All Blog Posts (106)

A postscript was added on 6 May 2013.

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Maria Miller yesterday gave her maiden speech as Culture Secretary. The main thrust was this: that the arts must play their part in our economic recovery by proving their profitability. 

At first glance the speech seems encouraging, but look closer and it's impossible not…

What happened at the Brewhouse was clearly a terrible blow for the town, the staff and their audiences.

But also for the whole wider arts ecology and infrastructure. There are companies and artists who are owed thousands of pounds – and some who date back to early October last year who have not been paid.

It is highly unlikely that any of these individuals and organisations will see any of their money as they now all count as unsecured creditors.

At Pilot Theatre we know…

Westminster Council today confirmed they are to cut all of of their £350 000 arts budget. 

This is a cruel, joyless decision. The Council wants to make cuts of £30m from an overall budget of £900m - that's about 3.3%. Even though Westminster's arts budget is tiny (only 0.04% of their total spending), most of those working in the arts wouldn't balk at a 3.3% cut; it’s their fair share, after all. But 100% represents unusual punishment. 

By making…

Lee Hall has written a piece for the Guardian about the Newcastle cuts. The Arts pages reportedly found it too technical, so he asked me to post it here.

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Like most people connected with the Arts, I was stunned by Newcastle Council's announcement this week to cut the entire Arts budget for the City (£1.6m). It seemed a completely unnecessary draconian gesture, but in the context of the £90m deficit trumpeted by…

The writer Lee Hall has written an open letter to the leader of Newcastle City Council, Nick Forbes, about the proposed closure of the majority of Newcastle's libraries. He is yet to receive a reply. Here's the letter:

When I was artistic director of Sheffield Theatres, the first play I directed was The Romans in Britain.  I’d wanted to revive this for lots of reasons, but one was that the first line of the play is "Where the fuck are we?"

It seemed like the right question to ask at the beginning of an artistic tenure.  I’ve been asking it ever since.  If we’re lucky enough to be in work as actors, or to be able to make work as directors, it’s a question which we…

This is a speech I made to introduce the Arts Index, a publication from The National Campaign for the Arts, of which I'm a trustee.

The Index is an annual health-check for the arts, compiled using figures from Arts and Business, Arts Council England, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland and The Department for Culture, Media & Sport. We’re very grateful to them for their contributions.

Thanks too to Don Foster MP for…

This is a speech I made at Hyde Park.  Some of the arguments may be familiar.  It was very last-minute and it had to be heavily cut - the TUC only allows speakers three minutes, and they're very strict!

Speech to the TUC’s March for the Alternative,

London, 26^th March 2011

“I do not want art for a few, any more than I…

I wrote this in protest against plans to close the the York Gardens Public Library in Wandsworth. It was given at their Read-in on Saturday 5^th February 2011.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.

I grew up in Wandsworth, just up the road.  I learnt to read early, and I’ve loved it ever since. At school we had a little lending library, mostly full of old Puffins, where I took books out, and even occasionally…

I was kind of hoping for something with more pizazz that this. I hope it makes your day too.

They say - 

This animated video introduces the culture and sport outcomes framework, including how it works and how you can create your own.

This video (length: 4 minutes, 51 seconds) introduces the culture and sport outcomes framework and considers:

• why it's a good idea to have an outcomes…

Yesterday saw the announcement of significant uplifts for many of ACW's portfolio of clients with an average uplift of c. 20%.

Big winners include National Theatre Wales who bag an extra £335,000 (its sister Welsh language equivalent Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru languishes at standstill) and newcomers to the portfolio including NoFit State Circus who get a kick start of £200K.

Not too may surprises in there with uplifts for previous Beacon Award status companies…

Hi all,

I've just published this report for DCMS:

http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7660.aspx

on how we measure the value of culture in a way that can be useful for central government decision-makers (and specifically Treasury). I'm keen to get debate going about it as i think it might have some important lessons for both government and the arts sector. Please feel free to let me…

The headlines about the Scottish government's support for the arts, culture and creative industries in a budget to deal with £1.3bn cuts next year appear less lurid than in England. For a start, the language used in the budget is warm and appreciative about the importance of the arts culture and creative industries to Scotland' s success and, having already been through the abolishment of the Scottish Arts Council, we have been been spared the public flogging of the Arts Council of…

13-Nov-10 Somerset County Council Arts Funding Decision: Full Response



(See Summary Statement or What Next section for

details on next steps)

Conservative led Somerset County Council has voted to cut 100% of the £159,000…