Strategy 2020-2030 Arts Council England Let's Create
LET'S CREATE
STRATEGY 2020-2030 ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND LET'S CREATE
INTRODUCING OUR STRATEGY Page 2 THE CASE FOR Page 8 CHANGE WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE Page 15 HOW WE WILL WORK Page 18 TO ACHIEVE IT THE OUTCOMES Page 32 OUR INVESTMENT Page 44 PRINCIPLES OUR ROLE AND COMMITMENT Page 56 SO NOW, LET’S CREATE Page 60
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Sir Nicholas Serota Chair, Arts Council England
On 1 July 2016, in stations and shopping centres and high streets, men, women and children in every corner of the country came face-to-face with ghosts. To mark the centenary of the First World War, Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller and National Theatre director Rufus Norris joined forces to create we’re here because we’re here, a monumental public artwork LET’S CREATE that stretched the length and breadth of the land. Hundreds of volunteers, of all ages and from all backgrounds, trained in secret before taking to the streets in the uniforms of 100 years ago, each representing one of the soldiers who died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. On benches in Barnsley, buses in Birmingham, and on the Blackpool seafront, long-dead A COUNTRY soldiers came briefly back to life. Thousands of people came upon the work in person; millions more saw it shared across the news and on social media. Strangers struck up conversations, children turned to question grown-ups, passers-by were moved to tears. ‘Most memorials, you have to go to,’ said Deller, explaining his wish that the work would step out of buildings and into TRANSFORMED people’s lives. ‘This memorial will come to you.’
When I think of Arts Council England’s new 10-year Strategy, it’s this image that I have in my mind: crowds of volunteers in stations around the country, BY CULTURE motionless amid the evening floods of commuters, bringing concourses to a halt as they burst into song. It seems to me to hold within it both the past and the future: standing as one of the tremendous achievements supported by the Arts Council’s last 10-year Strategy, under which we were able to invest in two exceptional artists to create a work of scale and ambition, while at the same time pointing the way forward.
The boldness of the vision, and its trajectory from public spaces onto social media; the collective creativity of all the participants; the partnerships, local and national, that brought the piece to life; and perhaps most important of all, the dissolving of barriers between artists and the audiences with whom they interact: these are the elements that our new Strategy supports.
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It will value the creative potential in each of us, provide communities in every corner of the country with more opportunities to enjoy culture, and celebrate greatness of every kind. It marks a significant change, but an evolutionary one: honouring and building upon the successes of the last decade while confronting the challenges and embracing the exciting possibilities of the next. These challenges – inequality of wealth and of opportunity, social isolation and mental ill-health, and above all of these, the accelerating climate emergency – are many. LET’S CREATE Creativity and culture have a particular Honouring and building upon role to play in responding to them: they the successes of the last decade allow us to reflect and comment on while confronting the challenges society, to better understand our own lives and those of others, and to occupy and embracing the exciting a shared space in which we can debate, possibilities of the next SHARED present alternative views, and discover new ways of expressing our anxieties and ambitions. But in my time as chair of Arts Council England, it has become clearer than ever to me that while the challenges of the next 10 years are momentous, the possibilities are just as great. EXPERIENCES
Recognition of the part that creativity and culture can play in supporting local economies and talent, health and wellbeing, and children and young people, has flourished over recent years, strengthening our partnerships with local and national government, opening up new avenues for all who work in museums, libraries and arts organisations, and improving the lives of people everywhere.
Understanding of the role of culture in building and sustaining communities has come into clear focus and will sit at the heart of our work over the decade to come. Artists and cultural organisations continue to benefit from international exchange; at a point when this country is redefining its relationship with the wider world, our increasingly diverse culture is a national asset and gives us an international advantage, encouraging us to converse and collaborate freely across borders.
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Our new Strategy will support artists and organisations to go further in all of these areas: to strengthen and extend the work that is already underway in involving wider audiences; to ensure that this country’s diversity is fully reflected in the culture it produces; and to inspire and collaborate on the international stage.
And of course, in realising the opportunities of the next decade, we must look to artists themselves. This Strategy deepens our commitment to supporting individual curators, librarians, producers LET’S CREATE and artists of every kind and from every A blossoming of creativity corner of the country. We want them to learn, take risks, fail where necessary, across the country and finally to flourish in pursuit of making new work. The support that we give to creative practitioners, particularly D/deaf and disabled people, those from Black and minority ethnic A WORLD OF backgrounds, women, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, either at the beginning of their careers or at moments when they are seeking to test different paths, can provide essential time, space, and affirmation precisely when those things are needed most. For individuals, the significance OPPORTUNITIES of such support may not become clear until years later, but collectively, its impact across the cultural sphere is profound.
Consider the 2019 Mercury Prize: seven of its 12 shortlisted artists received early career investment from Arts Council-supported programmes. Without this support, their careers would have been more precarious; in some cases, they may not have continued at all. The great artists, performers, writers and curators of 2040 and 2050 need to be nurtured now: our investment in them is, at heart, an investment in a future that we believe can be brighter and better with culture and creativity at its core.
In 1951, the Secretary General of the then-Arts Council of Great Britain characterised the Council’s mission as growing ‘few, but roses’. We have come a long way since then. With this Strategy, we hope to prepare the ground for a blossoming of creativity across the country – and to acknowledge that the surest way to fill the future with every variety of flower is to recognise that we can all be gardeners.
