NewsFunding
British Council—the UK's international organisation for cultural relations—winds down in 20 countries
Covid impact on commercial income has led to cost cutting, organisation says
NewsArt education
After UK government slashes arts education funding it is now offering £10m extra cash—for a lucky few institutions
A select group of 16 specialist colleges, including the Royal College of Art and the Courtauld Institute of Art, have been given a lifeline
NewsUK politics
UK’s controversial new police bill poses major threat to the art world
Proposed legislation aimed at cracking down on unruly protests may criminalise protest art
NewsStatues
Bank of England removes ten slave trader works
But contentious statues of politicians involved in slave trade still remain in city's Guildhall building
NewsAfghanistan
Is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth from the British embassy in Kabul now in Taliban hands? UK politicians are stumped
Work left inside the British embassy will be protected, vow Taliban insurgents
NewsEducation
Ancient history? Worcester University to close its archaeology department in another blow to heritage sector
Decision is a "canary in the coal mine" for other arts and humanities subjects, warns museums body
NewsAugmented reality
England riots 10 years on: augmented reality work gives voice to arrested protestors
Baff Akoto’s Up:Rise piece can be accessed via QR codes on posters in London, Liverpool and Bristol
NewsArts funding
UK government approves 50% funding cut for arts and design courses
Education secretary Gavin Williamson says money will be directed towards Stem subjects
NewsAppointments
Appointment of former UK Chancellor George Osborne as new British Museum chairman draws criticism
Ex-politician, who presided over austerity cuts to culture, takes up the position on 4 October
CommentDiary of an art historian
The UK Ministry of Culture is where politicians' careers go to die—but Oliver Dowden has emerged victorious, thanks to the culture wars
The future integrity of the arts sector will depend on whether institutions are able to stand up to the next culture secretary
NewsStatues
Oxford professors refuse to teach undergraduate students if Cecil Rhodes statue stays in place
Oriel College said it had no plans to “begin the legal process for relocation” of the monument
NewsUK politics
UK culture war: museum trustees are paying the price for disagreeing with government's policies
Several board members who do not support the "retain and explain" policy championed by the ruling party have recently left or lost their roles within the arts
CommentUK politics
Don’t trash talk museums at this perilous time: we must adapt—not throw away—our cultural heritage
Cultural institutions—like religious buildings—can be spaces of good and harm, we cannot simply denounce their histories as one or the other, says museum director Nicholas Thomas
NewsStatues
Oxford college will not remove controversial statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes
Independent commission recommends contextualising the sculpture instead
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Fuelling culture war, UK government forms new 'retain and explain' board for controversial monuments
"Independence cuts both ways," UK culture secretary Oliver Dowden warns museums and heritage bodies
NewsArt education
Museum directors and art school leaders demand that UK government ‘scraps cuts to arts education’
"Art is essential to the growth of this country," say 300 art world figures and academics in open letter
NewsArt education
Uproar as UK government plans to cut funding for arts education by 50% to prioritise 'high-value subjects'
Artists express concerns and the Public Campaign for the Arts launches a petition as the consultation on the planned budget cuts to higher education ends today
NewsMuseums & Heritage
UK culture war heats up as arts professionals question veto of trustee appointment at Royal Museums Greenwich
Museums Association says government refusal to renew academic Aminul Hoque’s term is “worrying”, and the chair of trustees has resigned over the decision
NewsMuseums
Plans to build new Museum of Brexit move ahead with plea for funds and objects
Institution initially called the Museum of Sovereignty will present a balanced picture of the divisive EU debate, say founders
NewsUK politics
UK art trade questions who benefits from England's freeport bonanza
Eight mega warehouses announced in the budget will 'unlock billions' in investment, says the government, but they have a tarnished reputation, market analysts warn
NewsArts funding
UK Budget 2021: further £408m boost for struggling culture sector
Chancellor Rishi Sunak digs deep, adding £300m to the £1.57bn Cultural Recovery Fund, £90m more for museums, and £18m for cultural community projects
NewsMuseums
Are museums as Covid-risky as saunas? Culture leaders outraged over late reopening of English art spaces
Commercial galleries, non-essential retail, and even gyms have been given the green light to open before museums under the UK government's "roadmap" to lift coronavirus restrictions
NewsControversies
Bank of England wades into UK's escalating culture war on controversial monuments, saying it will remove images of slave owners
“Retain and explain” or restrain and refrain? Culture chiefs raise the alarm on government’s policy to keep problematic statues ahead of crucial meeting
NewsStatues
City of London to remove statues of politicians with slavery links
The decision to take down historic William Beckford and John Cass sculptures could go against new UK government policy
NewsFunding
No additional funds: UK's £1.57bn emergency arts bailout must last organisations until March 2022
Arts Council England launches second round of loans worth £100m with £300m grant applications to follow
NewsUK politics
Spending Review: UK museums to receive £320m during ‘biggest economic decline in 300 years’
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces slight boost to culture department's budget, but some institutions face extended closure under new tiered system
NewsBiennials & festivals
UK's £120m post-Brexit festival selects teams—including art organisations—for next step of controversial initiative
Serpentine Galleries, Tate and historian David Olusoga are on the shortlist for £3m research and development funding
NewsFunding
'Publicise your grants online': UK culture minister wades into row over rescue funding demands
Oliver Dowden confirms recipients were "encouraged" to acknowledge fund on websites and social media
NewsBrexit
Post-Brexit UK festival chief seeks country’s 'brightest talents' amid criticism over £120m cost
The project, planned for 2022, promises £3m in total to successful applications
NewsMuseums & Heritage
Bailout fail? Fewer than half of museums in England apply for government’s £1.57bn rescue package
Survey by The Art Newspaper also reveals that the Serpentine and Barbican have been left in limbo while the Southbank Centre is already £20m in debt
CommentFunding
'Be commercially minded or lose future funding': UK government's threat puts museums in peril
In a letter leaked to The Art Newspaper, the culture minister Oliver Dowden tells directors they must raise their own funds during the pandemic—but how?
