The director general of the BBC, Tony Hall, has announced a 20 per cent increase in funding for arts television programmes, in his first major speech since arriving at the corporation in April.
A new brand, ‘BBC Arts at…’ will feature live music, theatre and arts events from around the country and will see the BBC working in partnership with organisations such as Tate, the British Museum, the National Theatre and Manchester International Festival.
As part of its increased arts coverage the BBC will also be relaunching The Space, a digital arts service in collaboration with Arts Council England.
In his speech, Tony Hall said: ‘Arts programming sits right at the heart of the BBC and is a vital part of who we are. But I want us to be much more ambitious. We need to showcase more of the incredible talent that this country has to offer to the widest possible audiences. It is our privilege and our responsibility to do this.’
The BBC also recently announced a season of programmes across radio and television celebrating the music and art of the 18th century to include a television programme presented by Radio 3's Suzy Klein.