February 2023
24 February - Backstage workers illegally banned from discussing wages, BECTU warns
Backstage workers have claimed they are being warned not to discuss their wages with colleagues and threatened with disciplinary action if they do, following the introduction of new suggested touring rates by union BECTU.
23 February - If theatre's new-writing ecosystem collapses, TV and film will suffer too
British theatre’s much-admired new-writing ecosystem is beginning to resemble a Jenga tower with several key building blocks missing.
23 February - Bullying bosses, broken boards and a crisis of accountability
Our study on abusive leadership in the arts has uncovered a spectrum of mistreatment: from racial, gender and age discrimination to sexual harassment, class prejudice and sidelining; and from fraud and financial mismanagement to bullying, victimisation and coercion.
23 February - Continent drift: the reality of making theatre in Europe today
In a post-Brexit world in which the pandemic still casts a long shadow, making theatre on Europe’s mainland has taken on a new importance – and difficulty. UK artists staging work in the EU tell The Stage’s international editor Natasha Tripney of the obstacles they have had to overcome
23 February - Creative jobs review calls for better training and best-practice awards
A review of job quality in the creative industries has called for the development of a tiered accreditation programme to recognise employers that achieve good work standards.
23 February - SOLT and UK Theatre launch ‘Thriving Theatres Plan’ at the APPG for Theatre AGM
Developed through member feedback on the sector’s priorities, the plan highlights 5 key priority policy focus areas for theatre, including maintaining the higher rate of Theatre Tax Relief, and is designed to be a ‘living’ and dynamic document, updated as the operating conditions and policy envelope around theatre shift across the year.
22 February - Higher-rate tax relief and 5% VAT among key asks in SOLT/ UK Theatre's pre-Budget 'blueprint'
Maintaining the higher rate of Theatre Tax Relief and reintroducing a 5% VAT rate for live performance are among a series of asks from industry bodies to the government ahead of its March 2023 Budget.
22 February - Diversity data: colour or ethnicity?
Arts Council England (ACE)’s new National Portfolio investment 2023-26 will increase funding to racially diverse-led organisations from 2.4% to 8.4% (£37.67m per annum). If it materialises, this would be a meaningful step towards meeting its own commitment to allocate funding in a racially equitable way, in line with England’s racial diversity (18.3%).
21 February - Edinburgh accommodation crisis worse than ever, attendees warn
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe accommodation crisis is worse than ever this year and threatens the future of the event, producers, artists and attendees have warned.
21 February - Scottish Budget: Creative £7m funding cut restored as Scottish Government U-turns in wake of campaigns
The Scottish Government has U-turned on a 10 per cent funding cut for its national arts agency in the face of fears over thousands of job cuts and following a nationwide campaign that won the backing of more than 15,000 supporters within days.
21 February - RSC's Erica Whyman: It's never been tougher to run a theatre
Royal Shakespeare Company acting artistic director Erica Whyman has warned that leading a theatre has “never been tougher” and that more bosses could step away from running venues.
20 February - If we defund opera saying it is for toffs, then only the toffs will go. Where’s the sense in that?
It is painful to see our top companies starved of funds and strangled by politics, while our best artists head abroad
20 February - Government rejects calls to separate national and local arts funding
The government has opposed a call to separate national and local arts organisations for funding decisions, arguing this would risk “entrenching divisions in the sector”.
16 February - 'Irreversible damage': campaign launched against Creative Scotland budget cut
An emergency campaign has been launched calling on the Scottish government to backtrack on plans to slash Creative Scotland’s funding by more than 10 percent, warning it will cause “irreversible damage”
14 February - West End ticket prices stay at pre-Covid levels
Society of London Theatre’s member venues have seen their nominal revenue increase since 2019, with developing the audience experience highlighted as key opportunity for 2023.
14 February - Oldham Coliseum to close after losing £1.8m arts subsidy
One of Britain’s oldest theatres, the Oldham Coliseum, has said it will be forced to close after losing its Arts Council England (ACE) funding.
The 138-year-old theatre, which helped launch the careers of some of Britain’s best-loved actors, said it could not survive without a £1.8m subsidy over the next three years.
13 February - Arts Council England's funding decisions seem to be a mysterious lottery
There are increasing mumblings in the theatre community about Arts Council England’s recently announced round of national portfolio funding feeling like a version of The Hunger Games in which not everyone was party to the rules.
