The Critics’ Circle
Protecting and promoting cultural criticism since 1913
The Critics’ Circle believes impartial, professional criticism of the arts is an essential ingredient of a healthy society. The Circle today has 503 members shared between Theatre (117), Music (91), Film (151), Dance (57), Visual Arts (47) and Books (40). Admission to the Circle is by invitation from the Council.
Since 1988 the Circle has presented each year the Service to Art Rosebowl to an artist of conspicuous achievement. In 2015 the members voted for Dame Maggie Smith, in 2016 for Matthew Bourne.
The sections make their own awards in ceremonies which are significant social occasions, and hold periodic meetings and lunches to discuss their awards, propose new members, debate current issues and meet artists.
President: Mark Shenton
Vice-President: Mark Pullinger
Hon. General Secretary: Rick Jones criticscircleallsections@gmail.com
Hon. Treasurer: Peter Cargin
Trustees: Ian Herbert, Michael Billington, Peter Cargin
News & reviews
A new career for painter Philip Sutton – aged 92
The colourist painter Philip Sutton was 92 on October 20, and is using his experiences of eight months in lockdown to embark on the next phase of his career – as a gallerist. With several planned exhibition cancelled since February, Sutton is taking exhibiting his...
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Purcell Odes: The English Concert, St John’s Smith Square
Melancholy never seems far away from any concert these days, and the final celebratory piece aside, the English Concert gave us a Purcell programme to milk it. St John’s, completely cleared of furniture, the orchestra luxuriously spaced in the wide-open nave, a very...
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Anna Smith stands down as chair of the Critics’ Circle Film Section
After six years, Anna Smith is standing down from her role as Chair of the Film Section. Only the second woman ever to have held the position (after the late great Dilys Powell some 40 years prior), she also served two years as President of the entire Critics’ Circle,...
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Film Section welcomes seven new members
The UK Critics’ Circle Film Section is proud to announce seven new members for 2020. Film Section Chair Anna Smith says, "We are thrilled to welcome these new members, I'm sure they will be a great asset to the Circle." They are: Hanna Flint has been working as a...
read moreMaster of the Dance of Arts – a review of “Calder: The Conquest of Space: The Later Years: 1940-1976”
During the lockdown the second, and final, volume of Jed Perl’s biography of Alexander Calder was published. Not every modern master has been fortunate enough to have had an in depth biography written on them. But if Picasso has Richardson, Calder now has Perl. The...
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