Government Stuff
BEIS and the Ministry of Defence have unveiled the new Space Strategy, setting out the Government’s ambitions for the UK in space into infinity and beyond.
Penny Johnson CBE is to step down as director of the Government Art Collection in December after 24 years in the role.
The Social Mobility Commission has published a roadmap for how the creative sector can benefit from increasing socio-economic diversity and inclusion.
A new DCMS-commissioned report here assessing the UK’s regional digital ecosystems.
The Government has delayed plans to digitalise the tax system for sole traders until 2024.
Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid has been awarded the Robson Orr TenTen Award 2021 by the Government Art Collection.
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Culture Stuff
Arts & Culture
The Courtauld Gallery is to reopen to the public in November following the most significant modernisation project in its history.
The UK arts councils are piloting a fund to encourage international collaboration.
Well this is a good shout. Scotland is hiring creative freelancers as arts tutors.
A new study by Design Bundles has put the UK as the SECOND most artistic country in Europe… behind the Netherlands. Grrrrrrr.
Research by art marketplace Artfinder has ranked Salisbury as the top art buying location in the UK.
Northern Ireland has dropped social distancing in its arts spaces.
Crafts Council is working with Yinka Ilori on a new craft education challenge open to all schools.
A Danish artist was given $85,000 by a museum for a new piece. He gave them back a blank canvas called Take the Money and Run. Given me an idea for next week’s newsletter…
Design
Feast your eyes on this absolute wonder. The Es Devlin-designed UK pavilion for the Dubai Expo 2020 has opened after three years of construction.
David Adjaye is among the names set to transform Liverpool’s Canning Dock in a project to highlight its role in the transatlantic slave trade.
Yinka Ilori has also colourfully transformed 18 pedestrian crossings throughout London as part of London Design Festival.
Theatre & Dance
The winners of the 74th Tony Awards have entered stage left, with Moulin Rouge! winning the largest.
Swapping martinis for Macbeth, Daniel Craig is set for a Shakespearean stint on Broadway.
Tourism & Heritage
Some 23,000-year-old footprints have been discovered in New Mexico, suggesting people arrived in America 10,000 years earlier than thought (counts as both ‘Tourism’ and ‘Heritage’ I’d say).
Museums
London’s Museum of Childhood to be renamed the Young V&A following a £13m renovation, with a focus on kids rather than adults ‘revelling in nostalgia’.
The British Museum is dipping its toe tentatively into the world of NFTs.
Also one for the youngsters. The Science Museum is launching a new gallery in 2022 aimed at 11 to 16-year-olds to inspire tomorrow’s technicians.
Press, Books & Libraries
GB News has lost 60% of its viewers since it launched in June. Oh dear.
The longlist for the Portico Prize for Literature has been announced – the UK’s only award for outstanding Northern writing.
Tis the season! The shortlist for the Royal Society Science Book Prize includes one on the surreal world of mushrooms. Author sounds like a fungi.
Exhibitions and Events
The Turner Prize 2021 exhibition has opened its doors in Coventry until January.
It’s five whole stars from The Guardian for the first show of the Whitechapel Gallery’s autumn programme, exploring the significance of clay.
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Rebellion’s Jason Kingsley has launched a new podcast, Future Imperfect, exploring what the past can teach us about the future. First guest: Dan Snow. Ooo.
NME with the lowdown on Zombie Army 4’s Season 3 update, with new skins, a new weapon, and even more ghoulish items.
The latest RP Book Club podcast has landed too, chatting with Walter Goodwater about his new book, The Liar of Red Valley (out now btw).
A dab hand at drawing comic characters? 2000 AD’s Thought Bubble talent search competitions are back.
There is absolutely ALL SORTS up for grabs from Rebellion in the Steam Sale currently, from Sniper Elite 4 to Strange Brigade.
TIGA has summarised its proposals submitted to HM Treasury ahead of the Autumn Budget.
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Creative Industries & Tech Stuff
Film & TV
Ofcom has released its comprehensive five-year review of diversity in broadcasting, with representation in top media jobs said to be ‘woeful’.
Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond, No Time to Die, finally found the time for its royal premiere this week. And it sounds like it was worth the wait.
Beam me up, Luke! Russell T. Davies is returning as Doctor Who showrunner from its 60th anniversary in 2023 and beyond. Gizmodo asks: ‘what now?’
Netflix has revealed its most watched content ever, with Bridgerton topping the list for TV shows, and Extraction leading among films.
The Beeb’s unveiled its coverage plans for November’s COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, including a new Sir David Attenborough series.
Louis Theroux has announced a new documentary trilogy for the Beeb called Forbidden America. Ooo.
Gulp. The New York Times on Ozy Media and the $40m conference call with Goldman Sachs which went seriously wrong.
Fashion
Asos is to invest £13m in a new tech hub in Belfast, creating 184 new jobs over the next three years.
Mon petit pois! Voici ELLE avec tous les meilleurs looks de la Fashion Week de Paris (up to you to figure this one out x)
H&M is to close fewer stores than originally proposed in the UK.
Music & Radio
Dr Dre is set to play the Super Bowl half-time show in February, and he’ll be joined by up-and-comers Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J Blige.
Youth Music has announced the 37 creatives it is backing with grants of up to £2,500 via its Next Gen Fund, supported by TikTok and the Postcode Lottery.
Warner Music has become livestreaming platform Twitch’s first major record label partner.
Tech & Telecoms
TikTok has just hit the mammoth milestone of 1 billion monthly active users globally. Impressive.
Ofcom is introducing new rules to make it faster and easier to switch broadband provider.
One of Europe’s fastest growing start-ups, Gorilla, has just closed an enormous $950m funding round, putting its value at $3bn.
UK software company Blue Prism is to be sold to US private equity firm Vista for $1.5bn.
YouTube is banning videos containing vaccine misinformation.
Facebook has paused work on Instagram Kids over mental health concerns. But they will now let you make group chats across Instagram and Messenger.
The Information with the in…tel on Google reportedly seeking search deals for TikTok and Instagram vids.
Access Partnership with in-depth delve into the world of semiconductors in this global policy review.
The navigation app Waze is crowdsourcing info about fuel shortages to give push notifications to users #2021.
Amazon has launched a cute lil’ home robot with a giant Alexa display – and The Verge on their quest to make computers totally disap
FUN FACT: the most searched word on Bing is ‘Google’.
DeepMind has developed AI which can predict if it will rain in the next two hours. (I actually recently came fourth in a rain-predicting contest. Sadly just outside the medals, but I did get a certificate for precipitation).
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Appointments & Movers
Six new non-exec directors have been appointed to the board of UK Research and Innovation; Abigail Morris has been chosen as the next artistic director and CEO of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts; the John Ellerman Foundation has appointed Peter Kyle as its next chair; News UK has appointed Erron Gordon, formerly of Good Morning Britain, as executive creative director; Vanessa Kingori has been named as chief business officer for Condé Nast Britain; Sarah Holmes and Peter Rowe are stepping down after 21 years in charge of the New Wolsey Theatre; Megan Swann has been elected as The Magic Circle’s first female president in its 116-year history
One for you, maybe? Artistic Directors of the Future is seeking a CEO
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Ed Stuff
Running the London Marathon THIS WEEKEND for Didcot Powerhouse Fund. GO ON, ED.
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...And Finally
CALL HIM UP, GARETH! The Beeb meets the 88-year-old who still plays in goal for his local team in Wales, playing with the grandsons of his old team mates.
An appeal for new recruits has launched in Northern Ireland due to a shortage of clowns. No laughing matter… Massive shoes to fill… I’d carry on but I’m juggling a lot right now.
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