Government has been ‘too slow’ to help the arts during pandemic, say MPs July 23, 2020 The government has been “too slow” to respond to the “existential threat” faced by theatre, live music and other cultural outlets during the coronavirus pandemic, a committee of MPs has said. A wide-ranging report released today by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee found that MPs have “consistently failed to recognise [...]
Southbank Centre to slash 400 jobs as coronavirus hammers the arts July 16, 2020 The Southbank Centre, has confirmed 400 jobs are at risk as it enters into talks with staff in an attempt to reduce losses caused by the coronavirus crisis. The UK’s largest arts complex, situated on the River Thames in Waterloo, said that it will make around two thirds of its staff redundant, after months of [...]
Simon Cowell buys out Sony Music Entertainment from joint venture July 15, 2020 Simon Cowell has bought out Sony Music Entertainment’s stake in their joint talent and production company, handing the TV presenter total control over the company after more than 11 years of partnership. Cowell today announced he has bought Sony’s 75 per cent stake in Syco Entertainment, which owns TV franchises Got Talent and The X [...]
V&A, Science Museum and Natural History Museum to open next month July 14, 2020 London’s V&A, Science Museum and Natural History Museum are set to reopen their doors in August with new social distancing measures after almost five months of closure during the pandemic. The three South Kensington galleries are set to stagger their opening days and introduce mandatory online booking in a bid to reduce pressure on public [...]
Hipgnosis seeks £200m capital raise in new share placing July 2, 2020 Music royalties investment firm Hipgnosis has announced plans to raise £200m in a share placing as the company looks to expand its catalogue portfolio. The London-listed firm said it hopes to raise the cash in a retail offer of up to 200m new C shares, at a price of 100p per share via London fintech [...]
National Gallery, Tate and Royal Academy set dates to reopen June 30, 2020 Major London art galleries are set to reopen next month as England prepares to lift social distancing restrictions after months of lockdown. The National Gallery will be the first major gallery in the capital to reopen on 8 July, while the Royal Academy is set to open its doors on 9 July, and the Tate’s [...]
Government mulls financial support for UK’s ailing theatres June 24, 2020 The UK government is in talks to support the performing arts industry, Downing Street confirmed today, amid growing concerns the sector is nearing collapse as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Number 10 today said it was working with senior figures from the theatre industry on a rescue package, as the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday [...]
Why we need to leave the statues alone June 10, 2020 The statue of slave trader Edward Colston was dramatically pulled from its plinth in Bristol and hurled into the harbour amid raucous, even jubilant, scenes. That a memorial to a trader in human souls would cause offence and anguish is beyond dispute, but its destruction and the manner of its downfall has sparked a debate [...]
HBO pulls Gone With The Wind over ‘racist’ depiction of slave era June 10, 2020 HBO has removed Gone With The Wind from its streaming platform over its “racist” depiction of the American south during slavery. HBO Max, the broadcaster’s streaming service launched last month, announced that it has temporarily dropped the 1939 film. HBO said it would return the film to its platform at an unspecified date with a [...]
Culture in quarantine: Which UK venues have gone virtual during the coronavirus crisis? March 29, 2020 Since Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week ramped up social distancing measures to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, thousands of cultural institutions across the UK have been forced to close their doors. However, as millions of Brits hunker down at home, a range of arts and culture venues have launched new digital initiatives to ensure exhibitions [...]