Joe Ware
A slither of hope: ‘artivists’ bring colour and snake-themed protest to Cop29
The Artivist Network organised a range of actions at the summit that both highlighted the serious costs of climate breakdown and interrupted what can be a drab visual environment
‘The forgotten factor’: nations at Cop29 call for official recognition of role culture can play in climate recovery
A campaign to give arts and heritage “a seat at the table” for negotiations at the annual summit already has the support of around 40 countries and more than 1,500 civil society organisations
‘A testament to change’: Arts Council England report details ways in which UK cultural sector is addressing climate challenge
The publication has been released as nations are meeting at the Cop29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan
In a gallery far, far away: new Star Wars-themed museum to bring together 1.5 million objects, including 15ft-long painting
The museum, whose owners are still searching for a building, seeks to merge the four largest current collections of Star Wars props, toys and works of art
Mixed news: the UK's culture sector reacts to Labour's Autumn budget
While a boost in funding for national museums has been welcomed by key figures, concerns remain among regional institutions
From the top down: UK art world figures call for government support to decarbonise sector
Experts at galleries, charities and more are hoping that the chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce measures that assist cultural institutions in reducing their carbon footprint
‘Indefensible’: fossil fuel extraction at Unesco sites set to rise by more than 70% in coming decades, report says
A study by Leave it in the Ground Initiative (LINGO) research group states that fossil fuel activities within Unesco sites across the world are due to produce 11.9 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide
Fairs are one of the art world's biggest sources of emissions, so how can they become more green?
Travel, shipping and temporary structures all have a huge environmental impact. So some of the biggest fairs, including Frieze, have now committed to monitor and reduce their emissions
Security guards at London's Science Museum and Natural History Museum to strike over pay
The workers, who will start the action at the end of this month, say they are treated as “second-class employees”
‘An irreplaceable portal to the past’: English Heritage launches campaign to help preserve more than one million artefacts
Funds are sought to help experts store, care for, catalogue and undertake new research on the UK charity’s vast array of objects
Performance of Rasheed Araeen's ballet on water cancelled after high levels of sewage found in London river
A public performance of the participatory art installation, organised by outdoor sculpture trail The Line, was due to take place today on the Waterworks River at Olympic Park
‘Symbols of innocence and comfort’: Qatar art installation brings together 15,000 teddy bears in tribute to children killed in Gaza
The work, by the Lebanese artist Bachir Mohamad, was inspired by footage of a child in Gaza crying while holding a cuddly toy
Charities defend English Heritage for refugee scheme after criticism aired by right-wing news outlet
Philip Kiszley told GB News that the initiative, which has been in place since 2022, encourages refugees to “learn how terrible we are”
London’s Courtauld Institute gets down to business with new art market-focused degree
The art and business MA is being set up to equip students with commercially valuable skills alongside an understanding of the history of the market
UK public proud of the arts above all else—even sport—study says
The British Social Attitudes Survey shows pride in arts and literature falling only 1% over the past decade, a much smaller drop than in other categories
Revamped Wiener Holocaust Library to reopen with exhibition on celebrated Jewish sculptor
The library, which houses the world’s oldest collection of archival material on the Nazi era, will present works by Fred Kormis in a newly renovated exhibition space
Cultural sector must do more to protect heritage, say campaigners, as Unesco sites most at risk from climate change revealed
A study by the climate risk firm Climate X has shown how drought, extreme heat and flooding has put historic locations across the world at risk
‘We need a shared language’: Scotland-wide festival highlights links between the arts and health
Healing Arts Scotland, organised by the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and Scottish Ballet in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, is the first national festival to explore the role of cultural engagement in health
Mysterious Stonehenge altar rock was transported 500 miles, finds study
Researchers have found that the six-tonne feature of the neolithic monument likely came from the Orcadian Basin in north-east Scotland, rather than Wales
Banksy unveils gorilla artwork at London Zoo—hours after his rhino was defaced
Depicting an ape breaking animals out of an enclosure, it is the ninth piece in the street artist's animal-themed series across the UK capital
Banksy’s fifth animal mural in less than a week appears in east London
The picture of a pair of pelicans joins others depicting elephants, an ibex goat, monkeys and a wolf that have popped up on structures across the capital
‘My grandfather would be horrified’: protests against National Trust’s links to Barclays take place across UK
National Trust staff, volunteers and members will lead parades, live music and protest picnics at 40 of the charity's locations
‘Don’t fudge the facts’: campaigners call on Science Museum to go further after cutting ties with oil giant Equinor
Questions have been raised about the UK museum’s decision to retain sponsorship from BP, in light of data relating to its alignment with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement
Artist's climate change sculpture near Salisbury Cathedral sparks criticism from residents
Hilary Jack says she hopes the controversy around her work, showing a house falling into the sea, will help bring attention to the issue of global warming
UK party manifestos on culture: from more regional loans under Labour to the Greens’ EU pledge
The Conservatives, meanwhile, are focusing on protecting public monuments
Goldsmiths CCA closes until autumn amid pro-Palestine protests
The activist group Goldsmith’s for Palestine is calling for the institution to cut ties with the philanthropists Zak and Candida Gertler
Campaign launched to stop demolition of Museum of London for office building
Although the controversial project has been green lit, it may take years before building work begins
Where do the UK political parties stand on culture?
Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party—even the Animal Welfare Party—tell us about their policies for the arts
UK's Imperial War Museum plans to break with two unions
MPs have joined a campaign to stop the museums group from derecognising two of its three unions
Theft of Bronze Age gold artefacts from UK museum sparks fresh concerns about lack of government investment in sector
A bracelet and torc dating back thousands of years were taken from Cambridgeshire’s Ely Museum last week, shining a light on underfunding and its potential impact on security