The Arts Desk
{{short description|British arts journalism website}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox website
| name = The Arts Desk
| logo = Tad-logo-red.gif
| founded = September 2009
| commercial = Yes
| type = Journalism
| registration = Yes
| language = English
| url = {{URL|www.theartsdesk.com}}
}}
The Arts Desk (theartsdesk.com) is a British arts journalism website containing reviews, interviews, news, and other content related to music, theatre, television, films, and other art forms written by journalists from a variety of traditional and web-based publications.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-25-best-music-websites-1803346.html?action=gallery&ino=21 |title=The 25 best music websites |newspaper=The Independent |date=16 October 2009 |access-date=9 April 2014 |page=21 |archive-date=31 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531032356/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-25-best-music-websites-1803346.html?action=gallery&ino=21 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.theartsdesk.com/about |work=The Arts Desk |title=About |access-date=17 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919051718/http://www.theartsdesk.com:80/about |archive-date=19 September 2016}}
History
It launched in September 2009 as a shareholder collective.{{Cite web |last=Burrell |first=Ian |date=2010-04-21 |title=Journalism's next generation: A new wave of writers are going online |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/journalism-s-next-generation-a-new-wave-of-writers-are-going-online-to-get-their-message-across-1950609.html |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=The Independent |language=en |archive-date=2023-11-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130221915/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/journalism-s-next-generation-a-new-wave-of-writers-are-going-online-to-get-their-message-across-1950609.html |url-status=live }} In its launching year, it drew around 2000 daily visitors. From 2010 to 2013, its honorary chairman was John Tusa.{{Cite web |date=2014-06-16 |title=Extracts: John Tusa - Pain in the Arts |url=https://theartsdesk.com/books/extracts-john-tusa-pain-arts |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=theartsdesk.com |language=en |archive-date=2023-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131071844/https://theartsdesk.com/books/extracts-john-tusa-pain-arts |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Waller |first=Martin |date=2010-10-20 |title=No cure for the credulous |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-100-tech/hardware-profile/article/no-cure-for-the-credulous-0lpdcmkvdnq |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221112002927/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/no-cure-for-the-credulous-0lpdcmkvdnq |archive-date=12 November 2022 |access-date=2024-01-22 |work=The Times |language=en |url-status=live |issn=0140-0460}} Its contributing editors are made up by professional critics and veteran journalists{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Ismene |date=2013-08-02 |title=Only the artists can save the arts critics |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2013/aug/02/only-artists-can-save-critics |access-date=2024-01-22 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=2022-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922024150/https://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2013/aug/02/only-artists-can-save-critics |url-status=live }} who have worked for publications such as The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph. They are freelance reviewers of art, music, dance and theatre, who post reviews online. In 2019, it signed a deal with JPI Media that would allow I news to feature arts reviews and other articles written by the website's editors.{{Cite web |date=2019-04-10 |title=JPIMedia signs deal with TheArtsDesk |url=https://www.inpublishing.co.uk/articles/jpimedia-signs-deal-with-theartsdesk-14422 |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=InPublishing |language=en |archive-date=2024-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240122190117/https://www.inpublishing.co.uk/articles/jpimedia-signs-deal-with-theartsdesk-14422 |url-status=live }}
Contributors to the website include Aleks Sierz, Adam Sweeting and Joe Muggs.
Reception
Upon its launch, The Telegraph deemed it as one of the best culture websites on the internet.{{Cite web |date=2009-11-12 |title=Best websites: Culture |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/6545173/Best-websites-culture.html |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=The Telegraph |language=en |archive-date=2021-07-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729035442/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/6545173/Best-websites-culture.html |url-status=live }} In 2012, it won an Online Media Award as the best specialist journalism site, jointly with the website for The Economist.{{cite web |url=http://www.onlinemediaawards.net/archive/2012/ |title=Online Media Awards 2014 |year=2014 |work=Online Media Awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226113845/http://www.onlinemediaawards.net/archive/2012/ |archive-date=26 February 2014 |publisher=Carnyx Group}} Prospect magazine described it as "Britain’s first professional arts critics website".{{Cite web |date=10 January 2012 |title=But What Does It Mean? & Can Art Still Shock? In association with The Arts Desk |url=https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/49829/but-what-does-it-mean-can-art-still-shock-in-association-with-the-arts-desk |access-date=2024-01-22 |website=Prospect |language=en |archive-date=2024-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240122190140/https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/49829/but-what-does-it-mean-can-art-still-shock-in-association-with-the-arts-desk |url-status=live }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arts Desk}}
Category:British entertainment websites
Category:Internet properties established in 2009
Category:Theatre information and review websites
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