November 2022
30 Nov - Low-cost counselling for arts workers to launch in January
A low-cost counselling service is to be launched early next year for individuals who work in the arts.
Mental health support organisation Wellbeing in the Arts is behind the initiative, which will provide sessions from £15 per hour.
29 Nov - ACE called before parliamentary committee to explain funding cuts
Arts Council England boss Darren Henley has been called to appear before a parliamentary committee this month to explain the context behind recent funding decisions.
28 Nov - Two thirds of disabled workers lack confidence to progress careers – report
Two thirds of disabled workers in the creative industries do not feel they have the confidence to progress in their careers, according to a new report into the barriers faced by those who identify as disabled.
24 Nov - West End producers accused of paying no more than union minimums
Producers are paying West End performers and stage managers at or just above union minimums – with Equity members taking home on average “little above” £700 a week gross, the union has claimed.
24 Nov - Ballet star attacks England arts funding decision
One of the ballet world’s biggest stars says transferring arts funding out of London is “punishing” the capital and will not help anybody.
23 Nov - ‘Don’t level up or down - remove barriers’
A new cultural advocacy programme from Queen Mary University of London is making the case for change in cultural sector policymaking.
23 Nov - Wednesday briefing: Inside Arts Council England’s devastating cuts
In today’s newsletter: As enraged arts workers protest, we explore what the new world might look like for our cultural institutions – and why even opera haters should care about the fate of English National Opera
22 Nov -As the government rounds on the arts, we must not let it divide and conquer
I’ve been reflecting on Arts Council England’s recent National Portfolio Organisation funding announcement. A prophecy has come to pass; a plan has been enacted that we in the arts sector saw coming for some time. Or did we?
22 Nov - Arts funding cuts ‘cultural vandalism’, says Juliet Stevenson, at DCMS protest
Actor joins demonstration over plans to slash £50m from arts bodies in London as part of levelling-up agenda
21 Nov - Arts sector unites in criticism of Autumn Statement
Arts professionals lament a missed opportunity as they are left disappointed by a lack of targeted support for the creative industries in last week’s Autumn Statement.
18 Nov - The Guardian view on levelling up in the arts: a tricky balancing act
A bold attempt to reframe England’s cultural life might be laudable but it comes at a price
18 Nov - ‘It’s undoubtedly going to have a big impact’: inside three Arts Council funding cases
In our final set of case studies exploring the impact of Arts Council England’s new funding round, we speak to Ballet Black, Disability Arts Online and Camden Art Centre
17 Nov - Autumn budget 'a missed opportunity to support the creative sector'
Industry bodies have criticised the government’s Autumn Statement as a “missed opportunity” to support the UK’s creative sector.
17 Nov - What does the Autumn Statement mean for the arts?
The sector must wait for an update on the government’s energy support pacakage and be wary of a decline in household disposable income.
17 Nov - Cost-of-living crisis: the harsh reality of the perfect storm facing theatre
With some audiences still slow to return after the pandemic, the cost of making theatre and running buildings spiralling, and funding and investment increasingly hard to come by, the industry is facing yet more tough days ahead. Theatre professionals from across the sector tell Fergus Morgan what the crisis means for them and how they are coping
17 Nov - ‘An acutely difficult time’: companies respond to Arts Council funding decisions
In our third set of case studies exploring the impact of Arts Council England’s new funding round, we hear from Eclipse in Leeds, Oldham Coliseum and Hexham’s Bloodaxe Books
16 Nov - ACE boss: Money taken from London not a cut – the new portfolio is balanced
Arts Council England chief executive Darren Henley has stood by cuts made in the latest funding round, claiming the new portfolio is “balanced”.
16 Nov - Germany to launch culture pass for young adults
The German government is introducing cultural vouchers for young people early next year.
A pilot of the KulturPass, expected to cost the German government €100m, will see everyone who turns 18 in Germany next year receive a €200 voucher to spend on culture.
