ACE takes soundings

An Investment Strategy External Reference Group has been created to provide an informal sounding board for Arts Council England (ACE) as it develops processes for the next round of regular funding decisions. The group of 20 invited members includes senior personnel from leading arts and umbrella bodies. They will provide feedback and advice, comment on funding timetables, key milestones and risks, and raise issues of interest and concern to the arts sector, but will not have any influence over individual funding decisions. A spokesperson for ACE told AP that “it is not our intention to publish minutes from the meetings… [which] will consist of frank and open discussions about developing ideas and suggestions which may never become policy. Any ideas that do become official process or policy will, of course, be published.”