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arts, museums and libraries meant – That there are still widespread We published our first 10-year Strategy in the autumn of 2010. to them, and what they believed socio-economic and geographic Great Art and Culture for Everyone had a simple aim: to build public money should and shouldn’t variances in levels of engagement for the first time, with the public and our partners, a shared fund. We reviewed more than 100 with publicly funded culture reports into the work of artists and – That the opportunities for children vision and a set of priorities to support and develop arts and arts organisations, libraries and and young people to experience culture in this country. museums, and the ways in which creativity and culture inside and the public benefits from them. outside school are not equal across We commissioned a study of the the country future trends that are likely to affect The Strategy’s launch coincided challenges, growing earned income the cultural sector. We looked at – That there remains a persistent and with an era of austerity, during and developing new ways of raising evidence about leadership in cultural widespread lack of diversity across which funding for arts and culture money to counter the impacts of organisations, about their economic the creative industries and in publicly from local and national government reduced public funding, while at the and environmental sustainability, and funded cultural organisations, fell. But the strong partnerships same time becoming greener and about the roles culture and creativity although awareness of the issue is that it forged helped us to support moving to diversify their work and play in the fields of health, wellbeing, greater than it used to be creative practitioners and cultural their workforces. As a result of all of and criminal justice. – That the business models organisations, even in challenging this, we’re beginning the new decade of publicly funded cultural From our analysis of this evidence we economic circumstances. And its with a far clearer understanding of the organisations are often fragile, identified a set of key issues facing clear vision allowed us to work role that culture can play in building and generally lack the flexibility to the cultural sector. Together, they purposefully with others towards the identity and prosperity of places, address emerging challenges and made up our ‘case for change’. the shared goal of a country in which creating stronger communities, and opportunities, especially around great art and culture could be made, inspiring change. They were: the decline of public funding and experienced and appreciated by as the growth of new technologies many people as possible. But there is more to do. As we – That across the country, there prepared for this new Strategy, are significant differences in how – That many creative practitioners The successes of that first Strategy we set out to understand how we ‘arts’ and ‘culture’ are defined, and leaders of cultural were significant. England’s artists, could build on the achievements of understood and valued. Many organisations report a retreat curators and librarians continued the last and do better in the areas people are uncomfortable with the from innovation, risk-taking and to flourish at home and around where challenges remain. label ‘the arts’ and associate it only sustained talent development the world. They proved to be vital with either the visual arts or ‘high We began with a conversation sources of talent and enterprise for art’, such as ballet or opera. At the involving more than 5,000 people our country’s creative industries, same time most people in this from around the country – including which in turn emerged as major country have active cultural lives members of the public, children drivers of the national economy. In and value opportunities to and young people, artists, curators many places, the Arts Council and be creative local authorities stood together and and librarians, leaders of cultural continued to invest in culture, for the organisations, and those working in benefit of local communities, and local and national government and increasingly in consultation with them. in education. We asked them how Cultural organisations responded they experienced creativity and what boldly to the decade’s economic their cultural lives looked like, what
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We then went back to the public divisions. And overshadowing This Strategy sets out the change We’re not expecting to do everything and stakeholders to test whether all of this are the urgent crises of we want to achieve together over at once. Change will take time and they recognised the issues we had climate change and environmental the next decade. It will help put in its pace will depend, in part, on identified, and whether they agreed degradation, which look certain to place conditions that enable creative the resources we have available; that our next Strategy should address be the key forces shaping our social, practitioners, cultural organisations between now and 2030 we will them. Respondents were strongly political and economic landscape and their workforces to respond publish a series of Delivery Plans positive about the direction of travel over the decade to come. nimbly and effectively to what lies that will set out our specific priorities we were proposing, while asking ahead, and to shape it for the better. for each period. But the strength us to keep in mind the considerable We’re beginning the new decade And for Arts Council England, it will and vitality of the cultural sector, achievements of the past decade. determine our role as a development together with a shared recognition They also offered many valuable ideas with a far clearer understanding agency, our approach to the of the challenges ahead and a shared about how a Strategy that aimed to of the role culture can play investment of the funds we receive commitment to this Strategy’s vision, address these key issues could be from the National Lottery and from mean we can approach the next 10 framed and delivered. tax payers, and our advocacy for years with confidence in our ability The cultural sector is already creativity and culture, over the to achieve more, and reach further. Of course, this Strategy will not exist adapting in response to these wider next 10 years. It’s time to take the next step. in a vacuum. As we look towards changes. During the consultation, 2030, the external challenges and participants were quick to point to the developments facing both our sector many organisations and individuals and the wider world are significant. across England who are already Technology continues to evolve addressing the challenges that our at speed, presenting us with new research identified. They highlighted opportunities while at the same time partnerships with the technology posing new questions. Rising health sector, the wider creative industries and social care costs will continue to and higher education; projects around place demands on public funding. health and wellbeing; progress towards environmental sustainability; The global financial outlook remains and the growing support for and uncertain, while the UK’s relationship celebration of everyday creativity. with Europe will continue to evolve Such initiatives are exciting and in the wake of our departure from inspiring. The aim now must be the European Union. This country to adapt and expand them in order will continue to grapple with historic to accelerate and deepen the wider cultural, social and economic development and impact of our sector.
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Our definitions of Culture and Creativity
CULTURE
‘Culture’ means many things to many people and is often used to refer to food, religion and other forms of heritage. CREATIVITY Here, though, we use it to mean all those areas of activity associated with ‘Creativity’ describes the process through the artforms and organisations in which which people apply their knowledge, skill Arts Council England invests: collections, and intuition to imagine, conceive, express combined arts, dance, libraries, literature, or make something that wasn’t there before. museums, music, theatre and the While creativity is present in all areas of visual arts. By describing all of this work life, in this Strategy, we use it specifically to collectively as ‘culture’, rather than refer to the process of making, producing or LET’S CREATE separately as ‘the arts’, ‘museums’ and participating in ‘culture’. ‘libraries’, we aim to be inclusive of the full breadth of activity that we support, as well as to reflect findings from the research we commissioned for this Strategy, which showed that members SPACE TO of the public tend to use the words ‘the arts’ and ‘artists’ to refer specifically to classical music, opera, ballet or the fine arts. Similarly, we have used ‘creative practitioners’ rather than ‘artists’ as an SHINE umbrella term for all those who work to create new, or reshape existing, cultural content.
We also recognise that the traditional boundaries between and around cultural activities are disappearing as new technologies and other societal changes alter the ways in which many artists, curators, librarians and other practitioners work, as well as how culture is made and shared. We’re excited by these changes, which we expect to accelerate over the next decade – and in response, we will become more flexible about the range and type of cultural activities that we support over the years to come.
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By 2030, we envisage a country transformed by its culture and at the same time constantly transforming it: a truly By 2030, we want creative nation in which every one of us can play a part. England to be a We believe that creativity and culture Many people already lead wide- are deeply connected, but different. ranging creative and cultural lives: country in which the Creativity is the process by which, they dance, draw and write; they either individually or with others, read, visit museums, and listen to creativity of each of we make something new: a work music; and they encourage their of art, or a reimagining of an existing children to do the same. Much of work. Culture is the result of that this activity is not publicly funded, us is valued and given creative process: we encounter it in and has therefore traditionally fallen the world, in museums and libraries, outside of the Arts Council’s remit. the chance to flourish, theatres and galleries, carnivals and But with this Strategy, we aim to concert halls, festivals and digital recognise and champion the creative spaces. In this Strategy, we are activities and cultural experiences and where every one drawing a distinction between the of every person in every town, two because we want everyone village and city in this country, and of us has access to a to have more opportunities for both: to ensure that, over the next 10 to be creative, and to experience years, we support more people to high-quality culture. Having the express and develop their creativity remarkable range of time and tools to develop personal and create more opportunities for creative potential can be profoundly them to enjoy the widest possible fulfilling, while engaging in culture range of culture. We will do this high-quality cultural is often a route to inspiration and because we believe that everyone, delight. Taken together, they can help everywhere should benefit from experiences. us make sense of ourselves and of public investment in creativity and each other: they provoke and uplift culture, given their power to fulfil us, us; they unite communities; and and to transform the communities in they bring us joy. If access to either which we live and work. And we will creativity or culture is limited by where do this because we want England people come from or what they do, to strengthen its reputation as one the whole of society loses out. of the most creative countries in the world.
