Has beauty become a dirty word?
Artist Sarah Hunter, physicist Rox Middleton and philosopher Lucy Tomlinson spotlight what they learnt from spending a year explor…
Posts
On the road again
Rural touring is physically demanding but you get to visit the heart of places and are treated as guests of honour. Clare Beresfor…
Cultural rights are the cornerstone of equitable arts access
When did the idea of cultural rights emerge? And how is it being put into practice? Nicholas Burman has been researching various s…
Creative children, stronger families
Ben Dickenson is on a mission to create a National Centre for Children’s Creativity. He passionately believes in the power o…
Power in partnerships
In their latest collaborative research project, Euella Jackson and Jess Bunyan of Rising Arts Agency have been exploring the unequ…
A guide to random selection
An ancient practice of balloting is being put to use in application processes with the twin aims of reducing unpaid labour and inc…
New funding landscape for the arts
Impact investment is an ideal partner for the arts sector where taking creative risks, experimentation and imagination are second…
Wave of change in disabled-led theatre
This week a trio of plays opens at Live Theatre Newcastle in which, for the first time, every show is captioned. For Vici Wreford-…
AI: Opera in a contemporary format
A recent project at Guildhall School of Music & Drama explored the intersection of traditional opera with evolving creative te…
Hibiscus Rising: The power of public art
From public sculptures to powerful performances, new commissions have a unique ability to connect with audiences – which is…
Young people as changemakers
For ten years, The Agency has supported young people to create social change projects for their communities. Andrew Westle shares…
Staying warm this winter
As winter approaches, with energy bills remaining stubbornly high, Libraries Connected Chief Executive Isobel Hunter say…
Spending down: Opportunity or risk?
In spending down their assets, trusts and foundations are making a strategic change of direction which could pose a threat to the…
The sceptic’s guide to AI (or tangling with Roko’s basilisk)
AI is here, and we have to deal with it, says Lauren James. But rather than diving straight in, she advises first giving proper th…
Co-creating public space: How can we thrive?
Public art is an opportunity for collective expression of identity. In his reflections on a recent conference, Woodrow Kernohan sa…
Buying a ticket shouldn’t be a performance
Andrew Miller recently spent hours trying to book a ticket but, with the rollout of a new access scheme, he hopes his travails and…
What’s the value of digital arts and culture?
If we can find a shared language and inclusive approach to evaluating digital arts and culture, we can tell a better story about t…
Does AI image generation infringe artists’ copyright?
Artists are increasingly concerned that generative AI is stealing their copyright. Lawyers Patrick Wheeler and Zoë Deckker consid…
AI: Understanding the implications of fast developing technology
Artificial intelligence has been around for years but, as Katie Moffat writes, the new generation of AI tools can be used by anyon…
More than music: The power and purpose of orchestras
Rather than berate and fulminate against managers and funders, Robin Cantrill-Fenwick argues we must support orchestras through th…
Culture is essential infrastructure
Imagine a world without culture. How would we orient and co-ordinate our actions? How would we generate new ideas? How would we kn…
What is an equity steering group?
Maher Anjum, Julia Bennett, Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas and Rose Sinclair reflect on how an inclusive steering group helped place eq…
Dance as a catalyst for change?
In devising a new Master’s degree in dance, Jo Parkes’s aim has been to interrogate the artform – not as a subje…
Climate emergency: Stories are as important as science
Think back to summer 2022. What do you remember? If Claire Malcolm remembers one thing, it is the fear and foreboding she felt whe…
