accepted an offer for Churchill Theatre in a move it says will secure the venue's future. The 781-seat ven…
Councils should ‘bear responsibility’ for cultural trust struggles
Hampshire County Council is pushing through plans to reduce Hampshire Cultural Trust's budget by £600,000, placing the f…
Tyne Theatre awarded funding for new venue
The Tyne Theatre and Opera House has been awarded £500,000 as part of Creative Central NCL, a project funded by the North Ea…
Library Campaign lodges complaint against Croydon to DCMS
The Library Campaign has submitted a formal complaint to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) against London Borough…
‘No easy answer’ for library funding, warns Bryant
Local authority spending on public libraries fell by 47% in real terms between 2009/10 and 2022/23.
Council’s museum overhaul at risk of £2.5m overspend
A council report has warned that plans to revamp Hereford Museum and Art Gallery could cost £21.8m instead of the £19….
London Museum renovation project receives extra £50m
The Mayor of London and the City of London have committed an additional £25m each toward the renovation costs of old market…
Council considers running museums as charitable trusts
Nottingham City Council is considering operating its museums and galleries under a charitable trust model. Commissioners were appo…
Libraries call for government talks over ‘closure crisis’
More than 180 council-run libraries in the UK have either closed or been handed to volunteer groups in the past eight years.
