A win-win competition
The UK City of Culture competition brings great benefits – to the losers as well as the winners – but as more cities,…
Posts
How we… kept a major capital project on track
A £37m capital project is always going to be demanding, but throw in Grade-II listed status, asbestos and Roman remains and…
Leeds council risks ‘ripping soul out of community arts’
Cost-saving measures by Leeds City Council will see access to Carriageworks theatre restricted and a price hike on room hire that…
The problem with competitive placemaking
Collaborative placemaking initiatives could be a much quicker route to regenerating coastal towns than waiting to win the city of…
Leeds plans own ‘Year of Culture’ after European let-down
Leeds City Council said a celebration independent of the European Capital of Culture competition would have certain advantages, su…
London to get ten ‘Creative Enterprise Zones’ in £5m scheme
Ten London boroughs will each receive £50k to create permanent affordable creative workspaces and provide support for artist…
Coventry crowned UK City of Culture 2021
The city has beaten contenders Paisley, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland and Swansea to host the year-long award credited with ‘tr…
Arts leaders and MPs urge rethink on European Capital of Culture
Following the European Commission’s move to block the UK from participating in European Capital of Culture 2023, arts profes…
London Mayor to protect arts venues threatened by noise complaints
Culture is “at the heart” of Sadiq Khan’s draft civic planning strategy, which sets out plans for new cultural q…
Industrial Strategy criticised for ignoring threats to creative industries
The Government’s long-awaited strategy does not mention arts education but says improving the take up and quality of maths w…
“Gutted”: heartbreak as UK blocked from European Capital of Culture
The European Commission has said Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union means participation in the 2023 title “w…
MPs call for ‘agent of change’ principle to protect music venues
A debate in the House of Commons lamented a tendency for venues to close when the cost of soundproofing falls on them after reside…
Business districts encouraged to partner with cultural sector
Culture is the perfect vehicle to engage people in conversations about heritage and local identity, a new report concludes.
Bristol and Manchester named UNESCO Creative Cities
The cities join a 180-strong network, which already features ten UK cities including Bradford and Glasgow.
Nottingham unveils roadmap to ‘reimagine the city’ with culture
As Nottingham submits its bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2023, a city-wide plan to integrate culture into education…
Arts Council joins forces with London authorities to promote culture in the capital
The shared commitment to extending access to arts and culture comes as London Mayor Sadiq Khan begins a review into the supply of…
16 London boroughs set sights on £3m city-wide culture award
Eight boroughs will ultimately receive a slice of the funding through the Mayor’s London Borough of Culture competition, whi…
Edinburgh tops the rankings of EU cultural cities
UK cities excel on openness, tolerance and trust, but none make the top five for employment in culture, arts and entertainment, ac…
Multi-million-pound cultural hub to ‘change way people see Luton’
Luton Culture, the charity behind the £5m project, hopes the redevelopment of three former hat factories will create 133 new…
Study helps fill evidence gap around culture’s economic value
A Government-commissioned report has found evidence that culture, sport and heritage influence local place-shaping and help attrac…
Theatres and galleries key to ‘24-hour vision for London’
Mayor Sadiq Khan hopes to make the capital’s nightlife about more than just pubs and clubs.
Culture plans for London’s Square Mile
A creative district with “creative exchange, cultural collaboration and learning at its core” will be developed to lin…
Lib Dem peers lament ‘ridiculous’ erosion of arts in cities
Members of the House of Lords blamed the market for squeezing artists out of cities as they championed Creative Enterprise Zones.
£1.5m for cultural placemaking in Wales
The pilot Great Place Scheme, which uses culture and heritage to deliver social and economic agendas, has been rolled out to Scotl…
