Latest News
£1.25m National Lottery boost for historic churches
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced £1.25m of funding for eight places of worship to develop their plans for the future, all of which have communities at their heart. In Renfrewshire, Lochwinnoch Community Developmen…
Paisley Museum redevelopment costs increase by a quarter
Renfrewshire Council has added £12.5m to its budget for the redevelopment of Paisley Museum, taking the total to more than £65m….
Health benefits of cultural engagement valued at £8bn
The improvements to people’s health and wellbeing that come from engagement with arts and culture are worth more than £8bn a…
Co-creation boosts young people’s library engagement
Almost 90% of young people from marginalised groups felt more welcome in libraries after co-creating projects with them, new resea…
ONS data: Arts activity shrinks by 15% since July
Economic activity in the creative, arts and entertainment sectors shrank by a cumulative 15% between July and October this year, a…
Bradford theatre company closes due to ‘precarious’ funding climate
Freedom Studios will begin winding down its operations, with its work anticipated to cease at the end of the current financial yea…
National Theatre Wales ‘ceases to exist’ as company adopts new model after grant cut
National Theatre Wales (NTW) will no longer exist in its current form following the loss of its core funding from Arts Council Wal…
Former Portfolio Organisation announces closure amid ‘challenging funding landscape’
London-based immersive arts organisation Coney has announced that it will close in April 2025 after over 16 years of operation due…
DCMS expects to lose over £25m in Covid loan repayments
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will not recover between £24.9m and £28.7m in repayments from Covid-era suppo…
Nandy confirms new ACE review headed by Hodge will consider ‘wider cultural funding ecosystem’
A new review of Arts Council England (ACE) will look at the role the funding body plays in the wider arts and culture ecosystem, a…
Public urged to report council culture cuts as research reveals 50% drop in arts spending
The Campaign for the Arts (CFTA) has launched an open call for information about new proposed cuts to arts funding as local author…
AI campaigners encourage government to protect copyright
A new coalition of creative rights holders has called on government to adopt its principles around protection of copyright ahead o…
Public believes creativity can promote community cohesion, study reveals
Increased community involvement in arts and creativity can play an important role in promoting social cohesion, according to the f…
Nandy: ‘We haven’t scrapped Archer ACE review’
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has countered assertions that the Labour government has “scrapped” a review of Arts Council Engla…
Citizens Theatre gets further £8m from Holyrood to complete delayed renovation
The Scottish government has stepped in to plug an £8m funding shortfall at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre. The council-owned theatre…
All In audience access scheme launches Leeds pilot
A pilot programme for a new arts and culture access scheme for the UK and Ireland has been launched in Leeds. The All In scheme, a…
Concert halls contribute over £328m to the UK economy, finds report
The UK’s concert halls generated over £328 million for the economy last year, with classical and orchestral music accounting fo…
Welsh arts budget rise won’t heal sector’s ‘gaping wound’
Arts organisations in Wales have tentatively welcomed the country’s draft budget for the next financial year as a positive first s…
Research highlights cities in need of more creative investment
A study has highlighted UK cities that could benefit from further support to drive industry growth in the creative sector. The Cre…
Baroness Hodge touted to lead Arts Council England review
Labour Peer Baroness Hodge is thought to have been selected to lead a review of Arts Council England (ACE), according to a report…
Welsh arts get ‘disappointing’ uplift in ‘optimistic budget’
The Welsh government has allocated the culture sector an additional £6m in its draft budget proposal for 2025-2026, following an…
Heritage sector ‘facing challenges in diversity and inclusion’, survey finds
The heritage sector is experiencing low levels of ethnic diversity and social mobility, according to the findings of Historic Engl…
Starmer signs deals to share UK’s cultural expertise with Saudi Arabia
The UK government has made multiple partnership deals agreeing to share the country’s “top-tier” expertise in culture, herit…
City of London approves £191m Barbican upgrade
The Barbican is to get a substantial overhaul after the City of London approved £191 million in funding to renovate the Grade II…
Judge rules freelance teacher owed employee rights by drama school
A singing teacher hired by a performing arts school on a freelance basis has successfully argued that he was entitled to paid noti…
ACE unveils details of Elevate programme to support diverse-led organisations
The timeline for Arts Council England’s next National Portfolio Investment Programme has been announced alongside details of Ele…
Changing Faces
