News

Eight artists from Northern Ireland will share £75,835 of funding toward the creation of art projects using digital technologies.

The investment is part of Arts Council Northern Ireland's National Lottery Individual Artists Digital Evolution Awards, which are financed by the National Lottery and match-funded by Future Screens NI.

As part of the scheme, artists who are making digital art for the first time or are working with digital or immersive technology in a novel or innovative way can apply for grants of up to £10k.

Save the Children has pulled out of an event at London's Science Museum following concerns among its supporters about the institution's sponsors.

The Guardian reports the charity had been due to participate in an event at the museum on Wednesday evening (11 September) looking at some of the most important health challenges facing the world.

A statement issued by Save the Children said that it had wanted to "raise awareness of its global maternal health work, including in Gaza” but it withdrew “following concerns from supporters about one of the museum’s sponsors, in the context of current public campaigns”.

Save the Children did not name the sponsor in question.

However, the museum has been the subject of criticism over its sponsorship by Adani Green Energy, part of the Indian coal-mining and energy conglomerate Adani Group.

Another part of the Adani Group - Adani Defence and Aerospace - has a partnership with the Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems.

A Science Museum spokesperson said: “Engaging our audiences with the major challenges of our time is a priority for the museum, and earlier this year we opened a new gallery exploring the urgent energy transition away from fossil fuels that the world needs to see, made possible by generous sponsorship from Adani Green Energy, a renewable energy business.

“We recognise that some campaigners have strong views about sponsorship and wish to see wholesale disengagement from entire sectors. Our trustees disagree with that view and have clearly articulated our approach, both in terms of robust governance and in urging companies, governments and individuals to do more to make the global economy less carbon-intensive.”

Arts Council Wales has announced it is pausing two funding schemes targeted at educators and learners for review.

The Go and See and Have a Go funds will close at 12pm on 3 October and reopen on 4 November.

Go and See offers grants up to £1,000 to enable teachers in Welsh state-maintained schools to take learners to see high-quality art in venues across Wales.

Meanwhile, Have a Go aims to facilitate hands-on activities or workshops that focus on the expressive arts with grants of up to £1,500 to state-maintained schools, pupil referral units and arts and cultural organisations in Wales.

In announcing the change, ACW said: "Our popular grants for schools, artists, and arts organisations help support access to high-quality arts activity for learners and teachers and have had a huge impact across Wales.

"We are reviewing both our Go and See and Have a Go grants, and they will be temporarily closed from 12pm on 3 October.

"Please be assured that both schemes will reopen again on Monday 4 November 2024."

DanceEast has been awarded £50,159 from the Jerwood Foundation towards its commissioning programme over an 18-month period.

The funding will support the creation of two new pieces at the Jerwood DanceHouse by award-winning dancers Jess and Morgs and Dickson Mbi, along with access to studios and wraparound support.

Jess and Morgs say their new work will explore the digital self through AI and greenscreen technology.

DanceEast is also commissioning Mbi to make a follow-up to his first full-length piece, Enowate, which won the 2023 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance.

“In a difficult climate where it is hard for organisations and artists to invest in new work creation, Jerwood Foundation’s funding of two new commissions, and the associated costs, allows us to ensure outstanding new dance performances are created for new and existing audiences in the UK,” said Brendan Keaney, DanceEast Artistic Director and Chief Executive.

An Equity-spearheaded campaign to ban casting directors from charging performers upfront fees has received backing from the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

The support, confirmed at the annual TUC congress currently taking place in Brighton, means the body will call on casting services to transfer fee-paying responsibilities from actors to producers. It has also said it will lobby the government on legislation to protect job-seeking performers.

The National Education Union is also supporting the motion.

Earlier this year, Equity confirmed it would take legal action against casting service Spotlight over the fees it charges.

According to The Stage, Equity is hoping it is ruled that Spotlight operates as an employment agency and would then be forced to show the rates it charges amount to no more than a reasonable estimate of the cost of production and distribution of its services.

The case is set to be heard in the High Court. Equity President Lynda Rooke, who moved the motion backed by TUC, has said she would give evidence at the case to challenge Spotlight's “excessive fees”.

A council report has warned that plans to revamp Hereford Museum and Art Gallery could cost £21.8m instead of the £19.2m budgeted, partly due to the unexpected discovery of asbestos in the building.

Higher scaffolding fees and a new electrical substation have also contributed to the increased predicted spending.

Herefordshire Council's progress report said that the anticipated costs “can be reduced through working with a contractor" but that the project will only proceed if it is “deliverable and within the approved budget”.

The project will add six new galleries and display spaces to the grade II-listed building, as well as a temporary exhibition space, a fifth floor, and new commercial and retail space.

The local authority is contributing £8.4m while a further £10.8m has been secured from government, the National Lottery and Arts Council England with other funding bids "also being explored".

Councillor Harry Bramer said the council would probably adjust where and how the available budget is spent at the final design stage.

“We won’t get final costs until we work through the detailed elements of the design with a construction partner, which is the next phase of the project," he said.

The Mayor of London and the City of London have committed an additional £25m each toward the renovation costs of old market buildings in Smithfield, which will house the new London Museum, formerly the Museum of London.

Originally expected to cost around £337m and open in 2026, the project's costs are now forecast to have risen by £100m.

While the newly announced funds will help bridge the funding gap, the museum is looking at "green loan opportunities" to secure a further £20m.

The City of London has contributed £222m to the project in total, while the Mayor of London has awarded £95m. Meanwhile, private donations and sponsorships have generated £45m so far.

Contributions include £10m each from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and the Linbury Trust, £5m each from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Garfield Weston Foundation and £1m each from the Schroder Foundation and Family and the Wolfson Foundation.

“Thousands of Londoners are helping to shape this fantastic new museum, which will not only explore our city’s rich history but the people and places that make it such a vibrant place to be," said Director of London Museum, Sharon Ament.

"With the generous support of the GLA and the City of London Corporation, alongside our other funders and supporters, we are steaming ahead to deliver a transformative, world-leading museum that will be worthy of this great global capital.”

Nottingham City Council is considering operating its museums and galleries under a charitable trust model.

Commissioners were appointed in February to assess how the council should run its museums services, following the reopening of Nottingham Castle after the independent Nottingham Castle Trust went into liquidation.

According to local press, the assessment suggested the creation of a development trust and exhibition trust, which would be used to supplement the council in running the museum's service.

During a Communities and Environment Scrutiny Committee meeting held in July, a council officer said Nottingham could mirror operations in Leeds and Manchester, which both operate development and exhibition trusts that are wholly-owned by the council and help bring in extra funding and tax relief.

The officer said control, transparency and oversight from the council is “imperative”, adding “there is no intent to replicate the Nottingham Castle Trust model”. 

The council’s museums service currently runs Wollaton Hall, Newstead Abbey, Nottingham Industrial Museum and the Museum of Nottingham Life, alongside Nottingham Castle.