Florence McCrae

Finance ministers from the UK’s devolved administrations have been snubbed by the chancellor of the exchequer, following calls for more fiscal powers from the Treasury.

There is some pleasure to be had, singing in the rain, muses Richard Morrison, The Times’ Chief Culture Writer. Yet he continues, that only a Brit would consider singing in a gale.

On Tuesday, the great and the good of the cultural sphere co-signed a letter. Some 153 artists and intellectuals attached their name to a letter entitled “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate”.

For those who find a haircut is not enough, do not despair. As of 25 July, gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres will reopen. In the more immediate future lies a manicure, with beauty salons and nail bars reopening as early as Monday.

For Richard Morrison, nobody better encompasses the phrase “from zero to hero” than culture secretary Oliver Dowden. Dowden, who until last Sunday, was subject to almost daily criticisms of his “lethargy and ineffectiveness” has, according to Morrison, “conjured a giant rabbit out of a battered hat.”

A relaxation to the rules, commencing today, will see travellers from dozens of countries no longer being asked to self-isolate for a fortnight upon their arrival into the UK.

For the past 111 days, the National Gallery has found their doors shuttered, unsure, until recently, when they would reopen them. They are by no means alone. It is estimated that at the height of the pandemic, between 95 and 97 per cent of the world’s museums closed, unsure when and even if they would reopen.

For the first time in what seems like forever, a show will go on. The Actors’ Equity Union, who represent the professional interest of over 50,000 actors has sanctioned the two performances – an outdoor performance of Godspell and an indoor one of Harry Clarke.

In spite of the £1.57 billion arts bailout from the UK government, leading figures in Scotland have warned that the sum is not enough to save the Scottish culture scene from “devastation”.

In yesterday’s summer statement, Rishi Sunak warned that the government will be unable to protect "every single job" as the country prepares to enter into a "severe recession".

A “kickstart scheme” to the sum of £2 billion will be announced by Rishi Sunak in his summer statement today, in the hope of creating more jobs for young people.

In an effort to reinvigorate the British film industry following the pandemic, the government has announced that major Hollywood stars will be exempt from quarantine regulations.

Earlier this week, culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, did the impossible. After months of silence, and weeks of protest, he presented the country with a £1.57 billion arts fund to be divided across the country.

Of the cultural events cancelled as a result of Covid-19, perhaps the most prominent is the Olympics. Delayed until 2021, athletes are trainers alike have had to revise their schedules considerably. So too, has the stadium’s architect, Kengo Kuma.

The Guggenheim has hired a lawyer to investigate the circumstances surrounding their 2019 Basquiat show following claims from staff that the museum’s executives have created “a culture of institutional racism.”