Posts filed under ‘Weekly Email February 2009’
Weekly email 12th February 2009
We’d like to wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day.
Obviously, it goes without saying that we love you all, and, if we could afford
it, we would send you all a lovely bunch of red roses.
Here is this week’s news:
Arts
and Heritage
Big
Lottery Favours Labour Areas
The Sunday
Telegraph has
reported that the Big Lottery Fund puts most of its money into Labour
constituencies, more HERE.
We are committed to making the National Lottery independent, which will see
more money for the arts, heritage, charities and sport, and the demise of, er,
the Big Lottery Fund.
Libraries:
Wirral Library Cuts
The closure
of eleven libraries on the Wirral was confirmed on Monday HERE.
Jeremy and
Ed visited the Wirral on Friday last HERE
and Ed visited Hoylake library HERE, but that did not help change the
council’s mind.
Libraries
commentator Alan Gibbons said ‘This is a very grim day for everyone who lives on the Wirral
but also everyone who believes in the power of books to excite, nurture,
nourish and inspire. The decision of the councillors who voted to push through
the closure of eleven libraries in the face of huge popular protest amounts to
nothing other than a calculated act of cultural vandalism…. Several Lib Dem
councillors broke ranks. Sadly, not one Labour councillor had the decency to do
the same…It is galling for them to see Labour councillors forcing through
policies which will impact negatively on the right to read.’ More on this HERE
We think
this is a terrible decision, and have called for Andy Burnham to use his powers
under the Libraries Act to call in the decision. Unfortunately, he is stalling HERE.
Given the
downturn, libraries are needed now more than ever. Cumbria County Council, for
example, is reporting a big jump in library membership HERE and
libraries are a great place to visit if you are made redundant, says The
Times HERE
and The Guardian HERE.
We are
enjoying the Michael Rosen documentary, which shows how you can enthuse kids to
read more, as are others HERE.
US
Senate Cuts Arts Out of Obama Stimulus Plan
$50 million
(which isn’t a lot) for the National Endowment for the Arts has been voted out
of Obama’s $800 billion (give or take) economic stimulus package HERE
The Chicago
Tribune comments on
the issue HERE
as do many blogs, such as this one HERE.
We find
this decision massively worrying, and note that both Democrats and Republicans
voted against the money. It shows how easy it is for politicians to
characterise the arts as frivolous luxuries. With budget cuts potentially
looming (see Andy Burnham’s warnings covered in this e-mail a fortnight ago) it
is vital that the case is made for the arts. This is something we will do, but
we would urge all our readers to invite their local MP in to see what they do,
if they have not already done so. Sorry if that sounds like “sucking eggs”, but
we wanted to make the point.
Heritage:
Slough Town Hall
Sign the
petition on Number 10’s website to save Slough Town Hall, which the local
Labour council wants to demolish, HERE. More on this HERE.
A Night
Less Ordinary – “free” theatre launches
The DCMS /
ACE £2.5 million initiative for free theatre tickets has launched open to
anyone under the age of 26 HERE.
We think
the aim of widening theatre audiences is an admirable one, but question whether
this is the most effective way of doing it. We
were therefore particularly irritated by this post HERE
by Andy Burnham on the initiative.
A
few points – he did not support free museums when Chris Smith first proposed
it, and nor did Gordon Brown; this initiative doesn’t say much about the arms
length principle, given the partisan nature in which Burnham is promoting it
(and try and find a mention of the Arts Council in the post); he doesn’t say
how much it will cost individual theatres; and he doesn’t know the difference
between “principal” and “principle” (you can tell we’re annoyed, can’t you?).
Pink
Elephant goes bust
The company
responsible for running the problematic The Public has gone into
administration, with all 32 staff members being made redundant. More HERE. Ed has called for an inquiry into this debacle by
the National Audit Office.
NMDC
Newsletter
If you
can’t get enough of the online newsletter action, the National Museums
Directors Conference’s monthly is available HERE.
Interesting
pieces from across the pond
Huffington
Post on Why is congress attacking the arts? HERE.
The arts deserve a place in Obama’s economic stimulus package, HERE.
Plans to offer nationwide mentoring and support to other arts groups at the
Kennedy Center HERE.
Free content models don’t make economic sense says TIME magazine HERE.
Creative
Industries
Awards
Season: BAFTAs & Grammys
Film Four’s
Slumdog Millionaire swept the board at the BAFTAs winning seven awards. British talent did
well taking the majority of awards on the night, including a best actress win
for Kate Winslet, more HERE
Brits also did amazingly well at the Grammys with Robert Plant winning five for
his collaboration with Alison Kraus and wins for Coldplay, Radiohead, Duffy and
Adele, more HERE.
While we’re on the subject, congratulation to the three films, Sally Potter’s Rage, Dominic Murphy’s White
Lightnin’ and
Alexis Dos Santos’ Unmade Beds, backed by the UK Film Council that have been selected for
the Berlin Film Festival. More HERE.
