Thursday, 20 June 2024
The first of a series of articles investigating the state of arts sector finances highlights a huge decline in the financial health of organisations across the UK.
Finances of arts and culture organisations in the UK are in their worst state than at any time in the past five years, an investigation by Arts Professional in partnership with financial benchmarking company MyCake has found.
Analysis of a constant cohort of 2,800 organisations across the country that filed accounts for every year since 2018 shows they posted a combined deficit of £117.8m in 2023... read more
Tuesday, 02 July 2024
Arts Council England has offered National Portfolio Organisations the opportunity to cut their activity by 15% to help them deal with reduced income and rising costs.
Photo:
Courtesy of Sunderland Echo
Increasing numbers of National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs) are reporting issues with their finances and employees leaving their roles, it has emerged.
Recently published minutes of a high-level Arts Council England (ACE) meeting reveal there has been "an ongoing trend of increased risk profiles... read more
Tuesday, 02 July 2024
Glasgow's renowned Citizens Theatre in the Gorbals area of the city is facing a funding shortfall of as much as £8m, caused by the rising costs of its redevelopment.
One of Scotland's most renowned theatres is under "imminent threat of liquidation" due to the rising costs of a mult-million pound redevelopment project.
The Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, which was founded in 1878, has been closed to the public since 2018. Building work began in 2019.
With a... read more
Tuesday, 02 July 2024
Watermans Arts Centre was shuttered in April to protect the organisation's 'financial viability' but has been occupied by squatters since June, hoping to save the community space.
Photo: Google
Squatters have been told to vacate a former arts centre in Brentford after a judge granted an interim possession order on 2 July to the property's tenants, Hounslow Arts Trust Limited, which was still operating in the building when it was occupied last month.
The hearing came after a plea to the... read more
Monday, 01 July 2024
The Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre have urged the next government to be 'systematic and strategic' in investment in theatre buildings, as research reveals many are in danger of closure.
Photo:
Chris Baker
Two-fifths of theatres are in danger of becoming too unsafe to use within the next five years without "sustainable and systematic investment”, according to a report from the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre.
The survey, which involved 65 SOLT and UK Theatre members from across the UK... read more
Thursday, 27 June 2024
Public body is seeking costs of £40,000 after claims by former Relationship Manager of harassment and persecution by colleagues were judged to be groundless.
Photo:
Ellen Nivrae/Creative Commons
Arts Council England is seeking costs from award-winning musician Speech Debelle and her legal representatives as "a matter of integrity" and due to the emotional impact her claims of racial discrimination had on staff, an employment tribunal has heard.
Debelle, real name Corynne Elliot, had... read more
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Wednesday, 26 June 2024
Shadow Creative Industries Minister criticises lack of access to arts education in schools and stresses need for a full review of Arts Council England.
Every child should be given access to the arts in school and early years education, Labour's Shadow Creative Industries Minister Chris Bryant has said.
Speaking at an arts hustings event this week organised by What Next? and the Campaign for the Arts, Bryant outlined his party's desire to place the... read more
Wednesday, 26 June 2024
The Musicians' Union has called upon management, Arts Council Wales and Arts Council England to agree on a sustainable funding package to secure Welsh National Opera's future.
Members of the Musicians' Union at Welsh National Opera (WNO) will vote on whether to take industrial action over plans to put the company's orchestra on part-time contracts with a pay reduction of 15%.
The Musicians’ Union (MU) delivered the notification of intent to ballot to WNO management last... read more
Tuesday, 25 June 2024
Labour leader says his party will ‘stand squarely behind’ organisations like the theatre in west London.
Photo:
Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Labour leader Keir Starmer visited the Lyric theatre in Hammersmith in west London today (25 June).
Speaking during his visit, Starmer said the Lyric’s commitment to supporting its local community “is testament to the positive impact a thriving theatre sector can and does make in our country”.
“My... read more
Tuesday, 25 June 2024
The National Education Union says more than 90% of its members at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts sixth form college, high school and primary school are in favour of strike action.
Photo:
Google Maps
The National Education Union (NEU) is planning industrial action at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) sixth form college and its associated primary and high school over health and safety concerns.
The NEU says more than 90% of its members voted yes in an indicative ballot.... read more
Tuesday, 25 June 2024
Northern Irish band claims Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch 'overreached' by denying the group a £15,000 grant because of their political views.
Photo:
No10 Downing Street
Belfast rap trio Kneecap have been permitted to seek a judicial review into claims that the UK government blocked a British Phonographic Industry (BPI) approved funding award for the group because of their nationality and political beliefs.
The band allege that their application to the taxpayer-... read more
Tuesday, 25 June 2024
Polling analysis suggests current Culture Secretary, who has been an MP since 2015, may struggle to win parliamentary seat of Ely and East Cambridgeshire.
Photo:
Department for Culture, Media and Sport via Flickr
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer could be set to lose her seat in parliament at next week's general election, according to the latest polling analysis.
During the 2019 general election, Frazer, who has been MP for East Cambridgeshire since 2015, recorded a majority of almost 13,000 over second place... read more