Nations press ahead with vaccine passports for events
More concrete plans to require certification at large events come as research indicates the policy could put people off…
Posts
UK City of Culture competition in need of redesign
The UK City of Culture is a DCMS success story by any standards. But, as Andrew Dixon explains, serious flaws in this year’s…
Higher Covid rates for festivals in test events scheme
DCMS says its Events Research Programme is proof events "can be conducted safely" despite thousands testing po…
£750m live events insurance scheme approved
The sector's prayers have finally been answered but the scheme comes with a significant premium that could prove challenging f…
The future of festivals with 5G
Brighton Dome has been participating in 5G Festival trials to test new technology that could revolutionise the festival experience…
Masks to stay in arts venues as Stage 4 opening confirmed
The Government "expect and recommend" masks in enclosed public spaces – and cultural venues are taking the lead.
Coventry 2021 weighs options around social distancing
The City of Culture must take audiences' comfort into account, its Creative Director says, as the upcoming change to restricti…
Who can dance?
As the U.Dance National Festival returns in an online format this month, Cameron Ball shares how the event connects the nation&rsq…
Half of 2021 festivals have been cancelled
The "unfortunate milestone" is the result of delays to reopening, silence over insurance and a dearth of new guidance th…
A window on the world of Arab culture
2021 marks 10 years of Shubbak – London’s largest biennial festival of contemporary Arab culture. Eckhard Thiemann cha…
WOW goes virtual
Jude Kelly shares how a group dedicated to the experience of live congregational events transformed into techies in a two-month tu…
Little moments of joy
While audiences are most comfortable returning to outdoor events, organising a festival that can flex around ever-changing re…
The essence of a festival is congregation
With artists no longer able to travel freely across Europe post-Brexit, and with no sign of the Covid pandemic abating, Francesca…
Bringing Manchester back to life
With the re-opening of outdoor festivals around the UK, John McGrath shares his thoughts on creating a responsible and safe festiv…
Countering the narratives
Muslim communities are regularly assailed by poor generalisations and by impoverished stories written by ‘someone else&rsquo…
Coventry 2021: the city where movement began, moves again
The festival season may look a bit different this year, but Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture is underway. Jake Bartle a…
Coventry 2021: City of Culture is open for business
Despite all the difficulties of the past year, Jake Bartle and Emily Coleman are confident that this year’s festival will be…
‘Red alert’: One quarter of festivals cancelled
The first wave of festival cancellations is the canary in the coal mine as Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage says insurance is &q…
Outdoor arts bring creativity to communities
Hannah Hartley says the outdoor arts industry’s long-held resilience and versatility has given them the tools to overcome ne…
‘Market failure’ in events insurance must be addressed, sector says
If the Government is confident in getting events back by June 21, it shouldn't hesitate to extend insurance beyond its pilot p…
Festival UK 2022 rejects critics’ claims of nationalism
Critics call Festival UK 2022 "nationalistic imperialism" and "a showcase for the Government". The creatives i…
No insurance scheme while events remain uncertain
DCMS Minister Caroline Dinenage says the much-vaunted measure runs the risk of giving false confidence to festivals: "I just…
Ten teams selected for Festival 2022
Following a £3m research and development phase, diverse teams of artists, scientists and engineers will receive £…
Does Festival UK*2022 offer a blueprint for arts commissioning?
Writer-in-residence Francesca Millican-Slater reflects on the Festival's intensive R&D period – an experim…