Government
lets down UK Video Games Industry
Having
spent months pretending that its referral of Canada to the World Trade
Organisation would help the UK video games industry, the Government has been
forced by Ed to admit this was a red herring all along. The games developers’
association TIGA has said the Government now “stands naked” before the industry
(a disturbing image – you can tell they’re annoyed, can’t you?) HERE
and Ed has commented on it HERE. More HERE
and HERE.
Media
Standards
A new
report from independent charity the Media Standards Trust HERE
suggests that press self regulation overseen by the Press Complaints Commission
is not working in its current form. The PCC disagree. More HERE.
Our view is that a free, robust and accurate media is essential for a health
democracy.
NAO
Report into BBC radio
The
National Audit Office has published a report on BBC Radio HERE
Among other things, the report found a wide variety in costs for each of
the stations, and did not feel that the BBC was maximising value for money. The
report was hampered by the BBC’s refusal to disclose its salaries, something
which it will have to do under the next Conservative government.
BBC
Trust Review of Children’s services
The BBC
Trust published a review of children’s services provided by the BBC this week.
We welcome this report and its findings, namely that the BBC must remain a
cornerstone of quality in UK-produced children’s content especially as other
PSBs reduce their investment, that the current service is performing well, that
viewing figures have fallen following scheduling changes and to remedy this,
and highlighted some key risks including the planned relocation to Salford and
budgetary pressures. Finally the Trust asks the Executive to be clearer about
its objective for children’s services and consider whether the budget is
appropriate to meet them. More HERE.
Jeremy has blogged about it HERE.
In
Parliament
Heritage
Six Listed
buildings will be lost to make way for the third runway at Heathrow. HERE
The DCMS
has recently submitted four State of Conservation reports to UNESCO, in
relation to Stonehenge, Edinburgh Old and New Towns, Bath and Heart of
Neolithic Orkney. HERE
Museums
and Galleries
In 2007
just 17% of 11-15 year olds visited a gallery or museum. HERE
The
Portable Antiquities Scheme will receive £2.7 million between now and 2011. HERE
Culture
The Find
Your Talent cultural education pilot project will cost £20.4 million. HERE
There are
15 specialist music schools in England, compared with 345 sports schools. HERE
30% of
local authorities choose not to supplement the funding they receive from
government for music educational services. HERE
8.4% of
5-14 year olds are learning to play a musical instrument. HERE
8.2% of
children take a GCSE in music. HERE
The Legacy
Trust UK, the body set up to distribute money for cultural and sporting
activities to celebrate London 2012, has so far awarded £22.4 million in
grants. HERE
Creative
Industries
The Digital
Britain review has commissioned three pieces of new research at a cost of
£21.350. HERE
The BBC
believes that revealing details of the TV Licensing authority’s spending on PR
would ‘prejudice the commercial interests of parties within, and connected to,
this arrangement, as well as the BBC itself’. HERE
The
government has no plans to introduce free television licences for poor
families. HERE
Andy
Burnham will announce which private sector organisations are to become
‘strategic partners’ of c&binet ‘in due course’. HERE
DCMS
The DCMS
paid out £268,250 in performance bonuses to senior civil servants last year,
working out at and average of £10,317 each. HERE
The DCMS
spent £217,448 maintaining databases in 2007/8. HERE
EDMs
Advertising
and Google HERE
Ofsted
report on music education HERE
20th
anniversary of Sky News HERE
BBC,
abortion and euthanasia HERE
The BAFTAs HERE
Slumdog
Millionaire HERE
Where
we’ve been and who we’ve seen
Gateway
Theatre, Chester; Liverpool Central Library; Hoylake Library;
Save Britain’s Heritage, Creative &
Cultural Skills, reform lunch to discuss competition in the media with Ben
Fenton from the FT, National Museum Directors Conference, Charlotte Higgins,
Imperial War Museum, Music Producers Guild Awards, the BAFTAs, Strictly Come
Dancing Live, and the British Library.
Ed
Vaizey
Shadow Arts
Minister
Jeremy
Hunt
Shadow
Culture Secretary
Weekly email 5th February 2009
Here is this week’s news, we hope you survived the snow:
Arts and Heritage
Arts Council England
Outgoing Arts Council Chairman Sir Christopher Frayling delivered his valedictory lecture last week, in typical barnstorming fashion. He defended the arms length principle and the role of public subsidy, as well as the Arts Council itself, which he sees as getting an unfair press. Read the speech HERE.
The most amusing part of the speech for us was when Sir Christopher attacked Sir John Tusa’s arts taskforce proposal to fund the big five directly from Government rather than through the Arts Council. This is a bad idea, according to Sir Christopher, because it means “subsidy implemented by …career civil servants in Whitehall rather than by people who are passionate about he arts”. Presumably this means the career civil servants who currently implement the subsidy for all our national museums. Or is it, um, the career civil servant who has just become chief executive of the Arts Council, Alan Davey?
We’ve got an open mind on this issue and as always are interested to hear your thoughts.