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LET’S CREATE LET’S CREATE ART MUSIC THAT T0 MAKE THRILLS HEARTS US SING
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this work will not necessitate our young people are able to fulfil their Arts Council England is the financial investment, but over the creative potential, and access the national development agency coming decade, in our development highest-quality cultural experiences role, we will help to make where they live, where they go to for creativity and culture. connections between the culture school and where they spend their and creativity that people enjoy in free time. Our partnership with the Department for Education will remain central to our work in this area. We We received our Royal Charter in the conditions in which creativity Creating opportunities for children will continue to advocate – to the 1946 and have spent more than and culture can flourish across the and young people to reach their Department for Education, and to the 70 years funding the nation’s cultural country. We will need to identify the creative potential and to access the public and teachers – for the value life. Our first 10-year Strategy, key challenges and opportunities highest quality cultural experiences of creativity in education as well as published in 2010, was an important facing the cultural sector and take the importance of a rich curriculum milestone on our journey as a the lead in bringing together people that includes art and design, dance, development agency. Through it, with bold ideas for addressing them. their daily lives, the organisations drama and music. Securing the we were able to move beyond a We will need to explain the value that we fund, and the commercial creative and cultural lives of all our focus on investment in great work that creativity and culture bring to creative industries. children and young people is critical and organisations, important though individuals, communities and the to realising this Strategy’s vision this is, and build an evidence base country in ways that move hearts We will work in partnership with for 2030. and use it to direct our investments and convince minds. In short, our job cultural organisations, media and develop partnerships, with the will be to work with the Department companies, healthcare providers, We believe in the inherent value of aim of benefitting more people. for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, charities and the voluntary sector, creativity and culture: in their power the local authorities, and others, local and national government, and to delight and move us, and in their But the research for this Strategy to support positive change and other National Lottery distributors, capacity to help us make sense of tells us there is further to go. innovation in the cultural landscape, to speak directly to the public, in the world. But we also know that In order to achieve our ambitions and to move everyone towards that order to raise awareness of the investment in creativity and culture for the next decade, we will need to vision of a country in which everyone creative and cultural activities on can deliver broad social benefits, realise fully our role as this country’s can explore their own creativity and offer and the benefits that taking through the skills they offer to young national development agency for enjoy outstanding culture. part in them can deliver. people and workers, the economic creativity and culture. We will need growth they generate, and the part to invest strategically, both This Strategy is based on the need to Children and young people were at they play in building healthy, close- locally and nationally, and link our recognise and celebrate the creative the heart of our first Strategy and knit communities. Over the next investment to outcomes that the lives of everyone in this country, and it was clear from our consultation 10 years, we will work to improve public have said they want. We will its success will depend on our ability that the public places tremendous the way we make the case for need to grow the skills, knowledge to understand and champion a wider value on our support for them. So the social and economic value of and networks of our local and range of culture than we have before, over the next 10 years, we will focus investing public money in culture. national teams, so we can build including in the amateur, voluntary a large part of our development To strengthen the country’s creative new partnerships and help establish and commercial sectors. Much of role on ensuring that children and industries, which make up one of
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LET’S CREATE LET’S CREATE DANCE MUSEUMS THAT OF THE MOVES US FUTURE
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the fastest growing sectors of the In 2011, Arts Council England Museums play an essential role All of this work plays a key role in economy, we will promote research took on national responsibility in helping us understand and ensuring that England’s collections and development, and support the for the development of libraries shape culture. They connect us and objects are developed, protected adoption of new technologies. and museums, with core funding to the past and encourage us to and enjoyed, both now and in the Given the persistent lack of diversity of public libraries remaining the think about the future. Museums future. A dynamic museums sector across the creative industries, we statutory responsibility of local themselves have evolved into will be at the heart of this Strategy: will push to ensure that the cultural library authorities. We believe cross-disciplinary institutions, over the next 10 years, alongside workforce is representative of that England’s network of public connecting science, history our statutory functions, we will go contemporary England. We will libraries provides a vital resource and art, developing knowledge on expanding public access to their take steps to support the cultural for the development of creativity through research, making space collections, to ensure that they sector to set the pace in coming up and the promotion of culture across for education, debate, creative continue to delight and inspire as with imaginative new approaches and artistic activity and sustaining many people as possible. to promoting environmental We will support our cultural a spirit of place in communities. Looking into the future, as this responsibility. At a local level, we organisations to present the best Alongside our role in supporting and will work with partners to support developing museums, we also have country’s relationship with Europe inclusive economic growth through of world culture, to excite and a series of statutory UK-wide roles changes, our role in helping artists and investment in libraries, museums inspire audiences for the development of the country’s organisations to work internationally and arts venues to ensure that they collections and cultural property. We will become even more important. are fit-for-purpose and able to meet this country. They are the country’s deliver the Government Indemnity International activity brings major the needs of their communities and most widespread and well-used Scheme, which offers a crucial cultural and financial benefits to the the people who work and create cultural spaces, sitting at the heart alternative to commercial insurance, country: it promotes understanding within them. We will also make of communities and often providing meaning that museums can afford and knowledge exchange, develops the case for investing in appropriate the first point of access to cultural to put important cultural objects on the skills of the cultural workforce, new cultural buildings to drive local activity. They help to build stronger, display, and the Acceptance in Lieu and provides a vital stream of income economic regeneration. In all of happier communities, support social and Cultural Gifts Schemes, which to many cultural organisations. Over this work, Arts Council England prescribing, develop readers and bring objects into public ownership, the next 10 years, we will extend the will use data to build and share promote digital literacy. They will be allowing us all to enjoy them. We international profile of the cultural a more sophisticated picture of central to our delivery of this Strategy, work with the Department for Digital, sector, helping those organisations local investment, and to operate and over the next 10 years we will Culture, Media & Sport to deliver already working internationally effectively as an expert national increase our investment in them. export controls which enable cultural to strengthen their activity, and development agency that is able objects to move across borders, developing new opportunities for to invest at scale in order to seize and provide opportunities to retain individuals and organisations to opportunities and deal with national treasures for this country. build global partnerships. big challenges.
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We will support cultural Over the next decade, we will use our organisations to present the best national perspective to strengthen of world culture, to excite and inspire these existing partnerships and build audiences in this country. We will new ones: identifying others who maintain our support for international share our vision and want to work LET’S CREATE showcasing opportunities and touring, with us to grow creative and cultural and work to evolve new international opportunities in towns, cities and exchange programmes and networks. villages across England. By 2030, We will continue to work with the our network of partners will be British Council, the GREAT campaign, drawn from inside and outside the and the International Federation of cultural sector: from local and central LIBRARIES Arts Councils and Cultural Agencies, government; from further and higher and we will seek out new partners, education and schools; from the in order to maximise the benefits commercial, public and not-for-profit of this activity. sectors; and from patrons, private THAT donors and trusts and foundations. The Outcomes that this Strategy sets Our ambition is that public, private out are ambitious. We cannot achieve and commercial investment in them alone – and nor would we want culture and creativity will all have to. Partnership working is essential increased by 2030. INSPIRE US to the development of a creative and cultural country: it allows all of us to work together, learn from each other and, ultimately, reach further. Our current partnerships with local authorities and higher education institutes are among our most significant and valuable assets.
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The Strategy
Arts Council England’s Strategy for 2020-30 is built around three Outcomes and four Investment Principles. They are designed to work together to achieve our vision of a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish, and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences.
