Trevor MacFarlane

If we don’t embed culture, creativity and heritage into the DNA of the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill, we risk locking our sectors out of the frameworks that will shape investment, growth and social policy for a generation…👇

So sorry to hear of the passing of #PrunellaScales

Sending my best wishes to Sam and Joseph West

Their parents brought - and will continue to bring through the legacy they leave - a huge amount of joy to the nation

#NigelFarage needs a civics lesson.

Calling for a “parliamentary court” is pure Trump cosplay.

In Britain, we don’t do show trials - we do the rule of law.

Justice depends on the separation of powers, not on populist stunts.

Important publication! Wonderful to see culture creative & heritage infrastructures embedded in here in-line with @culturecommons.bsky.social recommendations! Thanks to Diane and the whole Taskforce for the detailed work on this

The UK Gov’s new ‘Pride in Place’ strategy is now a flagship policy

£billions for neighbourhood renewal
powers for communities
#culture + #heritage in scope

But will Neighbourhood Boards see our sectors as key enablers or add ons?

We dig into the details 👉 www.culturecommons.uk/news/pride-i...

Last week, Director @trevormacf.bsky.social was hosted in #Riga by Latvia’s Minister for Culture, Agnese Lāce

The discussion explored cultural #data, #devolution, inter-cultural #dialogue, and the future of #culturalrelations between the #UK and #Baltic states at a time of global uncertainty

Supporting the UK Government with a new national outcomes framework for local authorities — Culture Commons Culture Commons has been attending a series of high level roundtables hosted by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to help support the development of the emergent Local Governme...

We’re been working with the UK Government on the emergent Local Government Outcomes Framework

@trevormacf.bsky.social has been advocating for the #creative #cultural & #heritage sectors to be well positioned in the key indicators

More here👇

www.culturecommons.uk/news/local-g...

Thank you to First Minister of
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @johnswinney.bsky.social for the invitation to #Edinburgh today for his statement on #culture & the #creative industries

Proud @culturecommons.bsky.social helped the National Performing Companies of Scotland secure a significant uplift in a recent gov budget

Could you be a Trustee of National Museums Liverpool?

They run several internationally recognised #museums & #art #galleries

Looking for 4 new trustees with a range of skills - details below

apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/8886

Minster endorses our policy on cultural infrastructure for New Towns — Culture Commons New Towns Taskforce report drawing on Culture Commons policy cited in an evidence session in a cross-party House of Lords committee.

Minister @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social endorses our recommendation to embed ‘cultural infrastructure’ into New Towns masterplanning

www.culturecommons.uk/news/minster...

#devolution news!

Major Bill tabled with game-changing provisions for communities and mayors across England

@culturecommons.bsky.social

Sad to say but poor coverage of Macron #StateVisit by BBC tonight

No sound, no translation, no relevant commentary following

La #BBC peut faire mieux!

We’re still an independent and not for profit think & do tank dedicated to the UK’s #creative #cultural and #heritage ecosystem…

…we’ve just had a little refresh!

We’ve brightened things up and made our projects, publications and services more accessible.

www.culturecommons.uk

The UK Government have published the Sector Plan today. It sets out actions until 2035 and will play an important role in guiding policy for the coming years.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68586c...

I remember having to stand in that separate queue…good to see them over

Can an #economist help me with a Q on the #SpendingReview?

Column showing % change “Phase 2 Period” for DEL spend in DCMS (see pic) doesn’t seem to add up.

Should be -4% total and I can’t see why that might be…?

Thanks in advance, smarter people than I

Ah this is interesting devo news. London will get an integrated settlement after all from next year.

It'll be interesting to see how the model differs in London compared to the combined authorities, and whether it'll require constitutional change in the GLA-Council relationship to make it work

Game-changing investment in social housing

Angela Rayner + Chancellor will have worked v hard to secure this

Cultural infrastructure can now empower communities to turn these new houses into homes

👀ing to DCMS & MHCLG to build joint investment progs to make it so!

@culturecommons.bsky.social

Below, the city bristles—
All brick heat and bus brakes

Above it all,
this bloom, this breath

Sits atop my windowsill.

It’s official: the best museum in Europe is in the UK An unexpected British museum has been named the European Museum of the Year for 2025.

Such wonderful news for my home city of Manchester and the whole of the UK - a huge congratulations to @esmeward.bsky.social and the team at Manchester Museum!

www.timeout.com/uk/news/its-...

“responsible radicalism”

…goes the death rattle of an entirely redundant party

Dormant Assets Scheme Strategy

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Liz Truss despises the UK so acutely that she ran our economy into the ground and is now running about telling everyone how awful we are

Just staggering

Governments are chasing the wrong rainbows Opportunity and upward mobility are more important than GDP growth

“This century, GDP growth has been no guarantee of rising living standards, especially among lower-income households.”

Governments are chasing the wrong rainbows - by Andy Haldane

Will be tuning in next week…

on.ft.com/43kZiEr

What a way to spend the bank holiday…

‘Firebird’ by Stravinsky @royalalberthall.bsky.social both filled & hurt my head & heart in equal measure

Yes of course. Think of it as net gain eg those new voters once the losses have been taken into account too

Oh gosh indeed - a very meaningful one. The piece was Firebird by Stravinsky which captures the horrors of the First World War….!

Voter movements visualised to May 2025

Great stuff! Will give it a read Russ

Rachmaninov: 10 Preludes, Op. 23: No. 5 in G Minor Sergei Rachmaninoff, Nikolai Lugansky · Rachmaninov : Preludes Op.23 & Moments musicaux · Song · 2001

Need a pick me up?

Heres the best interpretation of a #Rachmaninov Prelude you’ll hear today

Most welcome

open.spotify.com/track/0cSaAs...