13 February - When leaders walk, industry knowledge walks out with them
Vicky Featherstone’s exit from London’s Royal Court is the latest in a line of leadership departures. Senior leaders leaving is a significant loss to the sector – not only because we lose their skills, but because of the learnings the industry could reap, but rarely does.
13 February - 'Respect campaign' proposed to curb bad audience behaviour
Theatre bosses are mooting the idea of a joint ‘respect campaign’ with other sectors aimed at improving behaviour among theatregoers.
Speaking at the Night Time Economy Summit about events and theatre, SOLT/UK Theatre joint chief executive Hannah Essex discussed ideas to help curb audience behavioural issues, following concerns raised by members about the problem.
10 February - Regional theatres are on their knees – support your local one
Covid cut off the communal experience of live performance and venues have taken a battering. Let’s return and reconnect
09 February - Who will fill the arts’ leadership vacuum?
Revolving doors are spinning so fast that you could be forgiven for feeling dizzy.
An overhaul at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – sorry, scrap the digital – has given us the umpteenth culture secretary in umpteen years. It’s now beyond worth counting.
09 February - How to inspire a new generation of backstage workers
Last week’s The Stage Awards celebrated talent across many areas of theatre – from front-of-house staff to performers, community engagement teams to producers. It is a reminder of the many individuals who are essential to ensuring productions go on nightly and that theatre organisations run successfully.
08 February - Chichester Festival Theatre appoints 'first of its kind' creative therapist
Chichester Festival Theatre has appointed a permanent ‘creative therapist’ to provide well-being programmes to staff and creatives, in what it claims is the first role of its kind in a UK theatre.
07 February - DCMS overhaul: new culture secretary appointed as digital remit dropped
Prime minister Rishi Sunak has dismantled the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with Lucy Frazer appointed new culture secretary as part of the overhaul.
The reshuffle means digital will no longer be part of the department, with the department – now just the Department for Culture, Media and Sport – “refocused” to “recognise the importance of these industries to our economy and build on the UK’s position as a global leader in the creative arts”.
07 February - Frazer becomes Culture Secretary amid DCMS break-up
MP for South East Cambridgeshire to become sixth Culture Secretary in the last five years as Sunak breaks up Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
06 February - Theatres Trust reveals 2023 "Theatres at Risk" register
The Theatres Trust has unveiled its 2023 “Theatres at Risk” register.
The Trust, which oversees the longevity and welfare of venues up and down the country, has happily revealed that three locations have been successfully removed from the register this year
05 February - ‘Theatres under threat like never before’, Labour warns
Theatres are “under threat like never before” with many facing permanent closure, Labour has warned.
The caution follows news that Oldham Coliseum is going dark from the end of March, with programming cancelled and no indication of when it will reopen its doors.
03 February - The Guardian view on theatres in crisis: a moment to take stock
By cancelling all its shows from March, the Oldham Coliseum has thrown down a challenge to both central and local government
03 February - Charlie Brooks: New pathways into acting sector needed
Actor Charlie Brooks has claimed that new “pathways” into the world of acting need to be created to combat barriers preventing aspiring actors entering the industry.
03 February - Losing Oldham Coliseum a dreadful blow, town's residents say
The loss of Oldham Coliseum, which cancelled all its upcoming shows after its funding was cut, is a “dreadful blow”, the town’s residents have said.
The theatre, which has a 138-year history, announced on Wednesday it had axed its programme beyond March as it had lost Arts Council England funding.
03 February - Oldham Coliseum boss: 'I fear this may be the end for this historic theatre'
Oldham Coliseum artistic director Chris Lawson has warned that the venue may never open its doors again, after announcing plans to go dark from March following its 100% Arts Council England cut.
02 February - Freelancers need more flexible, affordable workspaces – Culture Commons report
More long-term flexible and affordable workspace is needed to ensure arts freelancers can thrive, according to a new report.
01 February - Operagate: has ACE no shame?
Given the ongoing debacle surrounding Arts Council England’s cuts to key national portfolio organisations in the wildly theatrical world of opera, I’d have forgiven anyone observing the fallout for grabbing the standard ‘–gate’ suffix and coining it “Operagate”. Mercifully, no one has, because, unlike Watergate, this scandal is not of the art form’s making. The mess is solely that of the (de)funding body.