ACE seeks to ensure “that artistic judgement is at the heart of its decision-making”.
Continuous artistic assessment, sectoral reviews led by Arts Council England (ACE), the incorporation of the views of audiences and practitioners, and one-off appraisals are among the proposals for a new self-assessment and peer review system in England. Following the McMaster Review’s recommendations (see AP161 and AP171), ACE will seek to assess the arts sector’s responses to a series of ideas which will foster “a new culture in which self-assessment and peer review are part of what every organisation does and are part of a mature dialogue with funding bodies”. It plans to build on good practice already being undertaken in arts organisations, and aims to “strengthen and improve governance” through the process. Alan Davey, Chief Executive of ACE, announced the national consultation process, beginning immediately, during a lecture to the Royal Society of Arts. As well as opening the consultation to everyone working in the arts, ACE has indicated that it will actively seek responses from local government organisations, which in many cases are co-funders of ACE’s regularly funded organisations (RFOs), and which have their own assessment needs, which must be met by the new system. There will also be three consultation meetings aimed primarily at RFOs and other arts sector bodies, in London (25 November), Birmingham (3 December) and Manchester (10 December).
[[ACE has unequivocally ruled out a return to the advisory panel system]] ACE has unequivocally ruled out a return to its former advisory panel system, pointing to “a widespread perception that the work of the panels was not based on a broad evidence base and relied on the opinions of relatively small numbers of people”. However, it will draw lessons both from the experience of other countries including Scotland, the Netherlands and the USA, and also from its own previous appraisal system in the 1980s and 90s. It aims to create a system which works for all RFOs, however constituted.
The consultation document asserts that “self-assessment will be the focal point for the relationship between the regularly funded organisation and the Arts Council”, with an annual review meeting to discuss “self-assessment with the organisation and what follow up action the organisation plans to take”. RFOs will be asked to set out their aims and objectives for the following year, on which their next self-assessment will be based. The document also states that “the Arts Council will be able to suggest ways of spreading best practice and offer support and signposting to advice, diagnostic, improvement and development tools”.
ACE also plans to establish a system of regular “artistic activity reports” carried out by “mystery shoppers”, providing a written report and a grading, possibly using a star rating system. ACE is considering obliging RFOs, as a condition of funding, to provide a member of staff to join a pool of reporters to carry out this work.
Davey said, “This consultation will stimulate debate about how we can establish a community of constructive criticism among the arts that recognises where things don’t work… We need to ensure that artistic judgement is at the heart of our decision-making.” The consultation ends on 23 January 2009, and a self-assessment process will be piloted in 2009, aiming to be rolled out from April 2010, but ACE has indicated “that some aspects of peer review will be introduced during 2009/10”. The consultation document can be found at http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/consultation.