15 Nov - Miranda Cromwell: NPO cuts will lead to decrease in new writing
Cuts to theatres that support new writing in the latest Arts Council England funding round are “short-sighted” and will lead to more risk-averse programming across the industry, Olivier award-winning director Miranda Cromwell has warned.
15 Nov - Cuts to funding will decimate English National Opera. This is a howling mistake
The arguments given by Arts Council England ignore all the good work we do to bring opera to everyone – it should think again
14 Nov - Should theatre be more upfront about the real cost of making work?
At the start of the month, Arts Council England confirmed the 950 national portfolio organisations that will receive regular funding over the next three years, leaving almost as many disappointed in their aspirations to be part of the portfolio. But will NPO funding be enough to ensure the survival and prosperity of those who have secured investment?
14 Nov - Arts Council chief: to survive funding slash, opera should move to car parks and pubs
Darren Henley said decision to push ENO to leave London will force it to embrace positive changes
14 Nov - 'Brutal environment' driving musicians out of the sector, survey warns
Almost half of musicians fear they will have to leave the industry due to the cost-of-living crisis and the impact of other issues such as Brexit, a survey warns.
11 Nov - Slashing English National Opera’s funding is cultural vandalism
We should welcome more funding and greater access to the arts across the country, but not at any price
11 Nov - Government should overhaul arts funding – report
Arts funding should be overhauled into a new model that categorises world-class national institutions separately from local organisations, a new report from a government committee has recommended.
11 Nov - ACE hands audience data contract to consultancy firm PwC
Arts Council England drops arts and culture research specialists The Audience Agency from sector support role, handing new contract for data insights to global consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
11 Nov - Industry must not ignore Covid's ongoing impact on mental health, advocates warn
Mental health advocates including actor Denise Welch have warned that the industry must not ignore the continued impact of the pandemic on well-being, with calls for theatre companies to introduce check-ins for workers who have been off work with Covid.
10 Nov - NPO decisions damage opera and new writing
The damage inflicted on the London arts scene from this funding round is profound and shortsighted, but it was also inevitable as soon as former culture secretary Nadine Dorries insisted that the Arts Council reduce support in London by more than £70 million.
10 Nov - Arts Council funding: organisations head into the unknown amid cuts
In the first of a series of case studies exploring the impact of Arts Council England’s new funding decisions, we consider the view from the Watermill theatre, Welsh National Opera and Paines Plough
10 Nov - ENO secures emergency talks with culture secretary to secure future
English National Opera boss Stuart Murphy has secured an emergency meeting with culture secretary Michelle Donelan, in which he will call for the company’s funding and London base to be retained.
08 Nov - NPO decisions: ENO 'baffled and shocked' by funding cut
Arts Council England’s plans to cut English National Opera funding and move organisation out of London have been described as ‘an absolute travesty’ by its chief executive, as petition to reverse the decision launches.
08 Nov - NPO decisions: Changes in regional funding distribution
The North of England and Midlands see notable increases, while London retains the largest share of the funding pot despite cuts.
07 Nov - Scottish theatres in limbo as funding package delayed
A planned shake-up of public funding for the arts in Scotland has been delayed, Creative Scotland has announced, amid ongoing fears for the future of the country’s theatre and live performance industry.
07 Nov - NPO decisions: ACE promises 'flexible' funding terms
As contractual negotiations over National Portfolio funding deals begin, Arts Council England suggests organisations may be required to do less for the money in light of cost-of-living pressures.
07 Nov - Employers encouraged to carry out stress risk assessment for backstage workers
Employers are being encouraged to risk-assess stress for backstage workers, with the launch of guidance released by the Association of British Theatre Technicians.
07 Nov - Sarah Crompton: The dust has settled after the Arts Council's announcement – but my fury remains
The dust has settled after the Arts Council’s brutal redistribution of its national portfolio funding – but my fury remains. There’s so much to be angry about in the aftermath of Friday’s announcement, it’s hard to know where to start.
