“We join with many in the creative community in expressing our concern about the government’s plans to diminish creative copyright by giving an exemption to AI companies. Our community of highly skilled creative workers depend on a fragile ecosystem of freelance creatives, many of whom rely on copyright to sustain their practice, and most of whom have spent many decades honing their craft.
“As leaders of creative institutions, we embrace advances in technology. We are not separate from innovation but rather participants in its practical applications and the philosophical and moral questions it raises. We are concerned that the government proposals risk undermining agency and participation in the new world of AI rather than supporting the moral and economic rights of our creative community to their work. As such we ask the government to underline a creative person’s automatic right to their work and ask that the government support transparency duties on AI companies.
“The sheer wonderment of world class music, drama, dance and opera is essential to the joy of being human. We urge the government to support the human creative endeavour at its heart.”
Signatories:
Birmingham Rep – Rachael Thomas
Birmingham Royal Ballet – Paul James
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra – Dougie Scarfe
Bristol Beacon – Simon Wales
Bristol Old Vic – Charlotte Geeves
Britten Pears Arts – Andrew Comben
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra – Emma Stenning
Donmar Warehouse – Henny Finch
English National Ballet – Anu Giri
English National Opera – Jenny Mollica
ICA – Bengi Unsal
Garsington Opera – Nicky Creed
Glyndebourne – Richard Davidson-Houston
Leeds Playhouse – Shawab Iqbal
London Philharmonic Orchestra – David Burke
London Symphony Orchestra – Kathryn McDowell
National Theatre – Kate Varah
Northern Ballet – David Collins
Talawa Theatre Company – Carolyn ML Forsyth and Michael Buffong
The Old Vic – Laura Stevenson
Theatre Royal Plymouth – James Mackenzie-Blackman
Opera North – Laura Canning
Rambert – Helen Shute
Roundhouse – Marcus Davey
Royal Albert Hall – James Ainscough
Royal Ballet and Opera – Alex Beard
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic – Michael Eakin
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Sarah Bardwell
Royal Shakespeare Company – Daniel Evans, Tamara Harvey, Andrew Leveson
Sadlers Wells – Sir Alistair Spalding
St George’s Bristol – Samir Savant
Southbank Centre – Elaine Bedell
Tiata Fahodzi – Chinonyerem Odimba
Warwick Arts Centre – Doreen Foster
Young Vic – Lucy Pattison
Today Emmy & Grammy nominated comedian, Bill Burr announced his tour Bill Burr Live will continue into 2025. He’ll be making a stop in London, UK at Eventim Apollo 
Today, the legendary Stevie Wonder announces new UK performance dates for Summer 2025. Stevie Wonder’s Love, Light & Song performances will stop in Lytham, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and London – including a headline slot at London’s iconic American Express Presents BST Hyde Park Festival. Full details below.
Returning to London’s iconic The George Tavern 
At a ceremony in New York earlier on this week, The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize announced the 2025 award has been given to U.S. playwright a.k. payne for their play Furlough’s Paradise. Awarded annually since 1978, the prestigious international Prize is the largest and oldest award recognizing women+ who have written works of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theatre.
As we approach 2 years this July of our commitment to integrating and exploring what it means to look after our wellbeing, we just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported the journey so far! Thank you to Megan Mattravers who has been at the forefront of guiding us all on what it means to observe the present moment in our fast paced world and to Francesca Mepham who has been vital in helping spread the word with her vital PR campaigns and belief in what we’re looking to achieve!
Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals and Jamie Lloyd for The Jamie Lloyd Company today announce that Rachel Zegler will make her West End debut as Eva Perón in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, with full cast and creatives to be announced. The production, directed by Jamie Lloyd, opens at The London Palladium on Tuesday 1 July, with previews from 14 June, and runs until 6 September 2025.
Punchdrunk Enrichment has today announced that Peter Higgin will step down as Artistic Director and Joint CEO after 17 years leading the independent charity. Punchdrunk Enrichment was co-founded by Peter in 2008 to take the innovative practice of Punchdrunk into communities and schools, becoming the pioneer of immersive learning internationally.
The Bush Theatre trustees have appointed Taio Lawson as the theatre’s new Artistic Director and Co-CEO. Taio joins the company in Summer 2025 and will oversee the final season of plays programmed by Lynette Linton, who leaves in March 2025. Taio’s first season of work will launch in early 2026. He will lead the Bush in partnership with Executive Director and Co-CEO Mimi Findlay.