The Week in Light & Sound
- Details
Creative Europe currently funds schemes across the creative industries through two programmes – culture and media – providing a total of €1.46bn to cultural projects. On exit day, it is estimated that Creative Europe will have between 160 and 200 projects involving a UK organisation. According to the government, about €18.9m has been awarded to British organisations through these projects, with approximately €8.9m left to be paid.
However, this figure is dependent on the EU allowing all current projects to continue and the amount paid out could be affected in a no-deal outcome. The government is using a statutory instrument to grant the culture secretary Jeremy Wright powers to provide financial assistance in the event that the EU ceases to provide funding following no deal.
Improving Access - The Theatres Trust has awarded its 100th grant to a consortium of theatres in Greater Manchester, including Home and the Royal Exchange, to make them more accessible. Seven projects have been awarded a total of more than £100,000 by the Theatres Trust’s Theatre Improvement Scheme, in partnership with the Wolfson Foundation, which focuses on improving the accessibility of theatres.
The 100th grant to be awarded by the trust will be used to purchase and share captioning equipment, improving access for the D/deaf community at the Greater Manchester Theatres. As well as Home and the Royal Exchange, other theatres to benefit include the Lowry in Salford, children’s company Z-Arts in Manchester, Oldham Coliseum and Bolton Octagon. The other six projects to receive funding in this round include the installation of assistive listening systems at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and the Gulbenkian in Canterbury, which will allow them to offer audio description of performances.
Pitlochry Festival Theatre is to have its front door fitted with an automatic opening device, while access to the box office at London’s Old Vic Theatre will be improved. The other theatres to benefit are Oxford Playhouse and Newcastle’s Tyne Theatre and Opera House. Tom Stickland, Theatres Trust theatres adviser, said: “Everyone should be able to enjoy the full experience a trip to the theatre offers, regardless of their access requirements.”
Gender Gap - Three times as many male as female pop stars appeared on last year's biggest hit singles, BBC research has found. Ninety-one men or all-male groups were credited on the Official Chart Company's top 100 most popular songs of 2018 - compared with 30 female acts. And despite the success of singers like Dua Lipa and Ariana Grande, the gender gap has grown over the past decade. Thirteen of the most popular 100 songs of 2018 were credited only to female acts - down from 35 in 2008.
Voices Off - Bring Me The Horizon have cancelled the remaining dates on their US tour after singer OIi ruptured his vocal cords, an injury which, he says, could result in "permanent damage" if he does not rest. "At this point, me singing in this state would be the equivalent of a footballer running on a broken leg.” Bring Me The Horizon are due to play their first ever headline set at the All Points East Festival in east London in May. Their latest album Amo topped the UK chart at the end of January.
(Jim Evans)
19 February 2019
