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 490 members shared between Theatre (117), Music (78), 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
Master 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...
read more
Critics’ Circle Music Awards 2019
The Music Section of the Critics’ Circle is delighted to announce the winners of our Annual Awards for 2019. The Lifetime Achievement Award is a special category, rather than an annual award, and is given here by the music section to a conductor whose career has had a...
read more
#NDA20 to be livestreamed from 1250 GMT tomorrow
The 20th Anniversary edition of the National Dance Awards (#NDA20) will be held at The Barbican on Wednesday (19th February) from 1-15pm. We are delighted to announce that this year’s awards will again be live-streamed and can be followed in real time on the National...
read more
Hosts Announced for #NDA20
The National Dance Awards is delighted to announce that the hosts for the 2020 National Dance Awards will be Miguel Altunaga and Mara Galeazzi. Miguel joined Rambert in 2007, having previously been a member of Danza Contemporanea de Cuba and toured with Carlos...
read more
Luisa Miller, Coliseum
ENO no-no It is easy to see why Verdi was attracted to Schiller’s tragedy about the class system, Kabale und Liebe. A genius from the lower orders, Verdi believed in freedom and was classless. English-speaking critics patronise the Schiller play because of the poison...
read more