NewsArts funding
UK government finally announces details of its £1.5bn funding support package for the arts
Museum trusts in Birmingham and York warn job cuts are in the pipeline
NewsUK politics
UK may become 'cultural wasteland' after government's failure to provide funding quickly, says parliament report
MPs say £1.5bn government support package for the arts sector is “too little too late”
NewsControversies
Racism on walls of UK government? British Empire murals spark controversy
Politician raises concerns over Sigismund Goetze painting in the Foreign Office depicting Africa as a naked boy
NewsAppointments
'As reassuring as Mr Bean'? London's National Portrait Gallery appointment attracts criticism
Conservative MP Chris Grayling has been named a trustee of the museum
NewsUK politics
UK government appoints commissioner to get culture sector 'back up and running'
Neil Mendoza is heading up a taskforce to help revive the arts after the coronavirus pandemic
Newscoronavirus
UK galleries and auction houses can reopen from 1 June, government says
Art trade associations have been lobbying to be recognised as “non-essential retail” in phase two of the lockdown exit roadmap; museums will have to wait until phase three in July
Newscoronavirus
UK government 'failing' to support its freelancers, leading arts body says
Finance minister Rishi Sunak has attracted criticism for his emergency bailout plan over claims that it discriminates against gig workers
NewsArts Council England
Arts Council England announces coronavirus crisis plan to compensate out-of-pocket artists and institutions
The national arts-funding body will refocus some grant programmes to help individual artists and freelancers withstand lost earnings
NewsUK politics
UK budget: freeports, money for patching up national museums and new £250m culture fund confirmed
Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivers first post-Brexit spending pledges
NewsBrexit
Hundreds of art organisations outraged as UK withdraws from €1.46bn Creative Europe fund
More than 680 cultural figures and institutions sign open letter over decision they believe "threatens an impoverished future for British creativity"
NewsAppointments
Cabinet reshuffle: Oliver Dowden appointed new UK culture secretary
The Conservative MP for Hertsmere in Hertfordshire replaces Nicky Morgan
NewsColdWar Steve
From Bristol to Bermuda: satirical artist Cold War Steve asks public to download and exhibit his work
Exhibition project You, Me & Cold War Steve: the International Exhibition of the People has already been downloaded 3,000 times with scheduled venues across the globe
NewsArt education
'Taking us back to the dark ages': UK-Europe exchange programme Erasmus hangs in the balance
Art history academics speak out as impending Brexit deadline threatens European partnership
NewsUK politics
Nicky Morgan—who stood down in UK election to spend more time with her family—is reappointed as culture secretary
Boris Johnson gives former MP a peerage in order to keep her in the cabinet, but survival of culture department in the longer term is not assured
NewsUK politics
Artists react angrily to Tory landslide result in UK general election
Issues raised include environmental crisis and future of the Labour party
NewsUK politics
The UK's culture secretary conveyor belt: who will be next?
As the election looms this month and Nicky Morgan announces she is standing down, the department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport prepares for its latest secretary of state
NewsUK politics
Arts commentators question Conservative Party's controversial £120m ‘festival of Brexit’
Will artists and institutions participate in “national celebration” planned for 2022?
NewsCultural policy
‘Listen to children, tax big auction sales’: Bob and Roberta Smith’s constitution of the arts
As UK political parties launch their manifestos, the artist sets out his own guidelines for art world equality
NewsUK politics
Boris Johnson’s Conservative manifesto promises £250m funding for culture
Although Tory announcement calls it the “largest cultural capital programme in a century”, pledge is only quarter of Labour’s £1bn culture fund
NewsUK politics
Jeremy Corbyn promises £1bn culture fund in Labour Party election manifesto
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats commit to stopping Brexit and protecting arts funding through the National Lottery
BlogThe Buck stopped here
'Welcome to the shitshow': Jeremy Deller's new film delves into the dark underbelly of Brexit
NewsBrexit
New deadline creates problems for National Gallery's 'Brexit-ready' exhibition schedule
Museum has avoided transporting loans to and from Europe around 31 October “deadline”, but the last-minute extension to next January may cause shipping issues
BlogDiary of an art historian
When Britain divides, custody of its art must be shared fairly
If Scottish independence follows Brexit, what will happen to the national collection?
