“Culture will not be singled out as a soft target”, promised new Secretary of State for Culture Jeremy Hunt, in a speech that reiterated the Tories’ pre-election policies. Hunt made a series of pledges including: asking grant-giving organisations (including Arts Council England) to reduce admin costs to 5% of the budgets they distribute; to reform the taxation system on the National Lottery to free up an additional £100m per year for the arts and heritage; and to work to boost philanthropic giving to the arts.
In moves that may go some way towards reassuring a nervous sector, Hunt emphasised that “art for art’s sake… is my starting point” and that “subsidising our cultural life is one of the best investments we can make”. He also confirmed his support for the arm’s length principle. He told the invited audience of arts professionals at the Roundhouse in Camden that “we will be open, fair and as rapid as possible in letting people know what their funding will be for the next spending settlement”, and stated that “cuts in administration and bureaucracy will always be considered ahead of decisions that could affect creative output”.
Following concerns raised by many at Hunt’s enthusiasm for American-style endowments, he was quick to assure the arts world that he sees philanthropy “not as a replacement for public funding, but as an additional pillar of support”, and he recognised that “raising money from private giving is not an option for every part of the sector”. He did, however, suggest that longer-term funding settlements (for five years, or longer) could reward organisations “for coming forward with even more ambitious fundraising programmes”. A consultation document covering proposed changes is available at http://www.culture.gov.uk.