A different kind of dialogue
Approaches to assessing cultural value are stuck in a financially reductionist ‘value = money’ orbit. We should be exa…
Posts
The value of creative thinking
What exactly do we mean by creativity, and how will the UK measure up when the world education league tables start assessing it in…
Creative ageing: a flourishing field
There has been a dramatic expansion in the number of organisations supporting arts activities by and for older people in the UK &#…
A snapshot of older audiences
What are the characteristics, interests and motivations of the over-65 demographic? Lucie Fitton reveals all.
How does it feel to have dementia?
The arts have helped scientists gain a better understanding of how it actually feels like to live with dementia. Julian West share…
Off the shelf
As local authority cuts continue to squeeze culture and heritage budgets, libraries offer a way for councils to preserve access to…
The consistency illusion
The arts are important because they matter to us, and any attempts to further justify them lead to an impoverished and less human…
Doing the impossible
The success of Hull City of Culture shows what can be achieved in the arts when we come together to achieve a common goal. Positiv…
How can cultural districts be democratic?
If cultural districts are to operate sustainably they need to make sure the voices of all stakeholders are heard, says Beatrice Pe…
Fostering young talent
Nurturing young people’s talent is a key part of improving diversity in the arts sector, says Jacqueline Haxton.
A kinder commissioning process
It can be brutal to have your work rejected. Tom Harvey has devised a ‘Humane Commissioning Manifesto’ to fight back a…
Are we misunderstanding cultural democracy?
Has Arts Council England got cultural democracy wrong? Steven Hadley and Eleonora Belfiore argue for a more thorough questioning o…
Embedding the arts in healthcare
Clinical psychologist Katherine Taylor explains how Greater Manchester is putting the arts at the heart of its mental health strat…
Measuring the difference you make
Arts organisations are under growing pressure to demonstrate social impact. Emma Taylor-Collins explains how they can gain robust,…
A stage for experimental theatre
Ovalhouse’s FiRST BiTES programme ensures that it takes the risks necessary for creating diverse and experimental theatre, e…
Using data to find the right schools
How can an arts organisation be sure it is working with schools that represent the community? Lucie Fitton and Ashleigh Hibbins su…
Business skills for creators
Effectively monetising creative work ensures that artists can continue to do what they love. Ros Gilman offers advice on pricing,…
Arts in schools: the end of an era
As performance targets squeeze the arts to the margins of the curriculum, only the most courageous of state schools are continuing…
Tackling class discrimination
By taking a robust approach to understanding the social class make-up of the workforce, the cultural sector can address entrenched…
The craft of captioning artworks
If artists want an authentic response to their work, they need to give viewers a way in, argues Eleanor MacFarlane.
Reaching the iPhone generation
Arts organisations could be doing a lot to tempt potential audiences with a taster of their work. Steve Wallace explains how video…
A future for artist workspaces
With artist workspaces under threat from funding cuts, increases in business rates and property development schemes, a new initiat…
Investing in resilience
How does a dyed-in-the-wool advocate for public subsidy of culture feel about social investment for the arts and cultural sector?…
The potential of grassroots culture
Grassroots culture undeniably delivers huge benefits to communities and local economies, but Martin Cox believes it could also res…
