Friday, 10 April 2015
Two upcoming productions based on painful news stories – ENO’s ‘Between Worlds’, dramatizing 9/11, and Park Theatre’s ‘An Audience With Jimmy Saville’ – raise serious questions about the extent to which artists can and should engage with tragic events.
Richard Jordan questions whether reform to the Oliver Awards nominations process has ensured that the industry's premier awards 'still reflect the year in London theatre'.
Wednesday, 08 April 2015
With War Horse and Matilda bringing in the big bucks for the National Theatre, more subsidised theatres are being encouraged to self-produce in the commercial arena. It’s a brilliant innovation, says Matt Trueman, but the fall-out could be disastrous.
As the Hayward Gallery prepares to install Carsten Höller’s vast winding slides, Kriston Capps warns that this widespread zeal for spectacle is taking a toll on galleries and their place in society.
Tuesday, 07 April 2015
Michael Kaiser warns of the potential dangers facing arts organisations that rely too heavily on the generosity of a single philanthropist.
Rosemary Squire tells Will Smale how the combination of owning its own theatres and producing its own plays has proved to be a resilient business model for the Ambassador Theatre Group.
Antoine Froidefond investigates the dilemmas facing the worlds most popular museums as visitor demand puts their physical infrastructures under increasing pressure.
Wednesday, 01 April 2015
Venice is looking to cultural tourism to reverse the fortunes of its opera house with an extended season, a limited repertoire and an ultimatum to performers.
Tuesday, 31 March 2015
Rupert Christiansen uses the recent case of Mid Wales Opera, a company that gained funding from Arts Council Wales but not Arts Council England, to explain why the arts funding system is in disrepair.
Hannah Williams explains why personal photography may be the key to engagement for museums and other arts venues.
Monday, 30 March 2015
Ian Youngs reports on the health of established and emerging arts organisations in Newcastle, three years on from the City Council’s decision to slash funding for arts venues.
Strong female leads, gender-blind casting and female directors with vision are challenging a misogynistic status quo in theatre, says Caroline Criado-Perez.
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan theatre are set to stage two of the most well-known ‘Jewish’ plays. Tim Martin explains why engaging with their content is more necessary than ever.
Jonathan Maitland sets out his vision for a more provocative theatre – one that grapples with the left-wing economic, political and social positions that are “inevitable”.
Friday, 27 March 2015
Only by breaking away from uncritical family and friend audiences can young actors truly grow, says Rob Salmon.
Pauline Tambling notes the number of self-employed people in the creative industries is set to outstrip public sector employees by 2020, arguing for a reform to the national curriculum to empower the next generation of creative people.
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Publishers, artists and curators will have to fork out for hefty charges or face jail if the new copyright law comes into effect as planned in 2020, warns Eileen Kinsella.
Dynamic pricing is a hot topic at the moment but, according to Steve Rich, a ‘hard pricing’ approach in which each seat is valued individually might actually be a better option.
Since fire broke out at Battersea Arts Centre two weeks ago, its staff have provided a shining example of crisis management, says Deborah Bull. She highlights some lessons to take from their handling of the disaster.
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Azlina Bulmer busts the myths surrounding loan finance for charities.