The three Outcomes focus in turn These Outcomes are ambitious and The four Investment Principles set The Outcomes and Investment on how people can develop personal are intended to touch everyone in out how cultural organisations will Principles are fundamentally linked. creativity at every stage of their lives; this country. However, we recognise need to develop so that they can We believe people are better able to how culture is created by and with that within this country, there are better deliver the three Outcomes. develop their creative potential if they people in their communities, and places and people who have been Under these Principles, all of the have easy access – off and online – how it shapes the places in which disadvantaged by historic patterns organisations that we fund will to outstanding libraries, museums they live, work, learn and visit; and of public funding, including within be dynamic, highly collaborative, and arts organisations. Such the development of the innovative, culture. Therefore, the Delivery Plans inclusive and relevant in the way provision must be locally accessible collaborative and internationally- that we will publish over the next they work and the culture they but part of a national cultural facing professional cultural sector decade in which we set out the detail produce, and champions of good ecology: one that is ambitious, that we believe will be needed over of how we will deliver this Strategy leadership. They will be ambitious, inclusive and relevant, dynamic and the next decade. The first Outcome will pay particular attention to and constantly seek to improve environmentally responsible. And focuses on amateur and voluntary addressing those historic imbalances. the quality of their work. They will that national ecology must in turn creative activity, including by children Specifically, we will ensure that be leaders in their communities be strengthened by talented artists and young people. The third Outcome our programmes meet the needs in their approach to environmental from all communities, who have been looks at the professional cultural of those from lower socio-economic responsibility, and will be able to given equal opportunities to develop sector, including those seeking to backgrounds, D/deaf or disabled demonstrate their success through their individual creative potential. develop a career in the creative people, and those from Black and creative and business innovation. Taken together, the Outcomes and industries after they leave full-time minority ethnic backgrounds, Collectively, the organisations we Investment Principles will guide us education. The second Outcome who have traditionally had least support will represent the diversity towards the creative and cultural brings the first and third Outcomes access to our resources. of this country. Individually, they will nation we want England to become together by considering how the work in ways that are valuable to, by 2030. professional and voluntary sectors and valued by, their communities, can work with each other to help creative practitioners and partners. shape stronger cultural provision in villages, towns and cities.
26 27 STRATEGY 2020-2030 HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE IT THE OUTCOMES OUR INVESTMENT PRINCIPLES
AMBITION & QUALITY Cultural organisations are ambitious and committed CREATIVE to improving the quality of PEOPLE their work Everyone can develop and express creativity throughout their life
INCLUSIVITY & RELEVANCE CULTURAL DYNAMISM England’s diversity is COMMUNITIES Cultural organisations fully reflected in the are dynamic and able to Villages, towns and cities organisations and respond to the challenges thrive through a collaborative individuals that we support of the next decade approach to culture and in the culture they produce
A CREATIVE & CULTURAL COUNTRY ENVIRONMENTAL England’s cultural sector is innovative, collaborative RESPONSIBILITY and international Cultural organisations lead the way in their approach to environmental responsibility
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LET’S CREATE LET’S CREATE FESTIVALS LITERATURE FULL OF TO SPARK THE ADVENTURE IMAGINATION
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Everyone can be creative, and each of us has the potential to develop our creativity further. Taking part in creative acts such as singing, photography or writing delights and fulfil us, and helps us to think, CREATIVE PEOPLE experiment, and better understand the world.
Everyone can develop and express creativity throughout their life
Getting involved in creative activities fund to do more to highlight them to in communities reduces loneliness, their local communities. And where supports physical and mental health there are gaps in provision, we will and wellbeing, sustains older people support museums, libraries and arts and helps to build and strengthen organisations to use their collections, social ties. People everywhere tell us knowledge, skills and other assets to CREATIVE how much they value opportunities to support community-led activities that PEOPLE develop and express their creativity, are open to everyone. both on their own and with others. But they also describe difficulties in The public has said how much they finding activities for themselves or value opportunities for children to their children to take part in, as well take part in creative activities, and as barriers to becoming, and then that they want to see more of our staying, involved. And in many places, funding directed at widening and the libraries and community spaces improving these opportunities. The that play a vital role in organising such pre-school years play a vital role in activities are under pressure. readying children for school, as well as helping to set the compass for Over the next 10 years we will future creative and cultural activity support communities to design and wider success in life. We believe and develop more opportunities that it is critical to develop high-quality for creative activity. Many people and affordable early years creative already take part in activities that activity across the country, and we are run by professional or volunteer- will support libraries and cultural led groups, commercial operators, organisations, community partners or publicly funded organisations. and the public to come together Where these activities exist, we will to make this available for all young encourage the organisations we children and their families.
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Children and young people talk In addition, we are committed to passionately about the pleasure they ensuring that a broad and vital arts LET’S CREATE get from creative activities (many of curriculum is taught in all schools. which they undertake in their own We will also encourage the time, and often online) and how they Department for Education to build use them to express themselves and on its current investment in Music develop their skills and confidence. Education Hubs, National Youth THEATRE THAT They also talk about the important Music and Dance organisations, role that creative activities can play In Harmony and Saturday Clubs, in helping them deal with anxiety, so that all children and young people stress and social isolation. However, in this country can develop their CHANGES OUR for most young people, access to creative potential, inside and outside high quality creative and cultural of school. Finally, we will create opportunities outside of the home clearer, more accessible pathways is too dependent on their social for children and young people who WORLD background and their postcode. This are interested in pursuing careers has to change. We will make the case in the creative industries. for a stronger focus on teaching for creativity and critical thinking across the curriculum, both to school leaders and to the Department for Education. Employers from all industries and sectors spoke of the value they placed on creative skills and critical thinking in their workforces, and over the next decade, we will work to ensure that those skills are developed more effectively in young people.
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Culture and the experiences it offers can have a deep and lasting effect on places and the people who live in them. Investment in cultural activities and in arts organisations, museums and libraries helps improve lives, regenerate CULTURAL COMMUNITIES neighbourhoods, support local economies, attract visitors and bring people together. Villages, towns and cities thrive through a collaborative approach to culture
Arts Council England already works in people from taking part in publicly partnership to develop and strengthen funded cultural activity. Many cultural cultural opportunities in rural and urban organisations are in the process areas across the country. We also of evolving how they make and invest hundreds of millions of pounds share culture in order to address in cultural buildings, organisations this, while others already hold it as and artists throughout the country. a core purpose. Our Creative People In the last 10 years, recognition has and Places programme offers clear grown of the powerful role culture evidence that when communities can and should play in transforming are involved in shaping their local the streets, boroughs and cultural provision, a wider range of neighbourhoods where people live. people participate in publicly funded cultural activity. And when the cultural We want to see communities that sector works closely with community are more socially cohesive and partners, the activity itself is richer economically robust, and in which and more relevant, resources go CULTURAL residents experience improved COMMUNITIES further, and greater civic and social physical and mental wellbeing, benefits are delivered. as a result of investment in culture. Over the next decade we will work Museums are centres for knowledge with a wider range of partners, and cultural participation. They including the other National Lottery work with local communities to distributors, local government, further create understanding of people and and higher education and schools, places. Libraries reach audiences healthcare providers, the criminal from all backgrounds and of all justice system, the voluntary sector, ages, and provide meeting places, the commercial creative industries maker spaces, and focal points for and wider business, to support creative and cultural activity within communities to use creativity and local communities, in conjunction culture to create thriving places to with their delivery of four national live, work, study and visit. Universal Offers (reading, health and wellbeing, digital and information, This will only be possible if there is and culture and creativity). We will a shared commitment to removing support local cultural organisations, the geographic, economic and social including libraries, museums, barriers that currently prevent many Music Education Hubs and arts
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organisations, to develop a better People should have access to a understanding of the needs and full range of cultural opportunities interests of their communities, wherever they live – but these and to use that intelligence for opportunities are currently uneven, the measurable benefit of particularly for those living in towns or LET’S CREATE those communities. rural areas, where public transport is often either unavailable or expensive. We believe that cooperation We will aim for a better balance between cultural organisations and of investment across the country local partners is particularly effective and will work with the right partners when it is aimed at supporting ARTS CENTRES on a range of projects, including children and young people. We will capital investment in physical and encourage cultural organisations digital infrastructure and the use to work in partnership with local of technology to distribute cultural education providers to plan, content into homes, cultural venues THAT OPEN resource and deliver a joined-up and community spaces. We will cultural education programme continue to support the development that ensures every child in their of touring at all scales, especially area can access high-quality culture into places with the least access MINDS and realise their creative potential. to publicly funded culture. We want There is growing evidence that the cultural sector in every part of creative and cultural activity can lead this country to be outward-looking. to improved health and wellbeing. We And we will support towns, cities want to develop deeper partnerships and villages to use culture to connect, with the Department of Health and nationally and internationally, and Social Care, NHS England, social care to reflect the diverse influences, providers and others to support further experiences and knowledge of their research in this area, learn from what diaspora communities in building is proven to work internationally, and and understanding collections and explore the potential of promising new creating and presenting work. approaches such as social prescribing.