Titians Saved
In a deeply understated paragraph, the National Galleries of Scotland have announced the saving of Titian’s Diana and Actaeon HERE and HERE. Read the news in The Guardian HERE. We are, of course, delighted, and note that the public stumped up more than £7 million. Ian Davidson, the Labour MP, is deeply opposed to the move, saying he could understand it if the artist was McTitian. This could be a bad career move – Gordon Brown compared himself to Titian last week HERE.
Music in Schools
Ofsted has issued a report which casts doubt on the effectiveness of music education in schools HERE. The key finding of the report is that “The main weakness in both primary and secondary schools was that, despite their enthusiasm, students did not always make as much progress in music as they should have done. This was largely a result of teachers’ lack of understanding of what constitutes musical progress, inconsistent opportunities within and across schools and weak assessment. Inspectors also found that many music teachers were professionally isolated. They lacked professional development, opportunities to discuss music, and support to develop their teaching”. We agree, and will be publishing our thoughts on music education shortly.
Debate Starts on a Museum of British History
Some time ago, former Tory Cabinet Minister Kenneth Baker proposed a museum of British history in the centre of London, which all school children could visit. The Prime Minister has endorsed the idea. The Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has come up with an alternative proposal, recommending a federated organisation that could draw on the collections in museums, libraries, archives and heritage sites across the UK to capture the story of Britain. The proposed centre would co-ordinate research and scholarship, plan thematic programmes, and schedule shows and events in places across the country. There are views for, HERE and against HERE.
Darwin’s Home to become World Heritage Site
Despite its ambivalent attitude to World Heritage Sites, the Government is seeking to turn Darwin’s home and laboratory in Bromley into one HERE. Presumably it will get WH status and then the Government will allow a skyscraper to be built next door.
The MLA are recruiting new board members
The first two board member vacancies are now on the DCMS website HERE. Roy Clare says he is happy to respond to queries from potential applicants.
Recession arts: it’s all go
London Arts is recession proof suggests Toby Young. Marvellous HERE. The theatre is just the thing in a recession, says Paul Vallely, like, er , baked beans HERE. In Paris, too there is a recessionary boom in demand for cultural activities which sees a Picasso exhibition which is causing even the French to queue. Insert your own French pun or read more HERE.
Creative Industries
We were deeply disappointed by the Competition Commission’s decision to block Kangaroo, the joint venture between the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 which would have allowed viewers to watch their programmes on-line. The full decision is HERE.
Jeremy said the following: “This seems to be a bizarre decision which fails to recognise the enormous competition provided by imported TV programmes. In order to survive in a much more competitive climate, British broadcasters need to develop new business models. The last thing they need is regulators stepping in and stopping what would have been both a popular service for consumers and an effective way of bolstering British made content.”
Video Games
In a written statement, the Government has at last made clear that its threat to refer Canada to the WTO for its support for the video games industry has been nothing more than a red herring HERE. We now urge the Government to come up with clear proposals to support our successful video games industry which, through no fault of its own, is slipping down the league table.
Find Any Film
The UK Film Council has launched a new website HERE. In a matter of seconds, consumers will be able to find out when, where and how a film is available to watch in the UK – legally and across all formats and platforms – cinema, TV, DVD & Blu-ray sale or rental, download and streaming. As well as being hugely beneficial to consumers, the site is a major tool for the film industry in the battle against piracy as it’s a one-stop-shop for legal purchases.
Interesting Pieces from Across the Pond
The Oscars revamp and TV advertising during the ceremony is, er, cheaper, down $1.7 million to $1.4 million per thirty seconds more HERE. On the other hand, it was an ad bonanza at the Super Bowl with record revenues for $261 million for NBC, at all time high in prices of up to $3 million per 30 seconds. NBC benefited from agreeing many deals before financial meltdown hit last autumn. more HERE and HERE. And finally, a suggestion that America drama could take a cue from British TV, more HERE.
In Parliament
Next Generation Broadband could create 600,000 additional jobs and add £18 billion to the national economy. HERE
The Digital Britain review has so far cost the taxpayer £195,315. HERE
97% of households in the Tyne Tees region have taken up digital TV. In the Central region, 1 in 5 has not. HERE
More than a quarter of households in the West Country do not have access to all digital channels. In the Border region 47% have limited access. HERE
The government has no single definition of what constitutes a ‘comprehensive and efficient’ library service despite the Secretary of State being responsible for making sure that local authorities maintain such standards under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. HERE
The Arts Council’s property in Dewsbury was worth £600,000 in 2005. HERE
The South Bank Centre has received £94.5 million in Exchequer funding over the last five years. HERE
EDMs
Safety of children online. HERE
Where we’ve been and who we’ve seen
BT Vision; Five; Godfrey Barker; Mark Thompson; Heritage of London Trust; Julia Hobsbawm; Sarah Selwood; Regional Screen Agencies; National Museums, Liverpool; Kids in Museums Manifesto launch, Maidstone Museum and Guardian Public Services Summit.
Culture Politics BETA 