Sunday, 26 April 2020
The structural barriers that limit visual artists’ prospects of making a living mean they should be treated as a special case within the arts workforce. Susan Jones explains why they deserve individualised attention by policy-makers.
This is a vulnerable moment for theatre, says Barney Norris, but it's also a once in a generation opportunity to provide a traumatised nation with exactly what we need.
After decades of reinventing themselves to be relevant to newer audiences, all the fanfare about museums prioritising access, education and diversity looks like publicity spin, says Arlene Dávila.
Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Very little digital programming by cultural orgs has ever been expected to contribute directly to earned revenue, so is the rush to release free content going to turn out to be a bad idea? Chris Unitt raises the most challenging questions facing arts organisations now.
The 2019 NT Live encore screening of One Man, Two Guvnors grossed £1.2m in the UK and Ireland. Streaming raised $82,500. Is there a business model that will work for purely digital distribution, asks One Further.
Monday, 20 April 2020
If emotional narratives aren’t enough to encourage arts managers to prioritise preparedness for a crisis, then the rising costs of crises should be." Leah Hamilton reflects on the sector's lack of enthusiasm for emergency planning.
Saturday, 18 April 2020
How will musicians and venues stay afloat now their gigs are cancelled? Jazz pianist Sam Leak argues the case for private, ticketed livestreams while we’re in lockdown.
As plans are iced, budgets in flux and colleagues furloughed, we have to collaborate in new ways. Business can’t be ‘as usual’, says Andrew McIntyre.
When the Royal Court Theatre became the first theatre in the world to have a 'permanent site' on the World Wide Web, people were asking 'Is this a gimmick or the start of a revolution?' Would an 'interactive seat map' ever catch on? Cooper James investigated.
Wednesday, 15 April 2020
Fergus Linehan faces the challenge of re-programming Edinburgh International Festival, mindful of the tide of criticism and anti-festival feeling rising in repsonse to the hyper-tourism that feeds its success.
The situation facing self-employed performing artists in this pandemic demonstrates an ongoing problem with performance work not being seen as ‘real’ work, say Drs Ioannis Tsioulakis and Ali FitzGibbon. Presenting cultural work online risks normalising the widespread idea that artists are performing a free service to which consumers are entitled.
Young people are not an afterthought, they are all the future that the arts and culture have. We must make deliberate youth-centered choices right this minute, say Dennie Palmer Wolf and Jeff M. Poulin.
Classical music is going through a 'wild west' phase of activity as it moves online into a brave new world. But is this temporary novelty? A dead end? And will there be a viable mechanism for getting the artists paid? David Patrick Stearns examines the changing landscape. #classicalmusic
Perceptions that what artists do is “fluff” perpetuate inequality, as people in fields deemed less important are often undervalued and underpaid. Patrick Kabanda thinks it's time to create a Cultural Inequality Index.
Wednesday, 08 April 2020
When Berlin launched its €500m bid to save small businesses and freelancers from financial free fall, including artists and small cultural businesses, the cash distribution started in four days. Kate Brown and Naomi Rea explain how.
When the lockdown ends, what will patterns of cultural engagement look like? Research suggests that some art forms will take longer to recover than others, says Colleen Dilenschneider.
In the race to deliver online experiences, Nina Simon worries "we may distract ourselves from the potential to envision and deliver true community value".
We’re all in it together, but each of us has to deal with their own problems so it’s not surprising if people sometimes make the wrong choices, says François Matarasso.
Thursday, 02 April 2020
Classical music needs more than a bailout, says Matthew Walther. We must put ticket prices within the range of ordinary people, ensure that musicians and singers can support themselves and give young people of all social and economic backgrounds the ability to listen to this music.
Arts Council Engalnd has provided the resources to prevent a catastrophic collapse of the public cultural sector in England, but that won't end the crisis, says François Matarasso.