Creating an informed vision

Regular AP readers will know that Pam Henderson’s suggestion (Platform,
AP199) that Arts Council England (ACE) has spent the last year engaged in introspection is far from the mark. Yes, we’ve conducted a major review of our organisation, which will result in savings of £6.5m a year being reinvested into the arts. But at the same time, we’ve undertaken a range of research, consultation and policy initiatives essential to the National Arts Strategy – our framework for future ambition and investment, which we will discuss with the sector in the autumn and publish early in 2010.
Last month we announced the findings of two major studies into the potential for arts organisations to use digital technology to increase their artistic offer (AP199). The research explored public understanding and engagement with art in the digital space and is the first phase of our three-year programme to help the arts world seize the digital opportunity. July also saw the publication of our Theatre Assessment (p1), the most detailed analysis of theatre in England since the Theatre Review of 2001. The Assessment involved lengthy consultation with the theatre sector to provide an up-to-date picture of theatre in England, alongside an analysis of the impact of our extra £25m annual investment since 2003. In September we will publish the results of our Dance Mapping consultation (AP184), the largest ever undertaking of its kind, which will identify how the artform has grown and how best we can support it. We’re also working with partners across the visual arts and museums sectors to formulate a strategy for developing our public collections of contemporary art (AP195). ACE also continues to work on proposals and pilot schemes for artistic assessment and peer review (AP171 and AP182). Assessors will be recruited in the autumn and we’ll start using the new assessment scheme early next year.

All this work is ensuring we have an up-to-date and comprehensive picture of the arts in this country. Our National Arts Strategy will then identify long- term goals and ambitions for the arts that will form the basis of how we plan, devise initiatives, and make investment decisions – informed by what our partners and public want from us.
We have not spent the last 12 months navel-gazing, nor have we solely looked to the horizon. An important part of our role is to identify immediate challenges and opportunities for the arts world and to provide support and leadership. That is why, in April, we launched a programme of actions to support artists and arts organisations suffering as a result of the recession (AP193), ensuring we don’t see the expensive to repair devastation of previous downturns. These actions include Sustain, our £40m open application fund, and the £500,000 Art In Empty Spaces initiative to help reinvigorate ailing town centres by enabling artists to occupy empty retail space. Far from the “low levels of motivation and productivity” which Pam guessed at, staff at ACE have met the challenges of the last year – both internal and external – with energy, professionalism and imagination. We remain focussed on leading and actively involving the arts sector in creating and delivering plans that ensure the arts in this country are the best they can be.