Robert Hewison’s books include Cultural Capital: The Rise and Fall of Creative Britain (Verso), Ruskin and Venice: The Paradise of Cities (Yale).
Recent denials that the department for culture, media and sport is for the chop don’t address the problem of its glaring lack of purpose
The Arts Council’s latest funding announcement has moved money out of London, but the entire sector has a lot to worry about
The V&A’s director Tristram Hunt has floated the idea of changing the law to allow national museums to make permanent returns. Robert Hewison advises treading very carefully
Oliver Dowden’s recent letter to museums about contested heritage is a clear breach of the ‘arms-length’ principle
Drawings and daguerreotypes on view at the Ducal Palace reveal the variety of Ruskin’s engagement with Venice
Both the Mendoza Review and David Cannadine’s recent ‘Why Collect?’ report are too limited in scope
Should the French government be launching a heritage lottery fund when the UK version is in decline?
Commercial interests and public institutions are inextricably entangled
MoMA and the Met are making strong statements about their values in response to the US travel ban
The Cultural Learning Alliance has released a report which makes a reasoned case for adding the arts to the STEM subjects. Will the government take note?