Sir Brian McMaster, former Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, has been tasked by Culture Secretary James Purnell with undertaking a review on encouraging and assessing excellence in the arts.
Dealing only with the artforms supported by Arts Council England, Sir Brian, working with former Arts Council England Director of Theatre, Nicola Thorold, and DCMS staff, will look at how public sector support can encourage excellence, risk-taking and innovation, how artistic excellence can encourage wider and deeper engagement with the arts and how a light touch and non-bureaucratic method can be found to judge the quality of the arts in the future. The review ends on 30 November, with Sir Brians report due by the end of the year. The review team is now asking for views from arts professionals and audiences on what constitutes excellence in the arts and what factors have encouraged excellence, risk-taking and innovation. Online participation is invited.
w: http://www.mcmasters.culture.gov.uk/ mr_registration/registrationform.asp