‘It was life-changing’: the celebrated art historian who spent 46 years sitting for Frank Auerbach

Catherine Lampert is a historian, curator and model who spent much of her time sitting for her famous friends. She tells us what the likes of Auerbach, Lucian Freud and Euan Uglow meant to herLast November, a work titled Potiphar’s Wife by British painter Euan Uglow appeared in a private sale by Christie’s in London. “We were all so excited,” says art historian and curator Catherine Lampert. “I had tried many times to find out where that picture was.” It depicts a woman lying on the ground against a blue wall, legs crossed and arms stretched out behind her to, it seems, stop a man in a T-shirt from leaving

Cultural venues in England to share £130m under Arts Everywhere scheme

More than 100 cultural venues, museums, and libraries will share £130m extra funding as part of the largest cash injection into the arts for a decade, ministers have announced.The investment forms part of the Arts Everywhere Fund, a £1.5bn package to support cultural infrastructure projects over the course of this parliament, which was announced by the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, earlier this year. The fund aims to save more than 1,000 arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England.On Tuesday it was announced that venues ranging from the Lowry Centre in Salford, the Hexagon in Reading and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Warwickshire will receive funding to help open up access to facilities, complete much needed building projects and upgrade technology on site

Mysterious Lake District barn joins national treasures on heritage list

It is an elite list with some of the most significant and beautiful buildings and structures in England, including Battersea power station, Middlesbrough’s Transporter Bridge and the London Coliseum.Now the Grade II* landmarks are being joined by a mysterious, limestone rubble “barn” on a grassy knoll in the Lake District, which was most recently used as a shelter for sheep and cows.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it was awarding listed status to a building known as Henry’s Castle on the advice of Historic England. Only 5.8% of listed buildings are at grade II* level, meaning they offer “more than special interest”

‘A cauldron of people with their tops off!’ Goldie, Estelle, Courtney Pine, Flo and more pick great moments in Black British music

For its inaugural show, the V&A’s east London outpost is celebrating 125 years of Black music-making in Britain. We asked top performers to pick their favourite exhibitGoldie: Kemistry and Storm (The Diptych) by Eddie Otchere (1995)I remember riding my bike up Camden High Street and going past Red or Dead. I saw this girl Kemi, or Kemistry. She was mixed race, like me, with blond dreadlocks. Unbelievable! We ended up going for coffee and started dating

Celebrity on celebrity: are we losing the art of the big star interview?

We live in a time where ultra-rich businesspeople have accrued more wealth and power than ever, creating a growing sentiment that they ought to be held to account, no doubt exacerbated by the fact that a wealthy businessman is in his second self-enriching term in the US presidency. So naturally, CNN, Donald Trump’s supposed nemesis, has figured out the best way to use their resources to better interrogate this elevated class: by letting them interview each other about their businesses. The 1 on 1 is named not for an actual journalist going up against a major business leader; they would probably never agree to that. So instead, CEOs can “grill” each other about whatever they mutually agree are the correct things to ask fellow elites. A spokesperson says these conversations will be “refreshingly direct”

The Guide #238: The overlooked underdogs of British ​quiz​shows that are still worth a stream

The quizshow will never die. Nuclear war could rid the earth of all living creatures bar the cockroaches and still, a shiny floored half-hourer hosted by Stephen Mulhern will somehow be airing on the emergency broadcast system. Quizshows have been airing on British screens since 1938, when a televised spelling bee was broadcast on the BBC, and they have remained remarkably resilient. Today they seem a good accompaniment to an era where everyone seems to be tapping away at puzzles on their phone.Scroll down the channel guide of your TV and it won’t be long until you find a quizshow (and that one will almost certainly be The Chase)