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To achieve the first two Outcomes, we need a professional cultural sector that generates new ideas, works easily and effectively with others, and is adept at developing diverse talent from every community. It should aspire to be world-leading – in the way it A CREATIVE & CULTURAL COUNTRY makes art, in the imagination and expertise with which it makes exciting use of collections and develops libraries, and in the England’s cultural sector is innovative, culture it creates and shares. collaborative and international
The cultural sector will only ever be support everyone who embarks on as strong as the talent on which it is such a career to remain in the sector built. Many artists from this country and fulfil their potential, regardless of have developed global reputations for their background. The future success the quality of their work and are in of the cultural sector depends on demand around the world. However, being able to draw on a talent pool it is also the case that many creative that reflects society as a whole and is practitioners and cultural workers, much wider and deeper than it is now. especially those from lower socio- economic backgrounds, D/deaf or We will encourage the organisations disabled people, and those from Black we invest in to embrace innovation. and minority ethnic backgrounds, We will support them to adopt new continue to struggle to develop and technologies, focusing both on sustain financially viable careers. developing new work and reimagining Unless we address this, the cultural our cultural heritage for the audiences sector will fail to achieve its potential, of today, and on experimenting with and the global competitiveness of new ways of reaching the public. this country’s creative industries will We want them to become more come under threat. Currently, the collaborative: to learn from each opportunity to establish and sustain other, share resources and jointly a creative career – as a freelance develop talent. We will assist them director, writer, maker, performer, to forge new partnerships with A CREATIVE & designer, composer, producer, further and higher education, the CULTURAL painter, curator, librarian, sculptor or technology sector, the charitable COUNTRY choreographer – is unfairly dependent and voluntary sectors and the on personal background. We want to commercial creative industries. We help children and young people from are confident that, in drawing on this every part of the country to wider pool of expertise, organisations understand what a career in the will see new creative and business cultural sector or the wider creative innovations emerge. industries could look like, and to
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The publicly-funded cultural sector Many of this country’s creative already acts as an incubator for the practitioners and cultural commercial creative industries: organisations are already celebrated spotting and nurturing talent and internationally, with reputations that undertaking early development of contribute to England’s position as a new content. We will deepen those global tourist destination. We want connections, supporting the creative to build on this success and support industries to build on England’s more organisations and practitioners international reputation for creativity to develop stronger international and act as an ever more important connections. As this country moves engine for the country’s economy. to reposition itself within Europe We want to work in partnership with and the wider world, we will seek further and higher education and the to encourage and develop a cultural commercial sector to undertake more sector that is outward-looking and effective research, and strengthen globally connected, and that is training opportunities so that more committed to working with and people working in the cultural learning from international talent sector become ready adopters and and expertise. We will support the developers of new technologies. development of new international LET’S CREATE We believe that this will help people partnerships that enable knowledge- in creative careers to be more sharing, co-investment and trading adaptable, thus supporting them to opportunities, and will deliver financial move back and forth between the and cultural benefits for the country publicly funded cultural sector and as a whole. We will also encourage A NATION the commercial creative industries, more international research and circulating knowledge and skills as dialogue about the global collections they do so. held in the country’s museums, and support those museums to take a Risk taking and innovation are critical collaborative and inclusive approach OF CREATORS to the success of the cultural sector. to working with their collections, But funding pressures over the based on a clearer understanding of last decade have made it harder their origins. And we will encourage for many cultural organisations to the organisations we support to bring experiment and undertake formal the very best of world culture here, research and development. In future, to delight audiences and to inspire the Arts Council will do more to current and future generations of support innovation. We will be clearer librarians, curators and artists. about the fact that we are open to taking risks, and that we accept that not all of our investments will be immediately successful.
42 43 STRATEGY 2020-2030 OUR INVESTMENT PRINCIPLES
To achieve the Strategy’s three Outcomes, both Arts Council England and the organisations and people we invest in will need AMBITION to change. Our four Investment Principles will help steer that & QUALITY change. We believe that organisations that are committed to Cultural organisations are ambitious and committed applying them will be better able to deliver the Outcomes, and to improving the quality to provide greater benefit to the public. of their work
Over the next 10 years we want We will expect organisations seeking to create an environment in which investment from us to tell us what INCLUSIVITY cultural organisations can more plans they have to apply each of the & RELEVANCE DYNAMISM readily change and develop, as well four Principles, and how they will England’s diversity Cultural organisations as come and go. By 2030 we will be work on improving their performance is fully reflected in are dynamic and able to investing in organisations and people against them. It will be the Arts the organisations and respond to the challenges of individuals that we that differ, in many cases, from those Council’s responsibility to ensure that the next decade support and in the that we support today. Some will each organisation’s plan is appropriate culture they produce be members of our current National and ambitious, and it will be the Portfolio that have evolved to meet responsibility of the organisation’s the future needs of communities board to monitor and report on the and artists. Others will be new to progress they are making. We will us. Their work will be valued by their encourage organisations to learn ENVIRONMENTAL communities, creative practitioners from what works best around the RESPONSIBILITY and partners. Collectively, they will world, and support them to change Cultural organisations reflect the diversity of this country. where needed. lead the way in their approach to environmental We will also apply these Principles responsibility to our own organisation, setting out how we intend to develop and improve, and we will report on our progress.
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The public deserve the best in return Judgments about quality are inevitably AMBITION & QUALITY for their investment, so the Arts complex and open to debate. We will Council is committed to the pursuit therefore continue to work with the Cultural organisations are ambitious and of the highest quality in everything cultural sector to establish a shared committed to improving the quality of their work we do. We believe in the value of language around it, which we will draw training and skills, and we will use our on as we consider and explain our investment to support organisations investment decisions. But in the end it to develop talent and improve quality will be the Arts Council’s responsibility – across all their creative work and to use our experience and expertise to processes, and in the way in which make the judgments that determine they run their organisations. those decisions.
