June 2023
30 June - Theatre freelancers "undervalued, underpaid and under-appreciated"
The Freelancers Make Theatre Work 2023 survey of self-employed industry professionals paints a stark picture for much of its freelance talent.
28 June -Art technicians survey hopes to address low pay
Art technicians in the UK are being asked to take part in a survey as part of union plans to establish recommended rates of pay.
28 June - Theatre is slipping back into bad habits
One of the very few positives to come out of the pandemic for theatre was its unifying force.
28 June - 'Burnout and depression': stage managers warn of mental health crisis
Stage managers have warned that tight budgets, skills shortages and burnout are fuelling a mental health crisis, amid claims the working climate is the “toughest” it has ever been.
27 June - Creative Scotland reopens fund for theatre and dance touring
New funding is available for Scotland-based artists, producers and venues planning to tour live theatre and dance work in 2024.
27 June - Frazer seeks theatre 'power shift' from US to UK
Culture Secretary says mix of theatre in London is ‘stronger than ever’ and wants Creative Industries Sector Vision to spark a shift in the balance of power from Broadway to the West End.
26 June - Welsh National Opera future 'imperilled' by ACE cut, arts leaders warn
Former artistic directors, managers and board members of Welsh National Opera are among the signatories of a letter that warns the organisation’s future is under threat because of Art Council England’s 35% cut.
26 June - Culture Secretary speech at Society of London Theatre’s summit
Speaking to the Society of London Theatre, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has set out her ambition to shift the balance of power in the theatre world from Broadway in New York to London’s West End.
26 June - Why is it still okay for theatre to treat its freelancers so shabbily?
How can it be that freelancers are reporting that the past year has been worse than the lockdowns – when many got little or no support – and that they feel weary, worried and “under siege”?
23 June - Freelance Workers at Breaking Point
This week, following Equity’s recent exploration of the woes of workers in the cultural sector, two hefty new reports seek to highlight those difficulties.
22 June - New theatre freelancers survey highlights ‘underpaid and overworked’ status of the industry
The survey also adresses the lasting impacts of Brexit and the pandemic, as well as the gender pay-gap
22 June - Freelance theatre workforce ‘under siege’
Study finds freelance workers in theatre are underpaid and facing financial uncertainity across all career stages and regions, with some forced to live hand-to-mouth and considering careers outside the sector.
22 June - 'Undervalued and underpaid': Freelancers survey indicates gender pay gap of 37%
A 37% gender pay gap among theatre freelancers has been exposed in a new survey of the workforce that warns theatremakers are feeling “undervalued, underpaid and underappreciated”.
22 June - Undervalued, Underpaid and Underappreciated – Report Paints Bleak Picture of U.K. Theater Freelance Sector Under Siege
A comprehensive report published by Freelancers Make Theatre Work (FMTW) sheds light on critical challenges faced by the freelance theater workforce in the U.K.
21 June - Royal Conservatoire of Scotland closes contemporary performance course
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) has closed one of its courses to new students just months before they were due to start.
RCS said it closed its BA (hons) in Contemporary Performance Making Programme due to the lead curator of the course indicating they would be leaving RCS in the next academic year.
21 June - Culture funding for London 'insufficient' – report
London mayor Sadiq Khan has warned the capital’s creative industries are facing “unsustainable gaps in funding” due to a lack of government support.
19 June - Cameron Mackintosh launches technical apprenticeships at 13 UK venues
Cameron Mackintosh is backing a scheme aimed at introducing young people into the industry through technical apprenticeships at 13 venues around the UK.
The Mackintosh Foundation is funding the Regional Theatre Technical Apprenticeship Programme, which aims to address an industry-wide shortage of theatre technicians and theatremaking practitioners.
19 June - SOLT/UK Theatre: 'greater alignment' planned following strategic review
Industry bodies the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre will have much “greater alignment” in the future, following a strategic review carried out by joint chief executives Claire Walker and Hannah Essex.
16 June - National partners with London venues for 'game-changing' production centre
The National Theatre is partnering with London venues the Young Vic, Royal Court and the Kiln to develop a new central London production site that will allow them to share costumes, props and scenery, as part of a “large-scale” initiative to make the industry more sustainable.
16 June - Job and funding boost outlined in government's vision for creative industries
An ambition to grow the UK’s creative industries by £50 billion and create an extra one million jobs by 2023 has been set out in a new vision published by the government.
15 June - Creative sector blueprint pledges support for young people
The Creative Industries Sector Vision pledges to provide equal access to a creative education, promote creative career pathways and invest in creative skills and training.
13 June - Tamasha to diversify dramaturgy with three-year programme
A three-year programme to diversify dramaturgy has been launched by theatre company Tamasha, and will take place in partnership with organisations around the UK.
12 June - Managed decline: is this the fate facing mid-scale theatre?
What to do with a million people, living in an area of rich cultural and heritage, whose existence is seriously threatened by societal and economic change?
9 June - Volunteers use at arts festivals 'immoral and unsafe', BECTU warns
Performing arts festivals in the UK are using volunteers in an “immoral and unsafe” way, according to creative industries union BECTU
8 June - Frazer tells music industry to support grassroots venues
Government is supporting efforts by grassroots music venues to secure “trickle down” financial assistance from firms staging big concerts, but has no intention of intervening to ensure it happens, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has said.
5 June - 'Landmark' guides launched to stamp out sexual harassment in theatre
Individuals and organisations will be supported to tackle “long outdated behaviours and attitudes” through two new guides aimed at stamping out sexual harassment in the workplace.
5 June - It is time to make more noise, more usefully, to support freelance creatives
Many of the artists involved in making all kinds of theatre work are so poorly paid that it impacts their own health and wellbeing.
5 June - Universal basic income: Plans drawn up for £1,600 a month trial in England
Thirty people could be paid £1,600 a month without any obligation under proposals for the first trial of a universal basic income in England.
5 June - Theatre’s recovery is dependent on more than one-off, exceptional events
In a recent ‘how is theatre going to survive’ conversation, a wise collaborator was reflecting on the post pandemic need to make an ‘event’ out of going to the theatre.