Monday, 07 September 2020
Oliver Basciano believes the Southbank Centre’s problems stem from conservative management, government cuts and a ‘byzantine’ arts funding system that has rendered it “beholden to stifling commercial interests”.
“My own anecdotal effort to assess ethnic minority opinion on Twitter resulted in a broad landslide for indifference”. Sunder Katwala says the media culture war over the Proms trivialises ethnic minority concerns about race equality.
An expansionist, market and state-driven managerial approach within museums and galleries is eroding the integrity of art, says Tai Shani. It’s time to stop worrying about biting the hand that feeds us.
Saturday, 05 September 2020
It's time to think about the long-term impact of the pandemic on schools. Giving artists space to work sensitively and in depth with children, young people and teachers will make all the difference, says Sarah Bailey.
Monday, 31 August 2020
Live theatre creates a relationship with audiences that sees the few speaking to the many in a space where the many can respond as one, so can a live digital performance ever substitute for that? Only if we seize this moment to include audiences in the creative process, says Robert Reid.
If you focus on making your virtual events accessible for deaf attendees you will benefit and you’ll be surprised how many others will benefit too – and enjoy the experience all the more. Ahmed Khalifa explains how to do it.
By choosing to be there en masse, are performers, funders and industry bodies perpetuating some of the ‘evils’ of the Edinburgh Fringe? Matthew Linley sees benefits in using other showcases for new work.
A new theatre venue has opened where all tickets for performances will be free, but how will The PurpleDoor be viable? And will it, as some say, devalue the product and undermine the industry which provides the framework for creation in the first place? The PurpleDoor makes the case for theatre as community-based social enterprise.
Being made redundant is deeply distressing but making staff redundant is a lonely and agonising experience too. Dawn Langley offers comforting words on surviving the process.
Sunday, 19 July 2020
Rachel Griffiths imagines a future where publicly funded theatres, museums and art galleries become part of broad community alliances tackling common areas of concern.
The Nuffield Theatre wasn't a victim of the virus, says Will Gompertz. It went bust because Arts Council England decided to withdraw all its funding at very short notice in the middle of the lockdown.
Economic and intrinsic value in the arts are hard to unpick, and distinctions between social, economic and cultural policy are more diffuse than ever, says Adam Behr.
Is social distancing a death knell for arts venues? Oliver Wainwright thinks there's too much acceptance of the problem and too little imagination in terms of how it could be done differently.
Moving from live to online performance isn't about mapping old practices onto new technologies. Kamala Sankaram offers a detailed account of the challenges - and how they can be overcome.
Could a new method for calculating streaming royalties for musicians lead to a more level playing field - or is that too much to hope for, asks Will Pritchard.
Wednesday, 15 July 2020
"There is a serious need for more robust and critical scholarship in the field of arts and health". Stephen Clift questions current frameworks and practices.
Monday, 13 July 2020
Venues that can’t welcome performers or audiences until a vaccine arrives could accommodate classes - and receive a rent in exchange, suggests Justin Davidson.
The lockdown has been a heavy blow in terms of mental health. Arts and health projects cannot put all that right, but they can help people cope and recover, says François Matarasso.
The fear remains that the Government's “rescue” package will prop up the institutions that have strong muscle memory in economic terms, leaving individuals, smaller venues and organisations even more exposed to impossible sustainability issues, says Stella Kanu.
Friday, 10 July 2020
For over 30 years an independent professional touring company has been contributing to the economy - never once with direct arts funding. Can they survive the challenges ahead? Elli Mackenzie is staying positive.