07 Nov - Arts leaders join advocacy group to lobby government
Arts Council England representatives, Equity general secretary Paul W Fleming, BECTU head Philippa Childs and Musician’ Union boss Naomi Pohl have joined an advocacy board to make the case for the arts to the government.
04 Nov - Fears for London theatre workforce after 'devastating' cuts
Arts Council England’s national portfolio organisation funding announcement has been described as “devastating” for London’s creative workforce by union BECTU, which has called for an urgent summit with impacted venues and the mayor of London.
04 Nov - English National Opera to leave London as arts funding gets levelled up
The English National Opera is to move its headquarters outside London and have a drastic budget cut as part of a major shake-up of English arts funding.
The prestigious company will lose its £12.6m core annual grant from Arts Council England, instead getting £17m over three years as part of a plan to relocate, possibly to Manchester.
04 Nov - Theatres cut from portfolio face tough decisions – SOLT and UK Theatre
Organisations that were not offered NPO funding will be forced to make tough decisions in the “gruelling” winter ahead, the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre have warned.
04 Nov - The Gate Theatre responds to 'devastating' 100% cut
The Gate Theatre has labelled its 100% funding cut “devastating” for a venue that has “amplified otherwise unheard voices” for more than 40 years.
04 Nov - Sector responds to ACE’s new national portfolio
Arts Council England’s new national portfolio brings both relief and disappointment. Here’s a taste of the sector’s online reaction to the decisions.
04 Nov - Opera emerges as biggest loser in ACE funding round
Opera has emerged as the art form to suffer the heaviest cuts in the latest national portfolio funding round.
04 Nov - English National Opera will leave London after a massive funding shake-up
The Donmar Warehouse and Hampstead Theatre have also lost all their government funding as a result of ‘levelling up’
04 Nov - NPO decisions: Enlarged portfolio shifts funding away from London
A total of 276 new organisations have been added to Arts Council England’s National Portfolio for 2023-26, with increased funding outside London and higher investment in Black, Asian and Ethnically diverse-led organisations.
04 Nov - Sir Nicholas Serota: We are spreading Arts Council funding across the country
“Over recent years we have been rebalancing our investment to make sure that everyone, whichever corner of England they live in, has better access to great creative and cultural experiences.:
04 Nov - Donmar Warehouse and more lose NPO status
Donmar Warehouse is amongst those venues that have lost NPO status this year for the coming round of Arts Council funding.
04 Nov - Donmar describes NPO cut as 'self-defeating and damaging' to theatre ecology
London’s Donmar Warehouse has criticised the Arts Council’s decision to cut the organisation from its national portfolio as “self-defeating and damaging to the theatre ecology”.
04 Nov - Arts Council England announces funding plans for 2023-26
A number of venues have either gained or lost National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) status
04 Nov - Breaking news: NPO funding decisions 2023-26
The Stage will be updating this page with all the latest updates about Arts Council England’s NPO funding round for 2023-26, as it occurs…
04 Nov - £950k scheme aims to get under-represented young people into creative industries
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has launched a £950,000 careers programme aimed at giving young people from under-represented backgrounds opportunities in the creative industries.
03 Nov - Creatives need more support on housing and employment – report
A review of housing and work space provisions for creative practitioners is needed to support the future of the sector, a report has recommended.
02 Nov - MPs urge new Arts Council England funding system
Inquiry into ‘levelling up’ culture recommends changes to current funding system and calls for government to provide targeted support for organisations facing the ‘existential threat’ of the cost-of-living crisis.
02 Nov - Working through pain: our ‘show must go on’ mentality is damaging
Earlier this year, actor Kate Malyon discovered she needed life-altering spinal surgery. She says many actors are suffering from chronic pain and working practices are making us unwell – we need to work differently to avoid potential injury