Prime Minister Andy Burnham on his first day working in the No10 North office in Manchester Photo: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street
As the UK’s new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, launches his power base in Manchester—the snappily monikered No. 10 North—we decided to draw up a fantasy list of works the Labour leader may want to hang at the new government hub (all with a nod to the region).
Our No. 10 North selection is a bit of summer fun—we could have thrown in a maquette of Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North for good measure—but it also recalls the UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's Arts Everywhere policy, announced to much fanfare in February 2025, which actively encourages publicly funded museums and galleries to increase their engagement with people, wherever they are.
In practice, the Arts Everywhere policy means loaning works of art around the country to schools, hospitals, council chambers and libraries, for example, with the Government Art Collection leading the way. As highlighted in policy work undertaken by The Cultural Policy Unit—led by Alison Cole, an editor-at-large at The Art Newspaper—reforms to the onerous Government Indemnity Scheme, which provides insurance cover for works while out on loan, could meanwhile make it much easier for museums to get their masterpieces out and about. So let’s get the art on the road Andy!
The inspirational landscapes of Yorkshire and the seat of a national treasure.
A celebration of female innovation and creativity (in technicolour).
A colourful celebration of family, migration and entrepreneurship—fancy a choc ice?
The power of community and a focus on the beautiful game.
Culture and football, Manchester and the EU—a perfect marriage.
Wakefield-born Creed’s inspirational neon work could hang over the door of No. 10—a message to the nation?
Richard Stone’s painting, unveiled at London’s Carlton Club, has shaved off a few pounds from the UK's former prime minister
From the future of the Arts Council to AI, there are several complicated issues for the incoming culture secretary to tackle