Sector skills should be funded by employers, not ACE
The announcement last week (14 November) of the closure of Creative & Cultural Skills (CCSkills) was probably inevitable, writ…
Posts
AI and music: The biggest democratisation since the internet?
Steve Thompson is a musician, inspired by advancements in technology. Founder of the multi-genre ensemble 1201_Alarm, he reflects…
Autumn Statement could make sector vision a reality
Creativity and culture should be front and centre of the government’s Autumn Statement on Wednesday, says Caroline Norbury,…
Taking up the fight for regional opera
After Glyndebourne Opera cancelled its schedule of regional touring for 2023, Norwich Theatre’s Stephen Crocker was inundate…
AI voices lack nuance
Melissa Thom is the founder of Bristol Academy of Voice Acting. Here, she shares how AI is disrupting the world of voiceover.
AI: An existential threat?
Generative AI is here to stay and the arts and culture sector should be helping to shape it, says The Audience Agency’s Rich…
UK needs a ‘creativity bank’
The UK urgently needs an investment initiative for the cultural and creative industries, similar to those that exist for social en…
Levelling up in the North East is ‘quietly catastrophic’
When one cultural organisation closes, it has a damaging knock-on effect across the region, says Jack McNamara. Funders must not i…
AI: Why the arts should choose playfulness over fear
The cultural sector is wary of AI. But Jo Burnham thinks a change of mindset can accelerate learning, confidence an…
Everyday barriers to creativity
New guidance on Supporting Everyday Creativity has been released by Arts Council England. But, as Kirsty Lothian of Fun Palaces&nb…
Freelance frustration
Arts Council England’s call for freelancers to participate in yet another survey has been met with anger and dismay by the f…
A journey from shame to activism
Continuing our series on activism in the arts, Kevin Osborne reflects on how his early antipathy has been transformed into a great…
Labour: A new deal for arts funding?
As the Labour Party convenes in Liverpool this week for its annual conference, Eliza Easton calls for fresh thinking fro…
Arts activism and the earth crisis
In the first of our series looking at activism in the arts, Bridget McKenzie reflects on the relationship between creative practic…
There is plenty of room in museums for all of us
In response to criticism of new guidance on trans inclusive practice in museums, its authors Suzanne MacLeod, Richard Sandell, Sha…
The perils of being an early career theatre director
Freelance writer and director, Jane Prinsley explains the difficulties facing young people like her trying to set sail in an…
Trans inclusion guidance for museums is high risk
Earlier this month, the University of Leicester published guidance on trans-inclusive practice for museums. Denise Fahmy and Audre…
Leeds festival: The environmental hangover
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” So says The Lorax i…
Mental health of arts professionals needs urgent action
The many stresses experienced by people working in the arts are frequently – and rightly – in the news. David Cutler t…
Cultural renaissance in Bangor
Alison Gordon believes culture is vital to the regeneration of Northern Ireland's seaside towns, but ongoing cuts to the…
British Museum: From looter to looted
From the perspective of Greece or Nigeria, the word irony hardly does justice to the sad spectacle unfolding at the British Museum…
Northern Ireland: Resisting the cuts
In April, artists and supporters were galvanised to sign a petition, eventually numbering more than 12,500 signatures, resisting c…
Theatre’s model is broken
In the face of increasing numbers of theatre leaders leaving their roles, David Micklem thinks it’s time the whole business…
We cannot afford to undervalue arts and humanities degrees
Hardly a day goes by without a fresh attack on arts and humanities degrees as ‘low value’. Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancell…
