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Ben Walmsley

@benwalmsley.bsky.social
355 followers 225 following 36 posts

Dean of Cultural Engagement at University of Leeds; Associate Director Policy, Centre for Cultural Value; Advisor, DCMS. Interested in all things arts & cultural sector related

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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Utterly shameful www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
Cambridge college to target elite private schools for student recruitment
Exclusive: Trinity Hall’s new policy described as a ‘slap in the face’ for state-educated students
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
www.thestage.co.uk/long-reads/w...
thestage.co.uk
What makes a national theatre?
National theatres play a crucial role in a country’s cultural landscape. The artistic leaders of six institutions talk to Natasha Tripney about their priorities and the challenges they face
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Congratulations Alice!
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
Yes indeed! www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Wealth tax needed to help working people and avoid threat from Reform, says union chief
Exclusive: Paul Novak says Rachel Reeves should ‘stay the course’ on plans for investment
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 31/08/2025
“Brand safety” aka “good old-fashioned discrimination” www.theguardian.com/media/2025/a...
theguardian.com
Publications aimed at LGBTQ+ audiences face discrimination from advertisers, editors warn
Media figures say ‘gold rush is over’, as attacks on diversity and inclusion have led to some advertisers avoiding outlets
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
Horrific www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
theguardian.com
Outrage as Spanish town bans Muslim religious festivals from public spaces
Conservative People’s party in Jumilla votes to stop civic centres and gyms being used for activities ‘alien to our identity’
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Policy Leeds @policyleeds.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
Website refresh alert! Check out our updated website to find out how Policy Leeds can help you. Policy professionals and researchers can find out what we do, how we can work with you, current partners and projects, and resources such as blogs, briefs and case studies. www.leeds.ac.uk/policy-leeds
leeds.ac.uk
Policy Leeds
Policy Leeds builds relationships between policy professionals and researchers to inform effective public policy development and tackle major societal challenges.
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University of Leeds @universityofleeds.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
As well as being a trailblazer for women in sport, promoting teamwork, inclusivity and support, Steph is a leading advocate for those with motor neurone disease (MND) after her husband was diagnosed with MND in 2018. Read more about our honorary graduands 👇 www.leeds.ac.uk/main-index/n...
Steph Houghton smiling in graduation gown and bonnet
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
Great to attend the launch of the pioneering Transform festival last night and hear all about their dazzling October programme from Creative Director @amyletman.bsky.social
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
The diplomacy of art: Bayeux tapestry loan shows cultural gifts still matter
History is full of examples of artworks being used to express things diplomats would be forbidden to say
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Centre for Cultural Value @valuingculture.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
Working with The Audience Agency and supported by Research England, we have been leading a project to develop a Cultural Indicator Suite, a new framework that helps to communicate the holistic everyday cultural vitality of the places we live. www.culturalvalue.org.uk/understandin...
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 05/07/2025
Pretty much sums up this tawdry debate www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Reform councillor’s boast about removing ‘trans-ideological’ books from children’s library sections falls flat
Paul Webb said he ensured books and material were pulled from children’s section of Kent libraries, but it emerges they were never there
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Looking good! Can testify wholeheartedly how brilliant Culture Commons are as policy partners
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Deeply depressing
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Fantastic to see our students’ work exhibited at one of our local Leeds city venues - go along and see this fresh new talent on display!
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Prof Dave O'Brien @drdaveobrien.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Creative Industries Sector Plan launched today as part of the industrial strategy assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68586c...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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Centre for Cultural Value @valuingculture.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
As the summer tourism season gets underway, we spotlight this think piece by @aliceborchi.bsky.social‬ & Carlo Alberto Petruzzi, highlighting recent events in Florence, a city caught between the pressures of mass tourism and preserving its cultural identity. www.culturalvalue.org.uk/the-curious-...
culturalvalue.org.uk
Mass tourism, heritage, music, and debt: the curious case of opera and urban planning in Florence - Centre for Cultural Value
Researchers Alice Borchi and Carlo Alberto Petruzzi examine recent events in Florence, a city caught between the pressures of mass tourism and the need to preserve its cultural identity.
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Prof Dave O'Brien @drdaveobrien.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
This is a really interesting read on how policy works
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Professor Peter Matthews @urbaneprofessor.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Fancy working with me? Want to do messy, community-led research with communities in Clackmannanshire? Then do I have the job for you! www.stir.ac.uk/about/work-a...
stir.ac.uk
Vacancy details | About | University of Stirling
Job vacancy at the University of Stirling.
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Really ironic after years of under investment in core cities outside London
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Prof Dave O'Brien @drdaveobrien.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Please submit papers and join us to discuss class and TV on 19th September in Leeds!
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
Tell you all you need to know www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Kemi Badenoch says she does not speak to women in burqas at constituency surgery
Tory leader says there are ‘more insidious’ issues but she asks people who attend her surgery to remove face coverings
