Ben Lawrence

A pragmatic approach to theatre is needed – or the UK’s once world-beating industry will not survive

Birmingham City Council is making drastic cuts which jeopardise the future of its arts scene. Swift action is needed

The Russian Composer’s emotional rollercoaster of a work has topped the Classic FM Hall of Fame chart once again. No wonder

The word ‘confessional’ is now ubiquitous in the arts – and it’s a worrying trend that threatens the imagination

The death of the great writer Alice Munro only highlights how everywhere else in the arts, editors are Awol and audiences are suffering

The problem is this: while books once furnished my flat, they have now overtaken it. It’s a love affair turned sour

The BBC’s report on Strictly’s toxic atmosphere is revealing. But the entertainment business has always known great art doesn’t come nicely

Comedy, true-crime and drama – podcasts are more popular than ever. Yet something is lost in the endless quest for the reactive ‘hot take’

School librarians in the UK are being told to remove books from their shelves. Have we learned nothing from the 1980s?

Broadcasters are increasing expenditure in areas such as AI, and are becoming more dependent on algorithms. That’s a disaster for the viewer