We do not believe that certain We want to invest in organisations AMBITION types or scales of creative activity that are bold, and are determined & QUALITY are inherently better or of greater to improve the quality of their work. value than others: excellence can We will expect applicants to set out be found in village halls and concert their ambitions when they apply to halls, and in both the process of us for investment, and to talk about participation and the work that is how they plan to make their work produced. We are committed to better. We will expect them to gather backing organisations and creative the views of the public and their practitioners of all ages who have peers on the quality of what they do, the potential to excel at what they and use that feedback in discussion do, as well as supporting those who with their staff and boards to shape are already at the top of their game. future decisions about their work. We expect them to be aware of the best work in their field – wherever it happens in the world – and to tell us how they will apply that knowledge to their own development.
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As we move through the next We want to see the development DYNAMISM decade, we expect to see changes of a more informed and effective in the tastes and habits of the data culture within the organisations Cultural organisations are dynamic and able to public, alongside new technological that we fund, and the adoption of respond to the challenges of the next decade opportunities, and ongoing pressure appropriate new technologies across on public funding. To navigate these all aspects of their businesses. opportunities and risks successfully, We know that the cultural sector cultural organisations will need has yet to fully utilise the power of to become more dynamic. This may data to understand its audiences and involve organisations changing the impact of its work. We will build both their missions and their partnerships with the technology business models. sector and with further and higher education to help drive improvement We will expect cultural organisations, in this area. especially those in our National Portfolio, to invest in their workforces in order to develop the skills required to respond as quickly and effectively as possible to a rapidly changing external environment. Good governance and leadership will be critical in inspiring positive change and growing teams that are happy, inclusive and able to draw on the DYNAMISM widest possible range of ideas and experiences in order to build successful businesses over the next decade. Cultural organisations will need to become more entrepreneurial and develop business models that help them maximise income, reduce costs and become more financially resilient. We will expect them to look for opportunities to share services and explore mergers with other organisations.
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The climate crisis and environmental Over the next 10 years, we will ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY degradation will be the most expect the cultural organisations significant challenge facing all of us we support to redouble their Cultural organisations lead the way in their over the next decade and beyond. commitment to environmental approach to environmental responsibility The cultural sector has already taken responsibility. We will ask them to major steps to reduce its carbon make plans to reduce their impact, footprint, partly as a result of a range and to measure, understand and of initiatives supported by the Arts report on their progress in doing so. Council. Alongside this, more and We want cultural organisations to act more artists and organisations are as leaders within their communities engaging with the subjects of climate, in terms of taking an environmentally biodiversity, waste and energy in responsible approach to running the work they create, programme businesses and buildings: by lowering and support. Research using natural carbon emissions, increasing levels of history collections, meanwhile, helps recycling, cutting their use of plastic people better understand these and reducing water consumption. issues and suggests ways in which We also expect them to promote the policy and behaviour might be adapted need for environmental responsibility to address them. This creative and in the communities in which they scientific dialogue is shaping a cultural work, through their partnerships response to the climate crisis that and with their audiences. They should provides new insights and reflects be aware of the cultural sector’s the demands of audiences. role in helping to lead change, and they should aim to be innovative and responsive in the choices they make.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
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In 2011 Arts Council England launched ask organisations who receive regular INCLUSIVITY & RELEVANCE the Creative Case for Diversity. investment from us to agree targets In the years since, it has helped focus for how their governance, leadership, England’s diversity is fully reflected in the attention on the decisions that cultural employees, participants, audiences organisations and individuals that we support organisations make about the work and the work they make will reflect and in the culture they produce that they produce, present and collect. the communities in which they work. It has led to a wider recognition These targets will cover both that choices about which artists to protected characteristics (including commission, what repertoires to disability, sex, and race) and socio- stage, which exhibitions to mount economic background. and which performers to employ play an important part in representing the We also expect the organisations we diversity of this country and ensuring support to change in other ways. We that public money is invested to the want them to build closer connections benefit of all communities. with their communities, particularly those that they are currently The Creative Case for Diversity underserving. We want them to mean has deepened the quality of cultural more, to more people: to strengthen provision in this country, giving voice their relevance to the communities, to talented creative practitioners partners and practitioners with whom who have too often been overlooked. they work. We will therefore ask them It is now time to build on this work to demonstrate how they are listening and address the persistent and to the voices of the public, including widespread lack of diversity and children and young people, artists, INCLUSIVITY & RELEVANCE inclusivity in cultural organisations’ and creative practitioners, as well as leadership, governance, workforce the partners they will need to work and audience. This will promote with to deliver our three Outcomes. equality and fairness, as well as We will also ask them to tell us how ensuring that cultural organisations they are reflecting what they hear in are more effective businesses. the planning of their work.
The 2010 Equality Act requires Arts In future, we will judge organisations Council England to exercise its Public for the way in which they reflect Sector Equality Duty to consider and and build a relationship with their advance equality in our investment communities, as well as for the and policy making. In future, we will quality and ambition of their work.
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LET’S CREATE LET’S CREATE PLACES TO MOMENTS CELEBRATE TO REFLECT
54 55 STRATEGY 2020-2030 OUR ROLE AND COMMITMENT OUR ROLE AND COMMITMENT
To deliver this Strategy Arts Council England must change.
The following commitments are – Grow our expertise and capacity – Invest in new technologies and use In our workforce, we will: designed to set out how we will to support and broker more them to improve existing services – Accelerate our progress in ensuring work over the next decade: to keep international opportunities for and develop new ones. our workforce, leadership and our delivery on track, to ensure that organisations and individuals – Answer the following questions governance is representative we are held to account, and to serve working in culture. before making investments: of this country’s population. as an invitation to others to join us as – Provide platforms for debate partners. They’re not exhaustive, and 1. How well does this – Ensure more D/deaf and and support the cultural sector they will inevitably evolve over time – proposal help to achieve disabled people work with to learn from the best new ideas but they will help us to stay focused, our three Outcomes? and for Arts Council England. from around the world. to work differently, and to continue 2. How well does it address – Identify the skills, expertise and – React quickly and effectively to to develop as an organisation. the priorities in our current knowledge we will need for the national and local opportunities delivery plan? next decade and invest in and Over the next decade, in our and challenges. develop them through training national role, we will: 3. To what extent is the – Strive to be relevant and and recruitment. applicant able to demonstrate – Build our capacity, understanding responsive to the public, the commitment to our four – Reduce our impact on the and knowledge at a local level cultural sector and the places that Investment Principles? environment, and measure, by retaining our network of local we are here to serve, by listening understand and report offices, combining this with strong and giving voice to a wide a range 4. How well does this proposal on progress. national intelligence. We will of people, including young people. contribute to achieving a good continue to bring together local and balance of activity across the In our investment processes, national decision making to ensure country and across disciplines we will: that we operate as an effective (including artforms, museums development agency. – Regularly review our application and libraries)? processes and our monitoring and – Establish, nurture and maintain 5. Would the activity or service reporting requirements to ensure strong partnerships – including happen without our investment? that they are as accessible, easy to across national and local understand and inclusive 6. Will our funding leverage government, in all areas as possible. additional investment that of education, and with the might otherwise be lost? commercial, not-for-profit – Become a more flexible investor, and voluntary sectors. developing alternative investment 7. What is the best type and schemes (such as loans or stakes) duration of investment (revenue to support our traditional time- or capital funding, grant, loan limited grants. or stake) for the proposal?
