The Arts Council of England
Introduction
The Arts Council of England was established by Royal Charter in April 1994 as a successor body to the Arts Council of Great Britain. The aims of the Arts Council are:
- to develop and improve the knowledge, understanding and practice of the arts;
- to increase the accessibility of the arts to the public; and
- to advise and co-operate with departments of government, local authorities, the Arts Councils of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and other bodies.
The Arts Council receives an annual Grant-in-Aid from central government through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. About 30% of the Arts Council's funding is delivered through ten Regional Arts Boards (RABs). The Arts Council is responsible also for distributing lottery money to the arts in England.
The Arts Council has 23 members appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and including the Chairmen of the ten Regional Arts Boards. Council membership includes leading artists, arts management professionals, academics, broadcasters and members with business and financial expertise. The day-to-day business of the Council is managed by the Secretary-General who is the Accounting Officer.
| | Number of Staff¹ | | | Expenditure (£m)
Voted Funds only |
| 1995/96 | 162 | | 1995/96 | 427.6* |
| 1996/97 | 206 | | 1996/97 | 544.9* |
| 1997/98 | 295² | | 1997/98 | 544.9 |
¹Estimate
²The growth in Lottery administration has brought about substantial increases in staff numbers. | | *Includes Lottery |
The Annual Report and Accounts, incorporating the Arts Council Lottery fund Annual Report, is available free of charge from the Press and Public Affairs Department. Copies of the Arts Council of England's Corporate Plan and Business Plan are available from the Policy, Research and Planning Department at the Arts Council (0171 333 0100 Ext 6592).
Achievements in 1996/97
Recent Lottery-funded initiatives include Arts for Everyone, which aims to create new opportunities for a wide range of people to enjoy high quality artistic activity, and a pilot stabilisation scheme to support one-off changes to the way an arts organisation operates so it can better manage the resources available to it. The Council has reviewed its support for film, and published policies on new music, jazz, dance, drama, education and training. Arrangements for delegated pay and pay bargaining have been introduced, a staffing review conducted, and equal opportunities recruitment examined.
Guided by the principles underlying the Citizen's Charter, the Council has established standards which are detailed in Quality of Service Guidelines issued to all staff. In November 1996, the Arts Council reviewed its procurement policy with the aim of ensuring continued sustained improvements in competing for quality. Feasibility study funding was offered to a pilot PFI project, the fruits of which have been incorporated into the draft guidance note on Private Finance and Lottery funding to be issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Having gained the Disability Symbol in 1996, the Arts Council is working towards achieving the Investors in People standard.
Plans for 1997/98
New lottery funded developments include:
- film production franchises; and
- grants to accredited dance and drama courses as part of a time-limited scheme funded in partnership with government and local education authorities.
Policies will be published for poetry, visual arts and cultural diversity. The Arts Council and RABs will work together to implement recommendations in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Setting the Scene; establish an integrated advisory system; and develop more consistent administrative practices in relationships with arts organisations.
Key Performance Targets
|
| 1994/95
| 1995/96
| 1996/97
| 1997/98
|
Key Measure
| Set
| Achieved
| Set
| Achieved
| Set
| Forecast
| Set
|
Total Income (Including subsidy) of Regularly Funded Organisations (£m)
|
| 406
|
| 397
|
| 413
| 429
|
Total Number of Standard Grants Awarded
|
|
1,660
|
|
1,600
|
|
|
|
Number of New Works Commissioned by Regularly Funded Organisations
|
| n/a
|
| 1,384
|
| 1,380
| 1,380
|
|
