Dispatches

Culture in Crisis

This report by the Centre for Cultural Value shares research findings from one of the world's largest investigations into the impacts of Covid-19 on the cultural industries. Over 15 months, research findings were shared in real-time with policymakers and more widely, so that cultural sector policy and practice could be informed by evidence emerging from the project. (Centre for Cultural Value)

Healing a Broken World

This publication collects and deepens the thoughts, panel discussions, and specially commissioned performances for the virtual summit Healing a Broken World presented by the Inter-American Development Bank in April 2021. (Inter-American Development Bank)

Get Past the Lobby: Theatres Rethink How We Gather

From Arkansas to Harlem, theatres are using lobbies, rooftops, exhibition spaces, and more to expand the ways they can gather and engage their communities. (American Theatre)

How Can Museums Increase Accessibility for Dyslexic Visitors

Museums have a duty of care to cater to the wide range of needs presented by individuals from all walks of life. As society has firmly established in recent years, not all disabilities are visible, which makes broadening our institutions’ horizons when it comes to inclusivity and accessibility particularly important. (Museum Next) 

How China’s Private Art Museums are Seeking Patrons to Survive

Amid a Chinese economy battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, private museums are increasingly courting private individuals to boost their income and help strengthen their governance. (South China Morning Post)

Brian Eno on NFTs & Automaticism

Artist Brian Eno says, "NFTs seem to me just a way for artists to get a little piece of the action from global capitalism, our own cute little version of financialisation." (The Crypto Syllabus)

‘Huge Mess of Theft and Fraud:’ Artists Sound Alarm as NFT Crime Proliferates

The digital marketplace for NFTs grew to an estimated $22bn last year but companies face challenges monitoring stolen art. (The Guardian) 

McKinsey: Fundamental Transformation of Global Economy Needed for Net Zero

A report by McKinsey estimates that $9.2tn will need to be invested every year for decades to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C and end the climate emergency. The sum is a 60% increase on current investment levels and equivalent to half of global corporate profits. (The Guardian) 

An Untapped Energy Source: Colleges and Universities as Cultural Anchors

Director of Research and Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts Sunil Iyengar comments on the work of researchers from Boise State University that claims there is untapped energy in the frequent co-location of arts and cultural assets with places of higher learning. Driven by a sense of urgency and optimism, Art and the World After This makes the case for grounding the arts firmly in action as a powerful force for creating a better world. (By Any Measure)

Art and the World After This

Metcalf Foundation’s Innovation Fellow David Maggs outlines four interrelated disruptions faced by Canada’s non-profit arts sector and identifies the unique value art brings to society. (Metcalf Foundation)

Levelling Up White Paper: Culture

Culture and heritage play a significant role in the UK Government’s much anticipated white paper Levelling Up the United Kingdom, which establishes a long-term plan to make the UK a more prosperous and united country by tackling regional and local inequalities. (Cultural Placemaking) 

How Africa’s Cultural Institutions are Leading the Way in Audience Development and Research

As institutions begin to return objects in their collections or take them down from display, an opportunity exists to learn from their African peers. Rather than engaging with Africa’s cultural sector through a singular lens, what if the world looked to it as a source of innovation and instruction? (Hyperallergic) 

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