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…
Posts
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…
Coventry 2021 will be ‘a return to live’
The UK City of Culture year will press ahead with a full calendar of festivals and events from May 15 – two days before the…
Emergency funding lifelines for Northern Irish and Scottish arts
Northern Irish organisations' coronavirus deficits will be eliminated by new grants as Scotland offers new support for events…
Crisis made us more relevant
When decisions about programming are made in hours rather than months, organisations hone in on their core purpose. Festivals will…
Distribute your leadership digitally
Long-distance relationships needn’t limit ambition. Sarah Fisher, Ying Kwok and Lindsay Taylor describe a sustainable approa…
Insurance scheme needed now to save 2021 festivals
A £650m Government-backed insurance scheme could salvage £2bn worth of activity, the sector argues.
2023 Borough of Culture to go ahead despite council’s financial woes
Croydon is still developing the cultural showcase despite an order against non-essential spending, a review over alleged fina…
Beyond Brexit: Festival UK* 2022
Festival UK* 2022 is not a ‘celebration of Brexit’ but a celebration of the place we call home, argues Sam Hunt.
