We challenge the contemporary view of the arts as tools for social change; fight for freedom of expression; explore what is unique and special about the arts.

London and the world
Joined July 2024
Here's @timiswriting reading his poem 'The Medium'. You can catch the whole episode 'Afraid of Poetry' at artsfirst.uk or go to our YouTube channel. #PoetTown #Hastings #poetry youtube.com/watch?v=pTJv0ALE…
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OUTRAGEOUS- today in London, people having…….fun! Call the police😎
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This is excellent.
Me on Digger. A film about representation.
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Episode 54: Afraid of Poetry? @timiswriting Tim Rich joins Niall @elondems in the Arts First kitchen to discuss the health of poetry today. He reads and we talk about his poem ‘Afraid of Poetry’, the inspiration for this episode, and Tim tells us doubters there’s nothing to fear. #PoetTown #Hastings #poetry artsfirst.substack.com/p/afr…
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Arts First retweeted
It was a fantastic panel, with brilliant insights all round but especially from @FrankHudson95 Anyway, here’s another shot #BattleFest @acadofideas
.@MadamMarenT being all kinds of wrong about the Odyssey. Apparently. #BattleFest @acadofideas
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Excellent discussion on the Odyssey and Nolan's film with speakers including @MadamMarenT and Niall @elondems from Arts First.
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What can Dark Age Britain tell us about our own times? 4/14🧵 @ArtsFirstUK host Niall Crowley joins novelist Dolan Cummings to explore myth, religion and national identity through The Sacred Virgin and the Spurned Bride. Sat 17 Oct | 13:45–14:30 battleofideas.org.uk/session…
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Terrific and thorough discussion of the 2026 @BGPrize for Non-Fiction shortlist with chair @thatkirstylang Featuring authors: Nicholas Boggs, Anand Gopal, Patrick Radden Keefe, Edmund Richardson, @mathewsweet, & @andrea_wulf bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00325…
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I so hope that the forthcoming Blake 200 year is one in which people hear more than William Blake was brilliant but crazy, inspiring but confusing. Help make that so! youtu.be/PNVvhX2HvZM?si=EDFg…
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Arts First retweeted
Thinking of all the victims of October 7th. A dark day that has cast a dark shadow over the west. Contemporary antisemitism is as evil and nasty as anything from the recent or distant past. Visiting the Nova site was a profound experience. Am Yisrael Chai
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Here's @RosieKayK2CO @ #BattleFest 2025 on her cancellation, the foundation of @Freedom_in_Arts & why we need FREEDOM in the Arts This year Rosie will be discussing "FROM BOYCOTTS TO RENAISSANCE: THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ARTS" W/ @wearliegig, Nat Edwards, @RosieKayK2CO, @msjlindsay & @drianpace DETAILS - battleofideas.org.uk/program… TICKETS - battleofideas.org.uk/battle-…
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Arts First retweeted
I have watched this. I'm a bit surprised to see how much I reveal about making art. artsfirst.substack.com/p/ead…
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We are very excited about our latest episode: 'Rosie Kay: dancer, choreographer, freedom fighter' 'Rosie Kay has had an award winning career in dance and choreography. She is the director of her own company K2CO and is in the forefront of the campaign Freedom in the Arts, which she founded with Denise Fahmy, after the experience of being cancelled because of her gender-critical views. We have interviewed Rosie in the past, here, when she and @DeniseFahmy talked about their experiences of cancellation, and how their fight back turned them into foremost campaigners for freedom of expression in the arts! @Freedom_in_Arts In this episode though, we wanted to learn about why she became a dancer and choreographer and how she approaches the creation of new works. We specifically focus on two films that she has made of two of her creations. Adult Female Dancer is a solo performance which she created during COVID and 5 Soldiers: The Body is the Frontline which she premiered in 2010 after a long period of training and embedding herself in a military unit.' @wearliegig @acadofideas Read more and watch our interview with the fantastic @RosieKayK2CO here. artsfirst.substack.com/p/ros…
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Very important piece. "Which came first? Did an artist begin with a social objective and choose art as the way to achieve it? Did he or she begin with an artistic idea and learn that it needed to be described through participation, inclusion, wellbeing, representation or community benefit to become fundable? Or has the funding system gradually encouraged more projects to be conceived around those criteria in the first place?"
Wrote this about arts funding for @spikedonline
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What do #Dante, #Petrarch, #Shakespeare, and #Goethe have in common? Unrequited love! Starting Wednesday, I’ll be leading a four-part seminar on those authors as the next installment of my @nybooks NYRSeminar series on frustrated passions. Details below: eventbrite.com/e/the-boys-st…
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Arts First retweeted
A huge thank you to General Sir Nick Parker KCB CBE for joining me yesterday at Chelsea History Festival for the screening of 5 SOLDIERS: The Body is the Frontline. It was incredible to see Nick looking so well, and very moving to watch the film with him in the room, especially as he appears in the documentary and has supported the work over many years. The post-show conversation was truly remarkable: generous, thoughtful, strategic, human and deeply serious about soldiers, service, the body, injury, family, leadership and what we ask of those who serve. I feel very honoured to know Nick and to have worked with him on this project. His support for me and for 5 SOLDIERS has meant a huge amount. Thank you, Nick. @ChelseaHistFest
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