NewsArt crime
Money laundering, trafficking, ivory: crackdown on art crime intensifies
Wave of sentencing and changes in legislation puts pressure on art world
CommentUK politics
'London’s resilience, creativity and innovation will help us to keep open for the world'
As the art world turns out in the capital during Frieze, Justine Simons, London's deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries, wonders what the rest of the world must be thinking
CommentMuseums & Heritage
'We are in a time of crisis: now is the time to assert our moral and ethical principles'
Cultural institutions need to decide what they stand for, says London's ICA director Stefan Kalmár
NewsPolitics
'We want the Babylonian Palace of Tiglath-Pileser!': new book reveals Boris Johnson's thwarted vision for new V&A East
Nicholas Coleridge, the chairman of the Victoria and Albert Museum, tells how Boris laid down the law on his plans for the project
InterviewUK politics
'A democratic vote swayed by lies is not democracy'—Mary Beard on what antiquity can teach us about political spin
The recipient of the 2019 J. Paul Getty Medal discusses how understanding Cicero can help decipher the rise of populism
NewsPolitics
Tom Watson, deputy Labour leader, wants to put 'creativity back at the heart of our classrooms'
Politician also says Brexit will have 'disastrous' consequences for creative industries
NewsFunding
Funding for culture to rise by 4.1% according to UK government's spending review
Treasury says there will be “over £300m to support the UK’s world-class national museums and galleries” in 2020-21
BlogIn the frame
Lounging UK politician Jacob Rees-Mogg sends Twitter collagists into a spin
CommentUK politics
Politics requires a science degree? Why Boris Johnson's chief strategist is wrong about arts education
“If you are interested in politics you will be far better off if you study maths or physics,” writes aide Dominic Cummings in his blog
NewsUK politics
Too much politics? UK Green party MP and anti-Brexit campaigner Caroline Lucas turns curator
High-profile UK politician will organise a show of works at Towner Art Gallery that focus on the environment
NewsArt market
'Outrageous coup': art world shocked as Boris Johnson suspends parliament
Trade condemns the move and prepares for mayhem of no-deal Brexit
BlogIn the frame
Revealed! UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s arts policy ...from 2004
NewsUK politics
Boris Johnson’s Olympic mega-sculpture is £13m in debt
Visitors decline steeply at ArcelorMittal Orbit by Anish Kapoor in east London
NewsMuseums
London mayor Sadiq Khan supports proposal for new slavery museum in the capital
Liverpool slavery museum keen to collaborate on project highlighting UK’s involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade
NewsFreeports
Freeport debate rages on after UK government commits to establishing ten vast storage facilities
Labour MP Owen Smith calls the tax-free zones “self-storage for art thieves”
NewsUK politics
Boris Johnson wants to create six freeports and tax-free zones around the UK
Vast storage facilities for high-value items such as art and cars have stoked controversy
CommentPolitics
'Marmite' Boris Johnson or 'deep cuts' Jeremy Hunt—which would be good for the arts?
The former UK minister for culture, Ed Vaizey, weighs in on which of the two candidates for prime minister would best serve the arts
NewsPolitics
What can the arts expect from next UK prime minister?
While Boris Johnson describes himself as a keen painter and Jeremy Hunt spent time as culture minister, the sector is likely to remain far down the agenda
ArchiveExhibitions
Grayson Perry draws inspiration from Brexit—and The Art Newspaper—for Serpentine show
Will it be the Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever?
ArchiveEnglish Heritage
English Heritage to be split up
Reforms mean a charity, moving towards self-funding, will run historic buildings, with state-funded agency to manage built environment
ArchiveTate Modern
National Portrait gallery plays host to Blair as Tate Modern passes on Labour Party's party
Due to a policy not to allow political events, the Tate declined to host Tony Blair's shindig
ArchiveAntiquities & Archaeology
UK forwards new law to fight the illicit trade of antiquities
It is now an offence to handle an object if you know that it was illegally removed from a site anywhere in the world after 2003
ArchiveKen Livingstone
Ken Livingstone has revealed his 10-year “Culture strategy” for the city
The key to the mayor’s plan is “diversity”
ArchiveTate
Government policy: The new people in charge
What changes the election have wrought
ArchiveEnglish Heritage
Environment, as well as buildings, needs protection
A major report stresses the power of place
CommentArts funding
UK arts sector must learn to fight smart and dirty to get what it wants from the government
The fishing industry is worth far less than the £100bn creative industries but is given greater political importance—it's time to ask ourselves why
John Kampfner