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Centre for Cultural Value @valuingculture.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
Thank you to @uomcreativemcr.bsky.social for recording the Pandemic Culture book launch symposium. @benwalmsley.bsky.social was joined by fellow co-editors @abigilmore.bsky.social and @drdaveobrien.bsky.social to reflect upon the book’s themes and research findings. youtu.be/_2o0pKDpuSw?...
youtu.be
'Pandemic Culture' Book Launch & Symposium (17 September 2024)
YouTube video by School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
Delighted to have our chapter on bullying in the arts published in this brilliant collection
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Senior TV producers take shelf-stacking jobs as UK industry remains in crisis www.theguardian.com/media/2025/m...
theguardian.com
Senior TV producers take shelf-stacking jobs as UK industry remains in crisis
Experienced figures doing entry-level roles amid prolonged work drought since Covid and rise of online content
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
Good advice from William Hague on Laura Kuenssberg that the government will have to invest more in higher education if it wants a strong economy
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Kate Arthurs @kate-arthurs.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Register for the ICOM UK conference on Regenerative Museums and Sustainable Futures, in Liverpool 1-2 May uk.icom.museum/registration...
uk.icom.museum
REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN for the ICOM UK Annual Conference 2025:"Regenerative Museums for Sustainable Futures" - ICOM UK
ICOM UK is excited to announce that registrations are now open for its highly anticipated Annual Conference 2025, set to take place in Liverpool on 1 & 2 May 2025. This year’s conference, “Regenerativ...
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Fantastic outcome for our wonderful cultural partners - couldn’t be happier for them and us to see this pioneering development on our campus
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Sophisticated analysis here arguing for the long read of what appear to be abrupt turning points in history www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Are we at a turning point in world history? | David Motadel
Political leaders increasingly caution that we are facing a historical ‘inflection point’. Are we?
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Some powerful arguments & messages from the National Theatre launch of its report on business model innovation in the performing arts - including the truism that the cultural sector has the most power when it speaks to policymakers with one voice
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
‘Left to rot’: Glasgow’s crumbling heritage comes into focus for 850th anniversary
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 24/12/2024
“A nation’s understanding of itself is built on intangible things […]. But it is also held in its artworks and artefacts […]. Artworks have long formed part of the spoils of war, but art is always more than simply a question of beautiful, desirable objects. Culture and politics are interleaved.”
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
Dangerous times for the UK’s arts sector www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/ons-dat...
artsprofessional.co.uk
ONS data: Arts activity shrinks by 15% since July - Arts Professional
Economic activity in the creative, arts and entertainment sectors shrank by a cumulative 15% between July and October this year, an analysis by a performers' union Equity has found. Equity has highlig...
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Ben Walmsley @benwalmsley.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Huge relief north of the border
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Centre for Cultural Value @valuingculture.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
This year marks five years of the Centre for Cultural Value, and our recently published five-year review reflects upon the work and the impact of the Centre over its first five years. www.culturalvalue.org.uk/five-year-re...
culturalvalue.org.uk
Reflecting upon the Centre’s first five years - Centre for Cultural Value
Our recently published five-year review reflects upon the work and impact of the Centre for Cultural Value across its first five years.
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Centre for Cultural Value @valuingculture.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
The Centre will be leading a new scoping project to develop a blueprint for a national cultural data observatory. @benwalmsley.bsky.social and @patricktowell.bsky.social tell us more about why solving the problem of fragmented data matters to everyone. www.culturalvalue.org.uk/transforming...
culturalvalue.org.uk
Next steps in transforming cultural sector data - Centre for Cultural Value
Learn more about a new scoping project to develop a blueprint for a national cultural data observatory in the UK.
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Laura Crossley @lfcrossley.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Do you work in the cultural sector & have something to say about burnout? I’m researching burnout & what can be done to prevent it under the supervision of @benwalmsley.bsky.social Please complete this anonymous survey if you’d like to share your thoughts: www.surveymonkey.com/r/culturalse...
surveymonkey.com
Burnout in the cultural sector
Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.
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BirckenBachF 🌎🎶🇪🇺🌱🐦 @birckenbachf.bsky.social · 21/06/2024
Centre for Cultural Value (@valuingculture) Arts and culture are integral to shaping the places we live. t.co/Pf7BpNyPtL #arts #culture #culturalValue
t.co
Culture and place: Why we need to look beyond cities | ArtsProfessional
Arts and culture are integral to shaping the places we live. We now need to understand the effects cultural placemaking practices have on our towns, provinces and rural areas, argues John Wright.
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Rebecca Farkas @rebeccafarkas.bsky.social · 01/11/2023
A recent commission I made was Friction, an artistic response to a research digest by the Centre for Cultural Value that looks at 'The role of the artist in society' (yes, it's a biggie!). The digest and my short film are available here: www.culturalvalue.org.uk/the-role-of-...
culturalvalue.org.uk
Watch 'Friction' - a new short animation about the role of the artist in society - Centre for Cultur...
Artist Rebecca Farkas highlights the main themes of The Role of the Artist in Society research digest in this creative response.
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@suebecks @suebecks.bsky.social · 08/11/2024
For those just joining Bluesky and interested in Higher Education, I have created a list of educators I follow which may be helpful to look at to expand your own network. bsky.app/profile/did:... #highered #LTHEchat #altc
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