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In terms of our research and data, And in terms of our accountability we will: and targets, we will: – Be clear on what we want to – Develop a series of Delivery Plans measure and how we will do so. that set out what our priorities will be for the period in question and – Be a dynamic and responsible the actions we will take to deliver collector and user of data, applying those priorities. both current legislation and open LET’S CREATE data principles. – Include in those Delivery Plans a set of performance measures – Use research to improve our that will set out how we will understanding of what the public track and report on progress in and our stakeholders want, and to achieving both our Outcomes learn from others, both within and THRIVING and our priorities. We will also outside of the cultural sector. include detail on how the Arts – Ensure that any research we Council intends to improve its undertake is readily available performance against the four for use by others. Investment Principles. COMMUNITIES – Provide regular reports on progress against our Strategy, on targets and on the investments we are making on behalf of the public and our stakeholders. – Provide a clearer account of the impact we, those we invest in, and the wider cultural sector make. – Learn from and share our successes and our mistakes, our progress and our challenges. – Continue to generate efficiency savings in all areas of our operations in order to invest more resources in supporting creativity and culture.
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Darren Henley Chief Executive, Arts Council England
Ten years is a long time. If a Strategy spanning such a period is to succeed, it needs to be flexible, not rigid; a guiding light, rather than an instruction manual. So what we have set out here is not an action plan, but a vision: of the richer, wider, deeper role creativity and culture can play in this country, and of the ways in which we believe we must all adapt, and all work together, to achieve it.
When I joined Arts Council England in 2015, I made a pledge to spend as LET’S CREATE much time as possible out of the office. In the five years since, I’ve travelled the length and breadth of the country, and stayed in towns, cities and villages from Cornwall to Cumbria. I’ve talked with artists and arts organisations, visited museums and libraries, and listened to pre-schoolers and care home residents. I’ve drunk many cups of coffee and enjoyed a lot of homemade cake. And in the course of my travels, I have learned that while the range BETTER and scope of cultural activity in this country is breathtakingly wide, there is one thing that draws it all together. Whatever shape they take and wherever we experience them, creative activities and cultural experiences improve our lives. They challenge perceptions, broaden horizons, form and transform communities, and enable us to flourish in previously unimagined ways. LIVES The bottom line is: they make us happy.
Over the past few years, I have been lucky enough to encounter more inspiring, impactful, uplifting cultural experiences than I can count, but one example, for me, stands out. In 2015, I visited the Escape Family Support Centre in Ashington, Northumberland – a part of the world that has suffered chronic economic and social challenges since the closure of its coal mines. A group of women at the centre, which assists individuals and families affected by substance abuse, had been working with a local artist, Maureen Hanley, as part of a project developed by the area’s Arts Council England Creative People and Places programme. The centre was already a much-loved community space for these women. But through the guidance and encouragement of Maureen, who supported them to make their own works to hang on the walls, the place, and their place in it, it was transformed.
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As they led me down the centre’s corridors, pointing out their paintings, each and every one of them told me that through the work, they’d gained a renewed sense of pride and purpose. They discovered talents they didn’t know they had, and found new, more powerful ways to tell their own stories. Previously, they’d been a community united by the difficulties they were facing; now, they were united by something else: by a shared creative act.
It is every bit as vital for the Arts Council to invest in the creativity and cultural ambitions of people in towns such as Ashington as it is to ensure that London is a capital city that continues to stand as a cultural beacon on the world stage. The vision of this Strategy, therefore, is of a country in which the LET’S CREATE creativity of everyone living here is celebrated and supported: in which culture forms and transforms communities, and in which cultural institutions are inclusive of all of us, so that whoever we are and wherever we live, we can share in their benefits. But it’s not just our vision. When we began to think about this Strategy, THE NEXT I was determined that the Arts Council should do as I’ve done in my role as its Chief Executive: seek out the views of individual artists, of the people who work in our museums, libraries and arts organisations, and of members of the public of all ages, and learn from them. Over a year-long consultation, two clear, unifying messages emerged. On the one hand, people talked about BIG THING the deep joys and broad dividends that creativity and culture bring – especially for children and young people. But on the other, we heard again and again that while talent in this country is everywhere, the opportunities to use it are not. The vision of this Strategy, and its Outcomes and Investment Principles, reflect and respond directly to both of these messages. This Strategy was not conceived behind closed doors. We worked together with the sector we represent, and the communities we serve, to create it.
And it’s in this spirit of collaboration that we will continue, now that the Strategy is complete, and the real work of delivering it begins. Over the course of the decade in front of us, the world in which we’re operating will inevitably alter: economic, social, political and environmental challenges will shift and evolve, and new opportunities, particularly around technology and data, will arise.
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In such a rapidly changing landscape, we’ll need to be nimble and responsive in the way we work, in order to navigate the risks and make the most of the opportunities. But the Outcomes that we’ve identified – the common aims of the development and support of creative people, cultural communities, and a creative and cultural country – will remain constant. And the Investment Principles that sit hand-in-hand with those Outcomes – the shared commitment to ambition and quality, dynamism, environmental responsibility, and inclusivity and relevance across all of our work – will provide us with the necessary tools to meet challenge and drive change through the years ahead. Over the next 10 years, in order to deliver this Strategy, Arts Council England LET’S CREATE will focus more strongly on our role as the national development agency for creativity and culture. We will do so through investment: in a new generation of creative practitioners and cultural organisations, equipped to learn from and test the boundaries of new technologies, and to innovate and take risks in all areas of creative practice. We will do so through partnerships: through building connections between communities, businesses and institutions, NEW WAYS and the creative practitioners with whom they work. We will do so A country in which the creativity through advocacy: through making of everyone living here is celebrated the case more clearly, and to more and supported OF THINKING people, for the benefits that creativity and culture bring. And finally, we will do this together, in a way that is inclusive and appreciative of the creativity and culture, and the talents and needs, of every one of us. Because if we’re going to support the cultural sector to be fit for the future, we have to make sure that everyone, everywhere, benefits from it and can be part of it. If we fail at this, we won’t succeed at anything else. We need to be an Arts Council for the whole of England – and this Strategy is our route-map.
I believe in the vision of this Strategy. I believe in the power of artists, curators, librarians, arts organisations, museums and libraries to deliver it. I believe, above all else, that people with creativity and culture in their lives are happier and more fulfilled human beings. With this Strategy, we want to build a country in which every single one of us has the opportunity to benefit from creativity and culture. So I ask you to join today in committing to the Principles and realising the Outcomes that we’ve set out here. Together, let’s create better lives.
