• Blow the Whistle: Referee Shortages in Grassroots Football

    Dr Jimmy O’Gorman As my 17-year-old son prepares to referee a local Under 15s football fixture his phone begins to incessantly ping. There is a shortage of referees to fulfil all local junior football fixtures again this weekend. This has not come without warning, nor is it a surprise. An open letter by the referee…

  • Everyday Creativity: Why the Arts need to Rethink What Matters

    Global public health expert Michael Marmot warned recently that the pandemic will make health inequalities worse. If this is the case, then how can we ensure that the arts become part of the solution? The 2017 Creative Health report outlined the extensive range of ways in which the arts supports health outcomes, yet the report…

  • The Arts and COVID-19: A Time of Danger and Opportunity?

    Darren Henley (2020), the CEO of the Arts Council, refers to the pandemic as: “the most serious challenge to (the) existence” (p.1) of the arts industry since the second world war”. With the closure of all cinemas, theatres, live music venues, studios and dancing spaces, the arts industry in the UK faces a very uncertain…