Elephant Trap - Members of the House of Lords have expressed “profound concern” about the UK’s arts sector following chancellor Rachel Reeves’ autumn Budget, with one peer dubbing it an “elephant trap” for culture.
Kick-starting a debate about the impact of the Budget on arts, heritage and cultural organisations on 14 November, conservative peer Amanda Sater cited the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre’s warning that 40% of theatres and performing arts venues face closure over the next five years.
SOLT and UK Theatre’s appeal for an urgent pot of funding to stave off these closures was snubbed in a Budget that outlined plans to increase government spending by almost £70 billion a year over the next five years – almost half of which will be funded by tax increases.
Sater called on the government to consider the impact that changes made in the Budget – including increases in employers’ national insurance contributions and the minimum wage – would have on cultural institutions including theatres, which have warned that the hikes would prove a “financial hammer”.
“The employer national insurance contributions rise is causing real concern,” Sater told the Lords. “It will push up staffing costs for cultural organisations and may impact levels of employment and future pay rises for staff, hurting particularly the lower-paid workers.”
Council News - Royal Shakespeare Company chair Shriti Vadera is to head up the Creative Industries Council from next summer. Vadera takes over from Peter Bazalgette as chair next year, with the pair to co-lead a task force in the meantime to help develop the government’s creative industries growth strategy. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy announced Vadera’s appointment on 25 November, with Vadera the first woman and global-majority person to chair the RSC and the first woman to chair a British bank. Currently, Vadera heads up Prudential plc and is co-chair of the World Bank Private Sector Investment Lab.
The council focuses on addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the UK’s creative industries and is billed as a "joint forum between the creative industries and the government".
Nandy said: "British creative industries are world-leading, bringing huge job opportunities and joy to millions. I thank Peter Bazalgette for his passion and dedication leading the Creative Industries Council over the past three years. I know he will continue to be a hugely respected voice for their interests in the future."
She continued: "The council is an invaluable partnership between government and industry. Baroness Vadera will bring a wealth of experience in business and the arts to the role. Under her leadership, I look forward to a refreshed role of the council, focused on delivering economic growth, jobs and opportunities for the British people.”
Charity Singles - The 40th anniversary remake of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? has been unveiled, amid renewed discussion about the song's portrayal of Africa. The new Ultimate Mix blends vocals from several versions of the charity single that have been recorded over the years, so that George Michael duets with Harry Styles, and Chris Martin harmonises with the Sugababes.
However, Ed Sheeran has objected to his vocals being recycled for the new track because the "narrative" had changed, and said he would have declined permission if he had been asked.
In response, Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley, who sang on the original 1984 single, told BBC Radio 2: "I think they [critics like Sheeran] should shut up, to be honest. If you take that route, then nobody does anything to help anybody. So it's just nonsense . . . Everybody's doing their bit to try and support various charities and we were doing our bit, innocently, to support what was happening in Ethiopia . . . So what do we do? Do we sit back and do nothing?"
Old Gold - Rod Stewart has been confirmed to play Glastonbury's legends slot in 2025, 23 years after his last appearance at the festival. He will follow in the footsteps of Dolly Parton, Barry Gibb, Shania Twain and Kylie Minogue by playing the coveted Sunday teatime slot. The news comes shortly after the star announced his intention to stop playing "large-scale world tours" at the end of 2025.
Album Recording - Sir Elton John has said he's been unable to finish his new album because he is still struggling with his eyesight after getting an infection in July. He has not been able to see out of his right eye for the past four months, and his left eye is "not the greatest", he told ABC's Good Morning America. "I can do something like this [interview] but going into the studio and recording, I don't know, because I can't see a lyric for start," the singer said.
(Jim Evans)