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Glossary
CREATIVE PEOPLE AND PLACES THE NATIONAL PORTFOLIO
A National Lottery-funded programme The term we currently use to describe created by Arts Council England to the group of arts organisations,
allocate investment to parts of the country museums and libraries, ranging in size PROTECTED CHARACTERISTICS where involvement in arts and culture is and location, in which we invest over significantly below the national average. multi-year periods. Under the Equality Act 2010, it is Its aims are to transform the opportunities against the law to discriminate against open to people in those places, support someone because of a protected the public in shaping local arts and cultural THE GREAT CAMPAIGN characteristic. According to the Act, provision and, in so doing, increase those characteristics are age, disability, attendance and participation in publicly- A campaign designed to showcase SATURDAY CLUBS gender reassignment, marriage and civil funded art and culture. the wide range of experiences to be had in this country, while also promoting A national programme developed in partnership, pregnancy and maternity, the UK internationally through the 2009 with a vision to create regular race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual themes of culture, heritage, sport, music, opportunities for young people to be orientation. Arts Council England also countryside, food and shopping. It was inspired by and develop within the recognises class and socio-economic IN HARMONY launched in 2012, and is co-ordinated by creative industries. The programme is background as barriers to opportunity. the Department for International Trade. open to anyone between the ages of A national programme that aims to 13-16 and is delivered in colleges and inspire and transform the lives of children universities across the UK. It is jointly
in communities with lower access to supported by Arts Council England and SOCIAL PRESCRIBING publicly-funded culture, using the power the Department for Education. and disciplines of ensemble music- MUSIC EDUCATION HUBS The prescription of creative and cultural making. It is jointly supported by Arts activities by health care professionals, Council England and the Department Groups of organisations – such as local and other referral services, to people for Education. authorities, schools, cultural organisations, experiencing anxiety, stress-related and community or voluntary organisations symptoms, depression or other mental – working together to create joined-up and physical health problems. music education provision. They respond to local need and fulfil the objectives NATIONAL YOUTH MUSIC ORGANISATIONS of the National Plan for Music Education. Arts Council England manages funding Organisations that operate across for Music Education Hubs on behalf of the country and provide progression the Department for Education. routes and pathways for talented young musicians to develop, across a range of musical genres. They are jointly supported by Arts Council England and the Department for Education.
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A TRULY LET'S CREATIVE CREATE NATION
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74 75 STRATEGY 2020-2030 ABOUT US
Arts Council England
WHO WE ARE
The Arts Council has offices in Birmingham, In 2011 our responsibilities were expanded Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, London, to include the support and development Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham. of museums and libraries, alongside the We are governed by a government appointed arts. We are tasked with various statutory National Council which is supported by five UK-wide responsibilities that enable Area Councils, covering London, the Midlands, objects and collections of special interest the North, the South-East and the South-West. to be acquired, shared and protected for We are an independent charity as well as an long-term public benefit. We also work with arms-length non-departmental public body, and the Department for Education to deliver a are accountable to the Department for Digital, network of Music Education Hubs, ensuring Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). We were every child in this country has access to established as a distributor of National Lottery a high-quality music education. funds under The National Lottery Act 1993. We own a large and growing collection of modern and contemporary art featuring work by over 2,000 UK based artists. The Arts Council Collection is on view to the Arts Council England’s total annual public in galleries and public buildings income for 2018/19 (the most recent across the country. year available) was £712 million. Our main sources of income are Grant-in-Aid (that is, the money we receive directly from government, which totalled £487 The Arts Council works with a wide range of partners million in 2018/19) and National Lottery in delivering its objectives. In central government these funding (£224 million in 2018/19). Our include the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & remit is to use all these funds to support Sport, the Department for Education, the Department arts and culture for the benefit of the of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, English public. We currently disburse Communities & Local Government, among others. We these funds via three streams: work with local government, often investing alongside i) The National Portfolio: a core councils into local cultural infrastructure. Other group of arts organisations, important partners include local enterprise partnerships museums and libraries, ranging and further and higher education institutions. We in size and location, in which we have active relationships, often underpinned with invest over multi-year periods Memoranda of Understanding, with a range of public ii) National Lottery Project Grants: bodies including the Local Government Association, a rolling programme that provides National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Lottery support for one-off projects Communities Fund, the British Film Institute, the British Council, the BBC and Historic England. The Arts Council iii) Development funds which is an active member of the International Federation of support specific strategic initiatives Arts Councils and Cultural Agencies, the International identified by the Arts Council Society of Performing Arts and the Informal European Theatre Meeting.
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Image credits
Page 3: We're Here Because We're Here Page 55: Bridport Arts Centre. Arts Council England (Sheffield), produced by Birmingham REP Photo © Graham Shackleton The Hive and National Theatre. Photo © 14-18 NOW 49 Lever Street Page 59: Emergency Exit Arts – Thamesmead Manchester Page 5: Emergency Exit Arts and output arts – 50th Birthday. Photo © Emergency Exit Arts M1 1FN Spring Waking. Photo © Jack Pasco Page 61: Artonik Bell Square. Photo © Vipul Sangoi W: artscouncil.org.uk Page 7: National Youth Theatre of Great Britain – Page 63: ILUVLIVE. Photo © Abigail Shii P: 0161 934 4317 Summer Courses. Photo © Alessandra Davidson E: [email protected] Page 13: Heart of Glass Events. Page 65: Black Swan, inspired by and Textphone: 020 7973 6564 Photo © Stephen King reimagined for the 11 Million Reasons to Dance exhibition, commissioned by People Dancing. Arts Council England is the trading Page 16: A Certain Kind Of Light – Light in art over Photo © Sean Goldthorpe name of The Arts Council of England. six decades, An Arts Council Collection Touring Charity registration number 1036733. Page 68/9: © Yorkshire Festival exhibition. Photo © Steve Tanner You can get this document in Braille, Page 17: The Nature of Why 2018 – Southbank in large print, on audio CD, and in various Centre – Paraorchestra. Photo © Paul Blakemore electronic formats. Please contact us if you need any of these. Page 20: Hofesh Shechter: Political Mother – The Choreographer’s Cut 2015. We are committed to being open Photo © Victor Frankowski and accessible. We welcome all comments on our work. Page 21: We Dwell Below by Ooni Studios 2018 at Hancock Museum. Photo © Mark Savage Please send these comments to our Enquiries Team at: Page 25: Liverpool Library. Photo © Graham Lucas The Hive Commons 49 Lever Street Manchester Page 30: Serious – EFG London Jazz Festival. M1 1FN Photo © Stephen Wright Or use the contact form on our website at: Page 31: Punchdrunk’s The Lost Lending Library. artscouncil.org.uk/contact-us Photo © Paul Cochrane Ethical printing Page 35: Curtain call from The Merchant of Venice This publication has been ethically and Othello. Photo by David Tett © RSC printed on FSC certified paper. Over 90% Page 39: ACE Dance and Music Saturday of solvents are recycled for further use and Class Christmas Gala performance. recycling initiatives are in place for all other Photo © Graeme Braidwood waste associated with this production. The printer is FSC and ISO 14001 certified Page 43: Pavilion Dance South West, with strict procedures in place to safeguard Joie de Vivre Postcards with Graham Jagger, the environment through all their processes. Graham Turner and Steve Cook from Dance SIX-0. Photo © Kevin Clifford Munken Polar Rough is FSC™ The mark of responsible forestry: fsc.org Page 54: Serious – EFG London Jazz Festival. FSC-C022692 and PEFC certified Photo © Stephen Wright © Arts Council England, 2021
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