Sunday, 14 June 2020
"Mission driven organisations will have to rethink how they fulfil their goals with a different mix of human talent and skill than they did before." Rob Jackson considers the post-Covid role of volunteers.
To make most of the 'unfrozen moment' we are living through, we will need to attend to the conditions that make real change possible, says Holly Donagh.
Monday, 08 June 2020
The financial structure of the Ambassador Theatre Group means its owners aren't interested in theatre - only in earnings and creating debt against their assets, the bricks and mortar, says Patrick Hayward.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden tells Julian Glover the arts are "central to the strength, resilience and reputation of London” and "we would be absolutely crazy to throw it away”.
Sunday, 07 June 2020
A problematic precedent has been set: in the initial panic of moving their artistic offerings online free of charge, companies have undervalued their own product, says Caitlin Vincent.
Adrian Ellis and Andras Szanto summarise experts' views on the vexing strategic dilemmas facing museums and galleries attempting to reopen safely under the current circumstances.
“I don’t have to watch this online!” Patrick Kingsley and Laetitia Vancon show how audiences and actors responded as the Czech National Theatre took over a car park to perform onstage during lockdown.
Group events happening online are being billed as the new normal, but we are building a future that is still leaving people behind, says Lisette Auton.
The streaming services that have got rich on the back of a large pool of acting, producing, writing and directing talent should be paying towards it. Chris Wiegand reports on Sam Mendes' proposals for bridging the financial abyss facing the sector.
Sunday, 31 May 2020
Will more generous legroom and unrestricted bathroom-breaks improve the whole experience of theatre-going? Germany is about to find out, explains Philip Oltermann.
The hyper-competitive circuit of awards and prizes in the visual arts is creating winners and losers, and fuelling inequalities. It's time for a rethink says Louise Benson.
With so many small independent music venues on the brink of survival, the Music Venues Trust has set about defending them in a joined-up way. Sebastian Scotney @LondonJazz found out how.
The Covid-19 emergency has prompted some funders to introduce simple online application processes and payments. But will this funding approach outlive the lockdown, asks Ben Wittenberg.
Meeting online has its merits. But have you ever felt frustrated or hurt if you've been misread, or not let in, or your question has been left sulking in the Q&A box? Sarah Pickthall explores the problem.
Saturday, 30 May 2020
Innovation is an essential response to immediate challenges, but also "critical to the future success of the culture sector." Rehana Mughal reports on key lessons we can learn from China's experience of the crisis.
Wednesday, 27 May 2020
The Culture Department's Taskforce is riding to the rescue: but who are they? Robert Hewison takes a wry look at their credentials.
Sunday, 24 May 2020
How can it be that classical musicians playing music that’s in the public domain are having their performances removed by Facebook and YouTube? Algorithms are at work, reports Michael Andor Brodeur.
How can the sensation of intimacy be preserved without actual proximity? Justin Davidson asked some artists and presenters about their plans for a socially distanced future.
Arts Council England's 'Let’s Create' strategy looks like it will be among the casualties of the emergency stop, says Amy Cunningham. "If we’d just grabbed it before channelling efforts into sustaining organisations that already take up much of the sector's breathing space, I think we’d find it holds just the maxim we need right now".
Should critics stop reviewing art being made in lockdown because no one is doing well and everyone is fragile? Laura Kressly explores the issues.