Arts Council fund struggling to plug the holes

Alan_DaveyIt is worrying to hear Alan Davey, chief executive of the Arts Council England, talking so pessimistically. The arts, he argues, may be in “grave danger”.

In an interview with the Times, Davey suggests the money may be running out. The Arts Council’s £40m Sustain Fund is all but spent, leaving thousands of arts organisations at the mercy of the downturn.

So far £17million has been allocated to 52 organisations, including the Royal Opera House (pictured) (£700,00), the London Symphony Orchestra (£600,00) and the Almeida theatre (£175,000).

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Peter Barrett | Monday, 2nd November, 2009 at 3:49 pm | Blog | No comment


Podcast from the Cambridge Festival of Ideas: a creative call to arms

cambridge_universityNDotM is glad to note that the Guardian is running a series of podcasts from the Cambridge Festival of Ideas. The most recent podcast, a 30-minute panel seminar discussion entitled ’An age of austerity for the arts?‘, is of particular interest. It’s a rallying call for Britain’s creative industries.

The panel comprises Peter Florence, director of the Hay festival; Gill Bloomfield, of Arts and Business (formerly the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts); Sue Hoyle, director of the Clore Leadership Programme; and Professor Shearer West, of the Arts and Humanities Research Council. (more…)

Peter Barrett | Monday, 26th October, 2009 at 12:45 am | Blog | No comment


Britain's digital and gaming creativity

xbox360

Professor Elaine Thomas, vice-chancellor of the University of the Creative Arts, writes in the Guardian that Britain needs a more creative approach to economic recovery. She’s clearly thinking along NDotM lines.

Britain has just experienced its sixth successive quarter of negative economic growth and the Government is about commence a firesale of national assets in order to balance the books.

NDotM has long called for greater investment (and job creation) in all the creative industries as a means of driving economic growth.

(more…)

Peter Barrett | Tuesday, 20th October, 2009 at 11:43 am | Blog | No comment


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