Policy & Government
Funding the arts: Bad policies and the bad ideas behind them
Arts Council grants have enabled some great achievements over the decades but, as Andrew Pinnock argues, the policies and false beliefs that underlie them need addressing.
We need to address the skills void in the cultural and heritage sector
Anna Jobson and Laura Gander-Howe first crossed paths at Arts Council England and again at Creative and Cultural Skills. Now co-directors of Culture Change Works, they reflect on t…
Reframing relationships with local authorities
At a time of increasing pressure on budgets for both arts organisations and local authorities, Gavin Barlow of The Albany explores how they might work together differently.
Arts learning and the budget
As Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver her first budget, Joe Hallgarten makes a last-minute case for increased investment in the arts in schools.
Reimagining cultural data
Reflecting on the new book Pandemic Culture, Stephen Dobson, director of the Centre for Cultural Value, argues we now need smarter, more people- and place-centred data to inform cu…
Devolution revolution: Unlocking R&D for creative communities
Following the announcement this week that funding for the Creative Communities programme* has been extended until 2027, Lauren Baker Mitchell reflects on what has been achieved so…
Can creative practice catalyse policy change?
UP Projects aims to combine artistic excellence with social value. But, asks Emma Underhill, can it also influence policy on the important issues of the day?
Creative placemaking: The role of universities in supporting cultural and creative industries
Universities and creative industries may seem unlikely bedfellows, but their potential – in partnership – to catalyse growth should not be underestimated, write Profess…
Devolution from the ground up
A new government means new strategies. But if they are to respond truly to what’s required at the local level, it’s up to the sector to make itself heard, says Jason Jo…
Arts funding policy under the new government
In a period of fast change, financial pressures, despair about public service provision and political upheaval in the UK and abroad, Michelle Wright considers how policy will impac…
Making the case for cultural devolution
All parties seem to agree that devolution is a good thing but the details about how culture will feature are scant. Anne Torreggiani and Patrick Towell discuss why and how we need…
Culture and place: Why we need to look beyond cities
Arts and culture are integral to shaping the places we live. We now need to understand the effects cultural placemaking practices have on our towns, provinces and rural areas, argu…
Local museums are much loved, but their future is uncertain
A new report into the challenges facing the museum and gallery sector has just been published. Rachael Browning outlines its key findings and the policy recommendations emerging fr…
Teacher professionalism and the arts
Regardless of the setting, every school deserves a teacher who is afforded the space and professional trust to teach an inspiring arts curriculum, writes Steven Berryman.
Government must ensure children’s right to theatre
Directors of Education and Learning from some of the country’s most high-profile theatres are calling on all political parties to commit to 'Theatre for Every Child'….
Are arts students a burden on the taxpayer?
The Higher Education sector is up in arms about proposed cuts to creative arts courses which, it says, will further damage the UK’s creative industries. Carole-Anne Upton thi…
Closing the ‘enrichment gap’
The erosion of opportunities to study the expressive arts in school has created a crisis in arts teaching, writes Sally Bacon.
You don’t get to work in the arts and support the monarchy
With a Royal garden party for the creative industries coming hot on the heels of cultural leaders’ participation in a trade mission to Saudi Arabia, Steven Hadley reflects on…
Open letter to Dame Mary Archer
Representatives from across the cultural sector have written an open letter to Dame Mary Archer, who is due to chair the government's Public Body Review of Arts Council England…
Census data ‘a goldmine’ for cultural policymakers
Cultural policy makers have not focused much on census data in the past, but that data is a goldmine for researchers, says Mark Taylor.
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